5 ms·

The article concludes that you should spend $200 on Eero or Google WiFi. Is this an advertisement? Also note that $200 in “value” is mostly covering the massiv

The article concludes that you should spend $200 on Eero or Google WiFi. Is this an advertisement? Also note that $200 in “value” is mostly covering the massive marketing budget of Eero and Google. You do not need to pay $200 for a secure WiFi solution.

mtgx 8y ago
Possibly. The NYT bought The Wirecutter, which did (pretty good) reviews of "best in class" products and then made money from the Amazon affiliate commissions. https://www.recode.net/2016/10/24/13381002/new-york-times-wirecutter-purchase-30-million-briam-lam-consumer-guide https://www.recode.net/2016/10/24/13381002/new-york-times-wi... I'd still say the point stands that 99% of the routers out there have awful security and it's just a matter of time (often months) because your router is overtaken by a botnet, especially if you don't update to the latest firmware (whenever/if that may arrive). Open source software helps, but if the firmware for your particular router is updated less often than every 12 months, I think you'll also become just as exposed.
- 3pt14159 8y ago
  Why aren't we seeing more MITM attacks if this is the case? I'd imagine it's trivial to MITM a PDF download and riddle it with malware. Why would the botnet not fully exploit the router?
- eli 8y ago
  Is there any reason to believe Wirecutter or NYT has compromised the integrity of their reviews? That seems an unfair allegation to throw around absent any evidence beyond it possibly being in their financial interest.
  - woolvalley 8y ago
    Here is one example allegation: http://www.evodesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model http://www.evodesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-t... With most conflicts you won't know the whole truth, but it's a data point. The Wirecutter also doesn't give the 'best' in everything. They do have implict budgets. For example, they won't recommend $5000 stereo speaker pairs, even though they would be better than the KEF Q150s they recommend currently. They don't recommend full frame / medium format cameras either, since they are probably too high end and expensive for their target markets. I don't really fault them although for having some cost limits although. They would probably make the valid argument that if your buying the full frame cameras and $2500 loudspeakers that you probably know what your doing and don't need the wirecutter. I do wish they pointed it out a bit more in some of their guides although.
    - eli 8y ago
      Fair enough, but you should do the courtesy of posting their response https://thewirecutter.com/our-response-to-nextdesk/ https://thewirecutter.com/our-response-to-nextdesk/
teachrdan 8y ago
Honest question: What I'm paying for isn't secure WiFi per se, but a working, out-of-the-box solution, right? My time is valuable and I've been known to make mistakes. So rather set up and maintain my own router, I bought a Google Wifi unit, and now I'm reasonably certain that my wifi is not the weakest link in my home electronics security profile. Isn't that a real value proposition for anyone who can afford one and unable to continuously update their DIY router?
SippinLean 8y ago
It's an advertisement for Eero and (a competitor) Google Wifi? One that calls out their comparatively high price? One that does not disclose itself as an advertisement? Seems like that would go against their own advertising policy: https://www.nytco.com/wp-content/uploads/ADVERTISING-ACCEPTABILITY-2015.pdf https://www.nytco.com/wp-content/uploads/ADVERTISING-ACCEPTA...

mtgx 8y ago

Possibly. The NYT bought The Wirecutter, which did (pretty good) reviews of "best in class" products and then made money from the Amazon affiliate commissions. https://www.recode.net/2016/10/24/13381002/new-york-times-wirecutter-purchase-30-million-briam-lam-consumer-guide https://www.recode.net/2016/10/24/13381002/new-york-times-wi... I'd still say the point stands that 99% of the routers out there have awful security and it's just a matter of time (often months) because your router is overtaken by a botnet, especially if you don't update to the latest firmware (whenever/if that may arrive). Open source software helps, but if the firmware for your particular router is updated less often than every 12 months, I think you'll also become just as exposed.

3pt14159 8y ago
Why aren't we seeing more MITM attacks if this is the case? I'd imagine it's trivial to MITM a PDF download and riddle it with malware. Why would the botnet not fully exploit the router?
eli 8y ago
Is there any reason to believe Wirecutter or NYT has compromised the integrity of their reviews? That seems an unfair allegation to throw around absent any evidence beyond it possibly being in their financial interest.
- woolvalley 8y ago
  Here is one example allegation: http://www.evodesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model http://www.evodesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-t... With most conflicts you won't know the whole truth, but it's a data point. The Wirecutter also doesn't give the 'best' in everything. They do have implict budgets. For example, they won't recommend $5000 stereo speaker pairs, even though they would be better than the KEF Q150s they recommend currently. They don't recommend full frame / medium format cameras either, since they are probably too high end and expensive for their target markets. I don't really fault them although for having some cost limits although. They would probably make the valid argument that if your buying the full frame cameras and $2500 loudspeakers that you probably know what your doing and don't need the wirecutter. I do wish they pointed it out a bit more in some of their guides although.
  - eli 8y ago
    Fair enough, but you should do the courtesy of posting their response https://thewirecutter.com/our-response-to-nextdesk/ https://thewirecutter.com/our-response-to-nextdesk/

teachrdan 8y ago

Honest question: What I'm paying for isn't secure WiFi per se, but a working, out-of-the-box solution, right? My time is valuable and I've been known to make mistakes. So rather set up and maintain my own router, I bought a Google Wifi unit, and now I'm reasonably certain that my wifi is not the weakest link in my home electronics security profile. Isn't that a real value proposition for anyone who can afford one and unable to continuously update their DIY router?

SippinLean 8y ago

It's an advertisement for Eero and (a competitor) Google Wifi? One that calls out their comparatively high price? One that does not disclose itself as an advertisement? Seems like that would go against their own advertising policy: https://www.nytco.com/wp-content/uploads/ADVERTISING-ACCEPTABILITY-2015.pdf https://www.nytco.com/wp-content/uploads/ADVERTISING-ACCEPTA...