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How do you block internet if it will join open networks automatically?
by jtbayly 4y ago
How do you block internet if it will join open networks automatically?
- dylan604 4y agoThat process tends to require the use of a screw driver and the willingness to perform a bit of modifications.
- indeyets 4y agofirewall by MAC-address
- dylan604 4y agoIf it's a trully open network that say is you neighbor's, then there's no way you can control this filtering. The Amazon Sidewalk or whatever they had planned would be an example of this that might be less obvious than your neighbor just being bad at IT.
- nesk_ 4y agoI just allowed my Samsung TV to connect to the wifi (to access the local network, because the Steam Link client is better on it than it is on the Apple TV) and then, on my router, I blocked all Internet access coming from the mac address of the Samsung TV.
- dylan604 4y agoAt some point, these devices will be smarter than you about this. They will recognize a WiFi connection that cannot access the internet, and prefer an open network instead.
- jacquesm 4y agoThey will simply come with a cellular modem built in and you won't be able to block it. These things are so cheap now, and with virtual sims I think this is pretty much inevitable. At some point everything will be internet connected just because the tech will cost pennies. We're not there yet, but for a big ticket item such as a TV or a car it's either already there or about to happen.
- filoleg 4y ago> They will come with a cellular modem built in, and you won't be able to block it. Haha, joke's one them. I live in a nice apartment in the middle of a major US city, and in my last 3 apartments, cell signal reception was ranging between 1 bar and no signal reception at all. Good luck with a built-in cell modem here. Thankfully, wifi calling is a thing working by default. So having almost no cell reception at home has exactly zero effect on my phone usage.
- reset-password 4y agoThe worry I have is TVs also embedding an Amazon Sidewalk chip. Seems like it would be easy for them to egress your data through your neighbor's spy device with something like that.
- dylan604 4y agoIs that really a specific chip or just their Alexa devices creating a shared WiFi network?
- filoleg 4y agoI assume it is the latter, because that's what Alexa Sidewalk is. But that's a speculation, because neither of those currently exist in TVs, and I don't see LG or Samsung go along with it. EDIT: I stand corrected, Sidewalk isn't a wifi network, it is it's own LoRa network that's limited to barely 1Kbps (which, imo, only strengthens my original point). Thanks for pointing out that technical detail in the replies.
- dylan604 4y agoWhat's to go along with? Samsung and/or LG are not required to participate in Sidewalk. They just need to be given the ability to scan for open WiFi networks and join when found. They really don't even need to know the SSID, but of course they'll track that info as well.
- coldpie 4y agoHas there ever been any evidence of any TV doing this, ever?
- michaelmrose 4y agoHonestly why wouldn't they connect to for example a cell phone tower or wifi hotspot ex xfinity wifi to download ads? Just pay whomever happens to ferry the ad to your TV a percentage of the take. Seems like this may well not be the case NOW but if I were planning to use a device for 10 years then a software updating adding this feature seems like a distinct possibility.
- delecti 4y agoBut will it join open networks automatically? It is of course entirely possible, technically speaking, but would get any company actually doing that in a lot of trouble in most developed countries.
- sangnoir 4y ago> but would get any company actually doing that in a lot of trouble in most developed countries. Why then is Amazon building out its parasitic WiFi network, if not to give unmediated access to its devices. I bet Amazon FireOS devices will do this very thing in the next 2 years, and not get into any trouble for it in the US
- blibble 4y agoif it's that insidious let it connect to a dummy SSID that appears to be working but can't do anything useful
- Markoff 4y agobreak antenna would be easiest solution, but you might possibly void the warranty while opening TV
- earth_walker 4y agoNot giving them your money in the first place would be the easiest solution.
- Markoff 4y agoexcept it will cost you way more money, if I have to choose between breaking antena in TV for 600 USD or buying special display for triple price, I am fairly sure I'd prefer to void the warranty and still buy 2 other TVs in case I would need warranty when I check cheapest/mainstream 65-75" TVs (wouldn't buy smaller nowadays considering cheapest 75" TV, which is Samsung here cost like 680 USD), all of them are smart
- gruez 4y agoIt won't. Stories about it happening on the internet is plentiful, but actual evidence is scarce.
- iso1631 4y agoDepends on the behaviour. On the times you've observed it 1) will it bounce between open wifi points if one does not allow internet access (set up a honeypot) 2) will it try open wifi if you join it to a secured wifi and block that traffic 3) can you send de-auth packets to any open wifi the tv's radio connects to 4) can you desolder the wifi antenna completely
- DocTomoe 4y agoTo join an open network, it needs an antenna, which are easy to identify and permanently remove.