topic Re: Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible? in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible?

7up — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 13:46:16 GMT

Hey gang!
Someone on freecycle recently gave me a working sky d-link router that was surplus to their requirements.
Now i've got into it with the default username and password and got into the admin pages so thats all cool. I've turned off the wifi (you know me.. don't like RF EM radiation around 7up jnr) and as an added bonus, i think the ethernet ports are gigbit
Anyhow, while i'm not overly worried about using it as a router (gigbit switch is good enough) I noticed that sky have locked it so that you can't change the connection details which in fairness to them, why shouldn't they.. BUT if its surplus to requirements, why shouldn't someone else be able to make use of it!
The device doesn't even have a model on it anywhere to make it a bit more complicated.. so it's all a bit vague now but i'm wondering if there is a way to unlock it?
7up

Re: Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible?

BruceMcTavish — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:00:29 GMT

Sky have always locked their supplied routers and even if you were a customer they would not be able to tell you username and password to connect to their network. (Different to any username you log into router with).
Only place to put it is in the bin.

Re: Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible?

7up — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:21:34 GMT

Bin? Why would I want to do that?
I just told you it's got a gigbit ethernet switch (and even if it's not gigabit.. it's still an extra switch which i was in need of).
Bin it?... just because it won't route? Are you mad?!

Re: Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible?

twocvbloke — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:35:59 GMT

What model is it? If it's a relatively standard hardware model, you could probably just reflash it with stock firmware, or if that's not possible, there's other router firmwares that can replace the originals (such as DD-WRT), assuming it's not been lobotomised by sky as they tend to do with all their hardware...

Re: Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible?

7up — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:41:24 GMT

Well turns out it's not a gigabit switch.. somebody who wrote the firmware appears to have added an extra line where it says eth3 is up at 1000Mbps... while all the others state 100Mbos lol. Anyway it still works well as a switch and has given me some extra ethernet sockets which were badly needed! I now have TWO spare sockets

Quote from: twocvbloke
What model is it?

Quote from: 7up
The device doesn't even have a model on it anywhere

Re: Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible?

twocvbloke — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 15:18:39 GMT

Well, looking about, the model that pops up the most is DSL-2640s, and as there is a DSL-2640r, you could probably flash the firmware from that onto the sky router, assuming sky haven't completely locked out the ability to reflash with stock D-Link firmware or custom open-source firmwares...
Being a sky product, I wouldn't hold out much hope of making it useful away from their services, just like their satellite receivers, the hardware's capable of so much more, but lobotomised so you can't believe in better and aim your dish elsewhere...

Re: Sky D-Link router... unlocking possible?

7up — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:41:38 GMT

Yeah weird that isn't it... "Sky.. believe in better... except we'll stop it happening"
Anyhow i've abandoned the idea of unlocking it now,
Instead i'm now using it as a switch instead and have two printers plugged into it. The 'switch' is then connected to another switch on my desk which in turn is connected to my cisco router. Bonus being that it still has wifi that can be used and activated via its admin pages like the router. Not that i'm a big fan of wifi EM radiation but wifi as a technology is very useful at times.