D-link Wireless-G Router Year Issue (Y2K-plus-13)

Published: 2013-01-05
Last Updated: 2013-01-05 22:20:18 UTC
by Guy Bruneau (Version: 1)
6 comment(s)

We have received a report from Melvin indicating that he discovered an issue with a D-Link WBR-1310 Version D Release 4.13 router "expired" when a computer could no longer get a new lease from the router. According to D-Link's website, this router would no longer be supported after January 2012 and the year reset to 2002 (valid year is 2002-2012). The D-link router needs to be a DHCP-client to the ISP's DHCP-server. If you are still using this model, when the DHCP lease expires, your router will no longer be serving the correct date and will need to be replaced. DD-WRT isn't an option because this model isn't supported. If you have already already encountered this issue, let us know via our contact page.

[1] http://www.dd-wrt.ca/site/support/router-database

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Guy Bruneau IPSS Inc. gbruneau at isc dot sans dot edu

Keywords: DDlink WBR1310
6 comment(s)

Comments

granted this is a cheap router, pretty much disposable at the cost but an unresolved Y2K issue in a router first released in 2006 is likely to be perceived as gross negligence on D-Links part. How many other vendors will fail on the availability and integrity components of the CIA triad in coming years as two digit years with workarounds begin to fail?

Also I believe you meant to post "this router would no longer be supported after January 2013..." not 2012. But the page I see says support ended 8/1/2012. http://www.dlink.com/us/en/support/product/wbr-1310-wireless-g-router
Are there other consumer-grade routers like the D-link that have this problem?
AndrewB,

We are not aware (and have not received other reports) of other router experiencing this issue.
The D-Link WBR-2310 ("range-booster" G-speed) router has the same problem. Hey, D-Link, how many other routers did you sell that will have the same problem? Class-action law-suit?

Is '8/1/2012' the 8th of January, or the 1st of August ??? Where's my Mayan calendar? :-)
The D-Link DI-604 Rev. E1 (4-port wired router) has the same problem with its original firmware (2.18).
The latest (3.53) firmware: ftp://ftp.dlink.com/Gateway/di604_revE1/Firmware/
corrects the problem, but with a "twist": set the date "manually" to '2011' (the maximum value listed in the pull-down)
and 'Apply' the change, and let the router restart. Then, with the same pull-down, you can set the year to '2012' to '2022', or can use 'Set using your computer time'.
The D-LINK DIR-655 (Wireless N) router, both hardware versions 'A' and 'B', have the same problem, fresh out of the box.

Updating the firmware on the 'A' version extended the range of valid years to '2019' -- not too far away!

Updating the firmware on the 'B' version extended the range of valid years to '2039'.

It is shameful that a modern "Wireless N" router will fail after 2019. Such units will still be deployed in many homes in 2020.

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