PhoenixNET

[Guest]

So, Does anyone else know about this thing?? It is basically SPYWARE in the BIOS of about every major Manufacturer of motherboards. This includes the likes of MSI, ASUS, EPoX, and supposidly Abit (it claims on the PhoenixNET site, but I don't know of any PhoenixNET software in Abit BIOSes). The program makes PhoenixNET your default Home Page, Adds links to your desktop, is enabled byb default, resides in the taskbar, and has been described as causing up to 25% performance loss. This seems rediculous and unnacceptable to me, and I hope that we can all fight this thing to get rid of it altogether, although it will be tough since Phoenix now owns Award BIOS which I think is the most popular and is my favorite BIOS. I believe this stuff is worse than the likes of Gator and SaveNOW, programs that report your internet activities to companies (sell your info) so that those companies can advertise to you for your custom needs. Yeah, its all fine and dandy until the FBI offers to provide big buck to Phoenix to secretly get a lot of info on your surfing, the incriminating kind of info. I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper than the advanced systemss they are developing now. Oh yeah, the other downfall...the program checks for updates with the PhoenixNet server, which could allow a hacker to break into PhoenixNet, put in some malicious software that seems like a BIOS update and when it is done updating, you can say goodbye to your motherboard. This thing presents some major dangers I think. If you care any, you should voice your opinion with the motherboard maker you like (if they use this SPYWARE), and maybe they'll eliminate the program.

 

[Guest]

Check out these threads at sharkyforums http://www.sharkyforums.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/004055.html
http://www.sharkyforums.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/004256.html

You can disable it in BIOS. You could also tell your firewall to disallow access assuming you have a good one such as Tiny Personal Firewall or ZoneAlarm.
AFAIK Epox is the only vendor so far that has Phoenixnet in their BIOS. Which is a shame because I was thinking of buying the 8K7A+.


Behold the POWER of common sense!!!

 

[Guest]

Actually, people have reported PhoenixNET in BIOS updates of some companies, ASUS I know for sure. Even though it is 'easy' to disable, I still don't think it should be there. If you pay a premium price for a product, you should not have to deal with the Advertising BS, that stuff should only be reserved for free services. Another thing that worries me is that PhoenixNET describes the way to disable it as just closing the program in the taskbar, even though I'm sure it is still running in the background. Bottom line-if it is in there at all, even if it can be disabled, I won't trust it.