The Future May Be Neither Linux Nor Windows

This gets a little weird. Earthlink, in their wisdom (probably at the prompting of SBC-Pac Bell), decided that I needed to redo my DSL connection, and therefore basically cut off service. It's not as bad as it sounds; my dialup still worked, albeit slowly, and they gave me account Credit Debt for my trouble. So I'm not complaining. Read on if you dare! :-)

I finally got last night the actual DSL box. Basically, it's a specialized modem with a built-in webserver; it also has NAT, filtering, and routing capabilities. Obviously, Windows can be reasonably well protected behind such a box (and these have been available for awhile anyway, since my *prior* router box had vaguely similar capabilities).

Incoming packet on port 445? Ping...flop, as it hits the NAT protective wall on the hardware.

1026? Ping...flop.

137? Ping...flop.

80? Ping...flop.

25? Ping...flop.

6881? Ping...flop.

135? Ping...flop.

I could go on ad nauseum, but you probably got the idea four flops ago.

In order to access this machine over the Internet from a zombie, one must first allow the zombie in. Since by default all ports are blocked one has to switch to social engineering techniques, some of which are quite nasty.

Not much a NAT router, firewall, or ISP mailfilter can do about social engineering, unless they recognize a pattern.

Also, no installation software (trojans) needed; just point and click using the Web browser to configure.

So Windows wins again. (FSVO "win".) If this sort of thing keeps up there'll be nothing but crutches left, and Linux will *still* be shut out by the Mighty Microsoft Marketing Machine. :-)

It's enough to cause one to bang one's head against a firewall in frustration...

-- Windows Vista. Because everyone wants a really slick-looking 8-sided wheel.