Thanks to media attention, the FBI has provided me with a busy day or two. According to the press release, we're expected to reboot every router to flush out the malware the evil Russians have installed: The list of affected routers is rather small: Easy enough. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, some experts, news agencies, and pundits have mixed up "reboot" with "reset" your router[1]. Instructions are provided for inserting paper clips and sharp instruments into any available hole in the back of the router. Few seem to offer assistance in identifying which box is the router. Doing a reboot will preserve the router settings. Doing a reset will wipe them clean and precipitate a support call (to me). So far, I only have 2 router reconfigurations on my schedule for today, but I'm sure there will be more.
Therefore, I would like to thank everyone involved for generating the work, and special thanks to Comcast and AT&T for disabling customer firmware updates and save settings in their gateways and routers.
Update: I just received a phone call asking which box is the router. This is going to be an interesting day.
[1] The probable culprit is the various Comcast VoIP gateways that have an optional built in backup battery. In order to reboot these, it is necessary to unplug the power from the gateway, remove the battery for about 15 seconds, plug the battery back in, plug the power back in, and watch the lights come sloooooowly back on.