SB8200 firmware bug

There appears to be a bug in the latest SB8200 firmware (AB01.01.009.51_080720_183.0A.NSH) pushed by Cox a few weeks ago. This firmware introduced password protection on the web interface to comply with new California security laws.

After running for a few days and/or after a few accesses of the web interface, one of two problems occurs:

• The modem stops recognizing a correct password until it is reset or power-cycled.
• The web interface stops responding completely (unable to connect) until the modem is reset or power-cycled.

These issues never occurred with the previous version of the firmware.

This has been confirmed using multiple browsers on multiple devices. Therefore it is not a browser-related issue or a device-related issue. The password has been carefully verified, therefore it is not an issue of mistyping the password. Clearing cache, using a different browser, restarting client device, etc. are not solutions to the issue. This has all the signs of a classic embedded firmware bug.

I realize that Arris is ultimately responsible for the firmware, but Cox is the one who tests and deploys the firmware and Cox is the one who can get the attention of Arris far better than an individual end user. That's why I'm reporting it here. Hopefully this report can find its way to the right people so this bug can be corrected.