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Apple Ipad virus crashing/disabling my network?

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Ash Small

Tue Nov 05 2013, 11:31AM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

I'll try and give as full an explanation as possible, maybe someone can help?

My wireless network is hosted on a PC which currently runs XP service pack 3, which is cnnected to a Huawei broadband mobile dongle, and an Edimax 150 wireless nano-dongle.

This worked fine, providing WiFi interconnection to my Compaq laptop running Vista, other laptops, Samsung tablets, my Samsung smart TV, android phones, blackberrys, and, until recently, an Apple Ipad belonging to a frequent visitor.

This was running pretty much continuously for the past four months.

Last weekend, as soon as the Ipad connected to it, internet connectivity to all devices except the 'host server' immediately ceased, and I spent all weekend trying to sort it out.

In the end I gave up, and connected the Huawei Broadband dongle and Edimax nano-dongle to my laptop, and used the laptop as the 'server', but this also 'went down' as soon as the Ipad connected to it.

I've not been able to get either up and running since, even when the Ipad isn't connected. I suspect a virus from the Ipad is now on both machines, but Microsoft Security Essentials can't find anything.

This 'virus' doesn't seem to affect my Android phone when used in 'portable hotspot' mode, although it seems like it may be running slower than usual, but this may just be down to a weak signal. All devices seem able to connect to it.

I currently just have the broadband dongle connected to my laptop, with no WiFi network.

What can I do to try and fix this problem?....All I can think of is to 'wipe' both machines, re-format the hard drives, and re-install the operating systems, but, as the only installation disks I currently have are Windows 98 and an XP upgrade, I'm considering either buying a Windows 7 installation disk, or downloading Linux Zorin (as reccomended by Sulaiman in a recent thread here), and running all my windows software under WINE.

Any ideas/thoughts would be welcome.

EDIT (Additional information): Something else I noticed is that both machines, when turned off after being infected, re-booted, so I assume it's done something to the config.sys, or boot sector, or whatever. Also, I tried re-connecting the Samsung tablet to my laptop (the devices still connect to the network, and the network still functions, just nothing else has access to the internet), and the laptop re-booted by itself again when I turned it off (after the laptop again lost internet access), so it would appear that everything now has the virus, or something.

Erlend^SE

Wed Nov 06 2013, 08:18PM

Registered Member #1565 Joined: Wed Jun 25 2008, 09:08PM
Location: Norway
Posts: 159

How hard reset have you done? battery removal?

I would assume a hard driver-crash, I had a on-board Ethernet controller go bad until I disconnected the input power (not just power down) and restarted the machine. As in the Ethernet controller failed to initialize like it was broken. (Windows 7 b.t.w.)

Carbon_Rod

Thu Nov 07 2013, 02:55AM

Registered Member #65 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:43AM
Location:
Posts: 1155

Huawei along with TP-Link were blacklisted as potentially hostile vendors for putting back-doors in their networking products. Specifically, Huawei modems are easily re-branded/modified by 3rd parties with custom drivers and configurations. These were quickly re-purposed by ass-hats and re-sold to the public as networking cards with a root kit. Both Cisco and Apple have back-doored their products with a shim routine for years, and will sue anyone that discloses the hooks publicly.

Note, people will often overheat their wifi cards if they use them at full power continuously.

This is probably the wrong forum, as forensics is a somewhat taboo subject.
Note Russia gets cold enough to freeze Vodka in the winters....

Conundrum

Thu Nov 07 2013, 06:49AM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4059

Sounds similar to a problem I had once, machine with XP which bombed the network and resulted in a disconnect from broadband after <5 minutes.
In the end I nuked the machine from orbit and that fixed it, no emails from the ISP or anything just a blinking green "no carrier" light on the router.

Ash, try downnloading the AVG Rescue CD and running that, just in case.
Last time I had a really bad case of virusitis on a machine this got it working enough to at least get the data off.

