Duke exonerates iPhone from network outage charges

Granted, the original report suggesting that swarms of iPhones actually broke Duke's WiFi network did seem a bit bizarre, and now it appears that the university is freeing Apple's handset from blame. Interestingly, the actual culprit still seems somewhat veiled in secrecy, as we're only informed that "a particular set of conditions made the Duke wireless network experience some minor and temporary disruptions in service," but never do they exaggerate on exactly what caused the hiccups. Still, Duke also stated that it worked in conjunction with Cisco and Apple in order to "identify the network issue that was causing the problem," and since Cisco stepped in and provided a fix, the prpblem has yet to repeat itself. Looks like you're off the hook on this one, iPhone.

[Josh @ Jul 21st 2007 1:41PM]

However, Mike Nifong STILL is convinced it was the iPhone...

[Evan @ Jul 23rd 2007 10:40AM]

Hi all.
I work at the University of Miami, Telecommunications department, and I can say that the iPhone actually DID bring down our wireless network (basically DoS's our AP's), and I have more details on exactly how it does so if anyone is interested. I think that Duke's wireless problems are most likely related.

[Michael La Framboise @ Jul 21st 2007 2:04PM]

" the prpblem has yet to repeat itself."

spelt problem wrong :)

[Maff @ Jul 21st 2007 3:15PM]

maybe perps + problems = prpblem ??

[Paul @ Jul 21st 2007 2:07PM]

Just because cisco provided a fix for it does not mean the problem wasn't the iphone.

If your Windows 95 machine keeps blue screening and Microsoft provides a fix for it, it doesn't mean the kid down the street running WinNuke95 is any less to blame.

[jilie @ Jul 21st 2007 2:07PM]

on this one and many others!

[Jeremy H @ Jul 21st 2007 2:20PM]

"but never do they 'exaggerate' on exactly what caused the hiccups."

I believe the word that you are looking for is 'elaborate'

[ssuk @ Jul 21st 2007 3:07PM]

exaggerate ex·ag·ger·ate
–verb (used with object)
1. to magnify beyond the limits of truth; overstate; represent disproportionately: to exaggerate the difficulties of a situation.
2. to increase or enlarge abnormally: Those shoes exaggerate the size of my feet.
–verb (used without object)
3. to employ exaggeration, as in speech or writing: a person who is always exaggerating.

Much better word than "elaborate" anyway, I shall have to use this word more frequently.

[aaronlh @ Jul 21st 2007 4:51PM]

Yes, and the word is still elaborate for this context.

[Rayburn @ Jul 21st 2007 4:30PM]

But you can't "exaggerate on" something. Plus "magnifying beyond the limits of truth" doesn't make much sense in the sentence. I don't know what you're thinking ssuk, but Jeremy H's right.

[TNP @ Jul 21st 2007 4:45PM]

How about 'embiggens'?

[dbanfb @ Jul 21st 2007 2:25PM]

Does anyone really care...

There have got to be more interesting things going on than a hiccup in Duke's wifi network...

[Alan Daniel @ Jul 21st 2007 6:50PM]

No kidding. I'm tired of the media finding anything they can to report about Duke.

[KL @ Jul 21st 2007 2:48PM]

yeah like gizmodo reporting on steve jobs farting

[Ghead @ Jul 21st 2007 3:36PM]

Just like a University. It was probably their own screwed up network that gave them gas.

No - I am not am Apple Apologist - just someone who has worked a lot with public institutions to set up networks. Wanna hear the story about the customer who turned off their firewalls because they "were to hard to upgrade"?

BTW - who is your editor? "exaggerate"? "prpblem"?

[eh @ Jul 21st 2007 4:32PM]

Swarms of iphones? I have yet to see a single iphone in person yet, even at college where 90% of the people you see have a phone to their ear. They are not nearly as popular as the media is making them out to be, thinking they would crash a server is ridiculous.

[TNP @ Jul 21st 2007 4:46PM]

It was merely a bug in Carnivore. Nothing to see here; move along, move along.

[Uriel @ Jul 21st 2007 5:58PM]

I see this issue all the time being a cisco network engineer. Some over rated engineer notices a iphone or another device fails authentication multiple times on a few wireless access points and thinks that is the cause of slowness. Duke should have their techs take a cisco wireless class.

[Paul @ Jul 21st 2007 6:30PM]

"I see this issue all the time being a cisco network engineer. Some over rated engineer notices a iphone or another device fails authentication multiple times on a few wireless access points and thinks that is the cause of slowness. Duke should have their techs take a cisco wireless class."


If you are really a cisco network engineer then you should know that the cisco wireless class is nearly worthless and is more of a giant advertisement for cisco's subpar wireless products.

[Jeve Sobs @ Jul 21st 2007 11:44PM]

Looks like Endcrap has become the Apple apologist.
And official MSFT basher :)

[Reid @ Jul 24th 2007 2:46PM]

Cisco has released a notification of ARP vulnerability in their wireless access points:

Cisco Security Advisory: Wireless ARP Storm Vulnerabilities

Advisory ID: cisco-sa-20070724-arp

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070724-arp.shtml

Revision 1.0

For Public Release 2007 July 24 1600 UTC (GMT)

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary
=======

Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers (WLC) contain multiple vulnerabilities in the handling of Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets that could result in a denial of service (DoS) in certain environments.

Cisco is notifying customers and partners and has made free software available to address these vulnerabilities for affected customers.
There are workarounds available to mitigate the effects of these vulnerabilities.

This advisory is posted at
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070724-arp.shtml.

Affected Products