Strange "out of the box" setup

Streaming Devices / Hardware
1

Greetings all!
I just bought a new box for my daughter, and is this a weird one:
After receiving it from Amazon

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(Android TV Box 4K H96 Max M9S Android 14 RK3576 4GB RAM 32GB WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.4 Gigabit Ethernet USB 3.0 & Speedy Delivery!) I carved out some time to set it up. It was a brand new unit, In a sealed box and even had the peel off protection layer plastic stuff on it. When initially going through the motions of configuring it, I noticed that Developer Options was already enabled, USB Debugging was already on, AND the three settings we all like to put at .5 were already set. Ok I guess. I like to click the build 7 times but when I did, NADA, Zilch. It did not say "no need you are already a developer…nothing. Ok again I suppose. After logging in with my bogus email I use for these things (StartMail!) Android v14, nor the Playstore had any updates whatsoever. Getting stranger as how could I be so lucky? Did I stumble across some mystery box that came Pre-configured? hmmm… So after getting Downloader installed I head to the famous TP ToolBox and grab all the items for my standard setups: Surfshark, TiviMate, Kodi, Projectivy, TizenTube, Launcher Manager (just in case) & Monitor Dot. Everything downloaded and installed fine. BUT (here we go) when I logged into Surfshark, it barked at me saying there was already a VPN in use, and Surfshark would not connect. I backed out, deleted Surfshark and rebooted. Before I made an attempt to download it again, I decided to try loading the Monitor Dot. It loaded fine and started up GREEN and even the key icon was visible that ensures a vpn is running! I searched the box but can not find any vpn on it Whatsoever. I reset to factory, started fresh and it was the same thing. Even tried a new HDMI cord. Kinda has me wondering if this thing is safe to use. Anyone out there (who efforts to read this far) ever run across anything like this? Any Ideas what I should try short of sending it back? Its seems fast and snappy, but I have yet to load anything in Kodi or any Playlists in TiviMate.
Also, thanks to everyone for helping keep Troypoint so awesome. I am very grateful, & fortunate enough to have found this resource, and have made friends as a result. You ladies and guys are great. Stream On!

2

now @Reece , you know i hover close to the bottom at the Totem Pole of Knowledge on this site, but even to me that sounds fishy… :grimacing:

3

With everything that you just described, I would be hesitant to trust this box. If a VPN is already running, how do you know all of your data isn’t being logged or routed somewhere untrustworthy? Anyone know of a way to see where you are being routed to? What IP to what country is being used?

4

@Reece …take a quick peek outside, make sure none of these bad boys are circling your block…
:man_detective:

5
6

From the link that @Miki posted…

Related Questions for Buyers

Curious about our business model? Learn more here: Are you a manufacturer or a trading

company?

Concerned about technical support? Read our policy: What kind of service do you support if my

product is broken after I get it?

FAQs

Q1: Can I use voice remote with the H96 Max M9S?

Yes, the device fully supports voice remote functionality with compatible accessories.

Q2: Is this box suitable for commercial IPTV deployment?

Absolutely. It supports AV1 decoding, 8K output, and can be customized for your platform.

Q3: Do you support firmware-level customization?

Yes, we offer firmware tuning, APK pre-installation, and UI branding under our OEM/ODM service
No.1 Global Android TV Box & Projector Manufacturer & Factory

H96 Max is an Original Reliable Android TV Box & Projector Supplier and Factory, dedicated to

delivering high-performance Android entertainment solutions to brand owners, e-commerce

sellers, wholesalers, distributors, and system integrators worldwide. With 50+ international

warehouses, coverage across 150+ countries, and over 2,000 successful OEM/ODM projects, we

are recognized as the No.1 global manufacturer in this field.

We provide comprehensive OEM/ODM services, including:

• Hardware customization (CPU, RAM, ROM, interfaces, wireless modules)

• Software & UI customization (firmware optimization, app pre-installation, launcher design)

• Branding & packaging design (logo printing, box artwork, accessories customization)

• Private mold development and industrial design for exclusive models

At H96 Max, we combine factory-direct quality, professional customization, and fast delivery to

help our partners grow their brands and businesses.

7

It’s for sale on Amazon and Walmart. Haven’t found anything negative about it yet.

8

Can you put say Malwarebytes or a scanner on it and run it through a deep scan?

9

I’m not normally a “Chicken Little” when it comes to malware and suspicious behavior on Chinese boxes, but this one just sounds too flaky.

Send it back and get something else!

AMD237 10

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1 Like
11

No worries @Reece I returned that box last week and forgot to wipe it. you must have got my box. DM me for some passwords of “other” stuff I forgot to wipe

12

I value your input and enjoy reading your posts.

13

thanks @SoloWarrior - no worries, I wiped it in an attempt to fix it.

14

I have not tried that yet, but I will give it a go - thanks Miki!

15

I can’t even find out about the already active VPN. But you can do a leak test to see if in fact your ISP address is not showing.

16

In all seriousness, if I received a box like that I would send it right back. No matter what I would do to try and fix it, that weird stuff would always be in the back of my mind. Plenty of options out there, not worth the stress IMO.

17

Thanks so much @AMD237 - Ive got a box ready for it to go back - but I do want to try and scan it for malware and test it for dns leaks first. Its so interesting that an “invisible vpn” could be on this thing. Cheap China Box Forensics and all that…

18

You go at it @MacReese….older brother of…..:down_arrow: :down_arrow:

19

Hey Reece, this would be an easy fix for me. It would definitely be going back. I may give it another shot by exchanging the box, but if this happens again, please let us know so we can share this infomation, thanks, for your share. Peace!!!

20

Thanks @bj5511 - that’s exactly what I did and refund has already been issued. Of all the boxes I have set up this one has been the weirdest. I sent a note along with the return that Im onto them and their stealth tactics have been exposed!!