Ash Small

Thu Nov 07 2013, 10:50AM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

I'm gradually working through the suggestions above, I've also removed, or attempted to remove ALL Apple and Cisco software from both the PC and laptop. I can't remove the battery from the Samsung tablet, but it is turned off for the duration.

I just want to point out that the Huawei dongle still works on both machines, and the network still works, all devices can connect wirelessly to each other EXCEPT nothing has access to the internet, except the machine that is plugged into the Huawei dongle. I'm using the Laptop and Huawei dongle now to post this.

I'll post again later when I've re-installed the Edimax WiFi software, I've just re-installed the Huawei software.

Thanks for the suggestions.

EDIT: when the problem first occurred, ity did seem that a 'back door' was open, and that the mouse was being 'controlled' from elsewhere, but it seemed like a software thing, rather than someone actually sat at a remote screen, controlling it manually.

Conundrum

Thu Nov 07 2013, 01:21PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4059

Hi, did you want me to post you a rescue disk and my backup OS?
I can also send you DSL on a pendrive if that helps.
Kind regards, -A

Ash Small

Thu Nov 07 2013, 04:11PM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

Conundrum wrote ...

Hi, did you want me to post you a rescue disk and my backup OS?
I can also send you DSL on a pendrive if that helps.
Kind regards, -A

I'm not sure I need a 'rescue disk', I can get data off of both machines (PC and laptop), I think I can still 'restore factory settings', etc on the laptop (unless I erased the backup). I was thinking of wiping everything after copying all my data, etc to my USB hard drive, and installing Zorin, before spending money on a windows 7 installation disc.

Can you elaborate a bit, please, I'm not up on all the jargon etc.

Not sure what you mean by DSL either

I'm going to try re-installing the Edimax WiFi software after I'm certain I've erased as much stuff from both machines as I dare. If I'm still stuck then, I may be interested in your offer if it's going to mean I may not need to wipe and re-format both machines' hard drives.

I may try downloading some more anti-virus software, but last time I downloaded AVG I seemed to end up with more viruses on the machine than I started with, and had to download even more anti-virus software to eliminate all of them.

It's strange, but the only thing I can't do is connect to the internet on any of the other devices connected to the network, although the network works fine in all other respects. Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) was still activated on the Edimax dongle, and I even re-installed it once, but to no avail.

The 'virus', or whatever just seems to disable the Internet Connection Sharing, and nothing else, although there was a problem which appeared to be 'back door' related, I seem to have eliminated this now.

I used to regularly re-format my hard drive on the PC so that I could 're-evaluate' 30 day trials of software

, but I haven't done this for years now.

I have been considering switching to Linux for some time, the only thing stopping me is I'm uncertain whether WINE will be compatible with my CAD software. I think I'm ready to try this now. As a last resort I can always invest in a copy of Windows 7, but I'll try eliminating the virus by other methods first.

Both the dongles (WiFi and 3G internet) seem to be working perfectly, apart from the ICS. Everything else seems to be working fine, too.

Conundrum

Fri Nov 08 2013, 05:39AM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4059

I've had good results with the disk, know of other people who have found their systems run a lot faster and Windows Security Essentials now removes the rest of the junk.
The problem is with some rootkits/etc the machine is infected at a fundamental level and the AV is constantly firefighting to repair infections in realtime.

-A

Ash Small

Fri Nov 08 2013, 01:38PM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

Thanks for the disks, Andre.

My laptop won't read the AVG disk, but it only has a cheap internal CD rom. I can sort that by using a USB stick, or making another copy.

I put the disk in the PC and it immediately found one trojan. It's still scanning, but it looks like I may be getting somewhere

Conundrum

Sat Nov 30 2013, 10:05AM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4059

Hate to say it but this might be the drive.
What sort is it, I have a few spares here.
Will ensure I test the drive(s) first, before sending to make sure you don't get another dud.

Re. dodgy drive, early CDROMs invariably wouldn't read even a CDRW unless they were writers to begin with.
Something about the optical path being optimised for read speed rather than writing, could also be poor power regulation of the laser.

-A

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