ADSL modem-router Air5010 - No firmware updates - Should I care ?

Hello. My ISP is Orange of France and I purchased from them last year the modem-router which I use as a modem-router. Its firmware version is 1.0.0.3 and has not changed since the date I purchased the modem-router from Orange. My airport base stations are both configured as bridges (not routing traffic). I use as firewall this modem-router's firewall.

I now have the certainty that as long as I will use this modem-router:

I will not receive automatic (nor manual) firmware updates from Orange; and
I cannot find firmware update files (at least 1.0.0.0 to 1.0.0.3) anywhere on the Internet;
Neither Arties (original maker) nor Orange carry on any work related to finding security holes and fixing them for this modem-router.

Should I bother ? Or is this a risk-free situation as the Orange tech told me today over the phone ?

TIA for any advice.

On the network, hidden in the shade of the router's firewall, we find: two macs, one printer, one time capsule (with a hard drive), an airport base station, two iPhones (when at home), one ipad, one Apple TV (1st gen). Not knowing more what a defective router firmware can to to my network security, I activated the macs' firewalls against entering traffic, in addition to the router's own firewall. Looks like overkill to me !

Any suggestion ?

This adds to complexity and I want to minimize complexity. For best efficiency, should I consider installing Little Snitch instead of these firewalls ? Nothing ?

michelangelo said:

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This adds to complexity and I want to minimize complexity. For best efficiency, should I consider installing Little Snitch instead of these firewalls ? Nothing ?

Click to expand...

I think you may want to re-read your sentence above as it makes no sense and is almost contrary for what you're attempting to do.

And, BTW, what do you do or what are you involved in to make you so paranoid???

Give Little Snitch a big miss as it causes problems. Also if all is working well, carry on. Have found over the years firmware updates on routers connected to Mac/s to be difficult to install and of little practical value.

Safest protection is guard your admin password like gold and if necessary change it from time to time.

Any specific problems with Little Snitch harryb2448???

I've been using it for years and still do and can't recall having any problems with it.

Not for me handing over computer security to an app of questionable value.


http://www.mac-forums.com/security-awareness/314869-little-snitch.html


https://forums.obdev.at/viewtopic.php?t=10045

Thank you all for replies, which help reduce the paranoia content in my messages. Indeed,

pm-r "no sense". I agree. Sorry about that.

pm-r "paranoia". Yes, my paranoia derives not from my use of the computer (which is nothing special) but from my ignorance about the reality of the threats I could be facing. Hence my questions, dictated more by my ignorance than by other causes.

harry "Little snitch". Thanks. I understant there may be no compelling reason to use that sort of tool, no compelling experience that it delivers protection against these threats. I will continue without it.

Harry "carry on but protect your devices' passwords". Good. So I will remove my shields on the macs (thus decreasing complexity), rely solely on the router and its fully stealthed firewall and make sure my passwords are secure and unknown.

Thanks. This was useful advice. Sorry pm-r for looking confuse and paranoiac, I was (still am, but to a lesser extent). Also, my paranoia may somehow result from some of the purely male prejudice against threats caused by the so-called "clueless wife's internet surfing and shopping" (my bad, my apologies).