AT&T appears to be disconnecting me from SSH and FTP connections - anyone else?

[Timby]

As I mention in this link on the AT&T forums:

http://forums.att.com/t5/Data-Messaging-Features-Internet/Has-AT-amp-T-started-disabling-SSH-connections-from-phones/td-p/3231261

I have noticed that, as of this week, FTP and SSH connections made from my Galaxy Nexus phone (unbranded, unlocked, bought from Google) are being terminated after about 10 seconds. This has never happened to me before. I called AT&T tech support several times, and their answer each time, in the end, was basically "Sorry, we can't help you, and we have no information on why this is happening."

I have tested it on other phones, with the same result; everything's fine when I'm connected via WiFi, but when on AT&T's network, these disconnects happen. Someone on the AT&T forum suggests AT&T may be forging RST packets to force disconnects.

Has anyone had this happen to them? Anyone know if there's any way I can talk to someone at AT&T who can actually confirm what they're doing?

- Tim

[tlvp]

Post by Timby
http://forums.att.com/t5/Data-Messaging-Features-Internet/Has-AT-amp-T-started-disabling-SSH-connections-from-phones/td-p/3231261
I have noticed that, as of this week, FTP and SSH connections made from my Galaxy Nexus phone (unbranded, unlocked, bought from Google) are being terminated after about 10 seconds. This has never happened to me before. I called AT&T tech support several times, and their answer each time, in the end, was basically "Sorry, we can't help you, and we have no information on why this is happening."

Is it possible that what you're seeing is at&t's way of enforcing their
data cap on their [yes,it's not really all that] unlimited service?

Your other questions, alas, I have no answers for at all, sorry. HTH.

Cheers, -- tlvp

[Tim Bessie]

Post by tlvp
Is it possible that what you're seeing is at&t's way of enforcing their
data cap on their [yes,it's not really all that] unlimited service?
Your other questions, alas, I have no answers for at all, sorry. HTH.
Cheers, -- tlvp

Sadly, this doesn't appear to be the case - I've been keeping tabs on my data usage, and, with about 10 days left for this month's billing period, I've used about .5g of my 2g limit, so I'm nowhere close to my cap.

So it must be some other reason. I suspect they either have instituted an only-known-by-them "security" policy based on a profile of some sort (using an unbranded device, using less popular protocols, etc), or based on some kind of sniffing to determine tethering possibilities, or something of that sort.

It's kind of sad that they won't let their users know what their own data rules actually are, beyond some generic sounding statements.

Hopefully we will all find out (hopefully the way Comcast was boo'd down by their users for lack of net neutrality).

- Tim

[Tim Bessie]

Post by tlvp
Is it possible that what you're seeing is at&t's way of enforcing their
data cap on their [yes,it's not really all that] unlimited service?
Your other questions, alas, I have no answers for at all, sorry. HTH.
Cheers, -- tlvp

Sadly, this doesn't appear to be the case - I've been keeping tabs on my data usage, and, with about 10 days left for this month's billing period, I've used about .5g of my 2g limit, so I'm nowhere close to my cap.

So it must be some other reason. I suspect they either have instituted an only-known-by-them "security" policy based on a profile of some sort (using an unbranded device, using less popular protocols, etc), or based on some kind of sniffing to determine tethering possibilities, or something of that sort.

It's kind of sad that they won't let their users know what their own data rules actually are, beyond some generic sounding statements.

Hopefully we will all find out (hopefully the way Comcast was boo'd down by their users for lack of net neutrality).

- Tim

[Tim Bessie]

Hmm, the mystery continues. As of today, the problems went away.
Other people I've talked to who had similar disconnect issues that only popped up this week, also found them going away today.

Very strange - somebody fixed something... but WHAT? What happened to cause it in the first place? I wonder.

Perhaps someone read this very thread and said "oops!" Let's hope so! :-)

- Tim

[tlvp]

Post by Tim Bessie
Hmm, the mystery continues. As of today, the problems went away.
Other people I've talked to who had similar disconnect issues that only popped up this week, also found them going away today.
Very strange - somebody fixed something... but WHAT? What happened to cause it in the first place? I wonder.
Perhaps someone read this very thread and said "oops!" Let's hope so! :-)
- Tim

I take it, from the dearth of updates, the problem has *stayed* away?

Cheers, -- tlvp

[Tim Bessie]

Post by tlvp
I take it, from the dearth of updates, the problem has *stayed* away?
Cheers, -- tlvp
--
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP.

As of today, it is still working correctly, yes.

For myself, I'm going to wait several billing cycles before I feel confident about it; for all I know, they'll put their config changes back that broke things. I'll report back here if it happens again, in any case.

- Tim

[tlvp]

Post by Tim Bessie

Post by tlvp
I take it, from the dearth of updates, the problem has *stayed* away?
Cheers, -- tlvp
--
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP.

As of today, it is still working correctly, yes.
For myself, I'm going to wait several billing cycles before I feel confident about it; for all I know, they'll put their config changes back that broke things. I'll report back here if it happens again, in any case.
- Tim

Good deal! Thanks. -- tlvp