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huthutmasterhuthutmaster Posts: 2
in F-Secure SENSE Router
I pre-ordered my SENSE about 2 years before it was finally released. Sadly once it arrived it could not support my somewhat complicated home setup (with a digital PBX). So after discussing it with f-secure tech support they said it could not be made to work and refunded the initial cost. I was told to dispose of the SENSE unit but I decided to hold onto it - well you never know. So my question(s) are 1) I could split my PBX and its phones from a switch placed between my ISP router and the SENSE unit. This way SENSE protects the general computing devices within the house but the PBX and its phones are excluded. It makes managing the PBX components more difficult but protects general PCs/phones/IOT etc. So its a reasonable trade off and one I would be prepared to make (since its no worse than what I have now). At the time I offered to test any set-up f-secure suggested and was more than happy to experiment with our system. 2) We already have a 2 year subscription to TOTAL with freedome (3 devices) and also pay for freedome on our phones (a further 2 licences) 3) Would f-secure consider re-activating my original SENSE unit under my existing TOTAL subscription so that I may try the above house configuration? Again, I would be happy to provide feedback, try things out if asked. 4) What I really want is FREEDOME VPN on SENSE to protect the whole house, when will this be available as you keep saying its in 'development' Robert
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Answers

  • LakshLaksh Posts: 4,426

    Hello huthutmaster,

     

    Thanks for your post and again, sorry that SENSE didn’t work in your home setup. On that note, you mentioned that the issue was SENSE’s interoperability with a digital PBX in your home. Digital PBXs are unusual in consumers’ homes. Just checking, do you happen to have a home office by any chance?
    We are asking this because SENSE was designed for consumers and not necessarily suitable for businesses.

    >What I really want is FREEDOME VPN on SENSE to protect the whole house:
    Good news is, now we offer TOTAL with SENSE. So all new customers can benefit from the connected home security with SENSE and award-winning VPN on the go with FREEDOME in one package.
    Note, however that the VPN is not on the SENSE router as such, it’s on your mobile device.

    That said, when you bought your SENSE device it was sold under the terms and conditions valid at the time of your purchase, which did not include an option to go for TOTAL. After you requested a refund, when you got your money back for your SENSE device, the protection service in SENSE was terminated.
    We are unable to reactive the SENSE service for a device that was deactivated after a refund.

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  • huthutmasterhuthutmaster Posts: 2
    Dear Laksh Thanks for your reply. I am not a business but used to work in telecoms and have always had some form of PBX in the house. BT in the UK have said that they will be moving to a full IP based phone system in the future (by 2025 so 6/7 years). (see this link https://www.securityworldmarket.com/uk/News/Business-News/impact-of-the-uk-telephone-network-transforming-to-all-ip-network#.XAZLYOKYRhE) My VoIP PBX is essentially just a VoIP phone. Many homes now have VoIP phones or are supplied with a box that converts a standard analogue line phone into VoIP. Our neighbour has one and a service supplied by Vonage in the UK here (https://www.vonage.co.uk/voip/). SIP based VoIP phones generally don’t like ‘double NATting’ (often get one-way speech problems). If any home has an ISP supplied router it will be doing the NAT function. If they add the SENSE unit, which also appears to do NAT, then the path will be ‘double NATted’. I get over this by setting my router up as a transparent bridge but with a firewall and my own rules. You cant seem to do this with SENSE. So how does SENSE get over any VoIP phone and double NATting? The SENSE unit would be great if only the VPN function was built into the unit. It is not really a very good solution to expect Freedome to be added to every device. Firstly I have Linux machines and Linux does not seem to be supported and secondly it wont protect my network from visitors, who wont/don’t have Freedome (but yes the router protection will help). Freedome running on the SENSE unit would be a far superior solution as it would protect all devices within the home. We have TOTAL (SAFE and Freedome) subscriptions on 3 PCs and Freedome subscription on 2 phones and on our Android 'set top box'. Lots of homes have various flavours of 'set top boxes'. This is all very expensive for me and what would your proposed solution be? Sounds like my SENSE unit is on a one-way trip to the recycle centre then! :-( Many thanks, I would be interested in your reply/views from f-secure
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  • LakshLaksh Posts: 4,426

    Hello huthutmaster,

     

    In order to help you further, could you please exactly explain your home setup? If you would like to, you could respond to me in a private message. For example, what VoIP device (exact make and model), where it's connected to and how (cable), what other devices are used for VoIP calls, etc.

    Did you try to have double NAT in your setup?

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