[NTLUG:Discuss] DSL vs. Cable modem

[Kyle_Davenport@compusa.com]

The cable modem itself is responsible for what passes thru it.  It is not an IP
router.   This is a configuration decision by the ISP.  In my case, I3S
(providing BroadBand Now! for Optel), I can see about 40 other computers with
tcpdump, which is about what nmap and cheops report for my subnet.

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MadHat <madhat at unspecific.com> on 12/13/99 08:07:32 AM

Please respond to discuss at ntlug.org

To:   discuss at ntlug.org
cc:    (bcc: Kyle Davenport/Is/Corporate/CompUSA)
Subject:  Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] DSL vs. Cable modem



Richard Cobbe wrote:
>

<SNIPITY-Do-Dah>

> > 1) Due to internet research, I believe cable connections are far less secure
than DSL lines.
>
> Really?  I certainly haven't heard anything about this.  I know some
> ISPs will set up a firewall for you, but I think this is a per-ISP
> thing.  Me, I have a DSL connection, and I'm getting friendly with
> ipchains, portsentry, logcheck, cfengine, and friends.
>

This has been an argument for a long time, like since the cable modems
came out.  The argument isn't that cable modems are unsecure per say,
but that the networks being set up by the cable companies are insecure.
With the cable modems, they are suposedly using a simple routing scheme,
where the traffic is sent to a pop for you neighborhood and then
broadcast to that network, so that anyone in your neighborhood would be
able to capture all your network traffic and therefor get your user
names and passwords.