1.0 Collectors Edition Security tokens.

[Mycow8me]

Greetings SE,



I own one of these and I'm assuming they have button batteries inside them. I have to press the button on mine sometimes 5 times or more now and I'm worried the battery is finally starting to die.

I have a few questions:
Is it possible to pry these things open and replace the battery myself?
Is there a different way to go about it?
What kind of battery is actually in there anyway? Is it a simple button battery i can buy in stores?

[Enkidoh]

My guess is indeed some kind of button battery as used in watches, however, as the security token is a sealed unit, I don't know how that would affect the terms of use, whether replacing the battery would be covered by it or not.

Most likely in this situation SE would prefer that you simply replace the token with a new one (either another physical one or the software token app for smartphones), or as a last resort deactivate the token's use on your account (in the SE Account Management System).

[Mycow8me]

Nah, I'd rather not spend money on a new one. I wouldn't mind if these were transferable into a software token app though. I'd try prying it open before buying a new one. I'm fairly techy and good at tinkering but I wanted to see if there was other options before I "chance" breaking it.

It looks like a sealed unit but it has grooves between the top and bottom plastics so I could theoretically wedge it open if I'm careful.

[Lollie]

Security tokens to my knowledge generate a sequential code set based on a predetermined algoryrhm controlled by its internal clock speed. Removing power in the amount the device is specified to work at will either get the sequence to far out of wack for the central server, or just wipe it outright, It would need to be recalibrated by the manufacturer to be useful again.

[Canadane]

Shane yours is dying, I know some from FFXI days that still go strong.

[ManuelBravo]

I'm still using the one from FFXI since it got release, my collectors edition one still new in the box. You could always just switch to the app if you have a smart phone.

[DrWho2010]

yeah if it's dying you're out of luck. once you remove a physical token from your account you cannot ever use it again. you'll have to switch to another one or use the smartphone one.

[Mycow8me]

Well it still works but the amount of button presses can be anywhere from 2 to 5+. It might not be the battery, could the the contact between the other side of the button and what its meant to press against starting to fail or something? I'm not sure. I'm just going to leave it be until it stops working all together I guess. I didn't know they worked in such a weird way. I figured it would be something simple like the next number in sequence just generated using an algorithm based off the last number generated. Then again that would make any number of possibilities after it if you ended up pressing it more than once before using it to log in so the internal clock speed thing actually makes more sense.

[worldofneil]

To the best of my knowledge they're rebranded DigiPass Go 6's and those were expected to last 7 years so that's about right if you bought it with 1.0. As others have written above, sorry you can't replace the battery and if it loses power then it won't generate the right numbers.

I wouldn't mind if these were transferable into a software token app though.

You can't directly convert into a software token, but you can just remove it and then straight away re-add a software token (make sure to save a copy of the removal password it gives you!). I switched over to the software token as soon as it came out and I've never had a problem with it and it's much more convenient because of always having phone with you.

[Dzian]

Shane yours is dying, I know some from FFXI days that still go strong.

Got mine when they first came out in ffxi and unlocked the not satchel. So um 2009. Maybe even 2008. Still going strong.

Surprising really it's gone through the wash a few times and taken more than the odd beating being in my pockets.

Battery lasts ages. Don't even have the low battery warning icon yet