5 ms·
And this is why "mandatory app to configure" is an instant dealbreaker for me for any piece of hardware. Don't buy crap like this. Force companies to be better.
by zootboy 4mo ago
And this is why "mandatory app to configure" is an instant dealbreaker for me for any piece of hardware. Don't buy crap like this. Force companies to be better.
- ValentineC 4mo agoI fear that this will eventually happen to all Amazon Eero products, which has partnerships with telcos in my country for "free" routers.
- binaryturtle 4mo agoIf it's a "router" and you can't install a OpenWRT on it, then it's an absolute no-brainer to not to buy it.
- jasonjayr 4mo agoI got a new lease on life for a bunch of old/slow MyBook WD Live NAS devices -- OpenWRT installs onto these PowerPC devices, rather easily.
- rycomb 4mo agoI'd suggest buying the OpenWRT One. I've bought a bunch, and I think it's terrific.
- picofarad 4mo agoI think the cost is good too? Decent amount of ports, kinda like a boxless mikrotik. I've considered it, if I can get fiber here I will definitely get one for my segment, and maybe my resell segment too.
- binaryturtle 4mo agoI'm waiting for the second version (supposedly has a better number of RJ45; that's where the "One" was a bit limited and an extra switch would have been required in the setup)
- BLKNSLVR 4mo agoI was just looking at the One recently and lamenting it only has two network ports. I would have bought one if it had three. Instead I went with a Gl.inet device with three interfaces.
- microtonal 4mo agoThe One is nice if you want to support the OpenWrt project, but if you want raw power, the GL.iNet Flint 2 (MT6000) is a much better choice. Faster SoC, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, one more 2.5 GBe port, twice as fast WiFi 6, and also supports vanilla OpenWrt.
- gausswho 4mo agoI've put OpenWRT on the Flint 2, and I've had issues with connectivity that I don't have with OpenWRT on a Linksys router. I need to disconnect and reconnect every so often. I'd read that this is due to the Mediatek modem not being as well supported, but I'm not sure how to diagnose.
- dbgobrrr 4mo agoHave the same router (Flint 2), and had a similar issue in the past. After I configured SSIDs with different names on the radios (i.e. the SSID is either configured on radio0 or radio1, not both), I didn't encounter this anymore. YMMV, but this helped me - perhaps it'll prove useful to you as well. And besides this issue, overall it works great. I recommend this to anyone who asks me about it.
- dotancohen 4mo agoTo whom? How many people who have bought these things ever heard of OpenWRT? How many of those are capable of installing it? Have you ever considered upgrading your refrigerator? Washing machine? Kettle? A router is a transparent appliance to most people.
- DANmode 4mo agochecks domain
- binaryturtle 4mo agoAnd that's why we educate others and let them know about their options. You have to start somewhere.
- cwillu 4mo agoThe point is somewhat less that you will do it, as being able to do it implies a certain level of sanity to what you're buying + the ability to use the hardware even if the software goes away in some undefined-yet-predictable fashion. It's sorta like checking if spare parts are available for your refrigerator or washing machine.
- HelloNurse 4mo agoBuying a router, as opposed to connecting whatever your Internet provider gives you, is a very high technical bar. You need to know why you want to spend money, which implies evaluating features, needs and possibilities, virtually guaranteeing that the user learns that OS or firmware updates and OpenWRT exist and are important.
- microtonal 4mo agoFor most non-technical people this is irrelevant. Even if the router supported OpenWRT, they wouldn't know how to install it, let alone how to configure it. Luckily, many (but certainly not all) continental West-European ISPs allow you to lease a Fritz!Box or you can buy one in a store and hook it up [1]. Perfect router/modem for consumers (not too complicated), can be configured through a web interface, and the hardware and software is developed by a German company. [1] Many European countries have router/modem freedom, so an ISP cannot block you if you want to hook up your own gear. E.g. quite some tech people here use their own XGS-PON fiber ONT or at least their own router + modem.
- graemep 4mo agoThe British ISP I tend to recommend gives you a Frtizbox (included with monthly package with 12 month contract, but becomes your property), but most will include a router with their package, usually a rubbish one, and most people do not care about having a good router.
- benj111 4mo agoAnd who do you recommend?
- graemep 4mo agoZen for most people. Reasonable pricing, good customer service, reasonable latency and a good router. I was reluctant to recommend them by name because I know there are other good ISPs, some are cheaper, some are more expensive, some operate only in certain areas (if they do not use Openreach local loops).
- LargoLasskhyfv 4mo agoWhile the Fritz!Boxen do indeed work for dummies, they are rather noisy, with no option to stop that noise. Jun 08 00:23:10 zalgor kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN=enp0s31f6 OUT= MAC=01:02:03:04:05:06:07:08:09:10:11:12:13:14 SRC=192.168.178.1 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=36 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=53621 DF PROTO=2 ... from my German residence right now. Just the last one, out of gazillions. It's a proprietary protocol for finding their other proprietary stuff in the LAN for home automation, meshing (also proprietary). It's also almost useless for more complex internal setups. Rather logspammy if you ask me. One doesn't have that with other, more technical options. There is also less and less need for the "DSL- (or cable-) modem part, since fibre tends to be plain old ethernet. Also the ownership of AVM recently changed. I fully excpect ensuing enshittification.
- pseudohadamard 4mo agoFriend of mine had some (non-Motorola) router that her ISP provided her and the only way to set it up was through an app. The first time I ran into this I couldn't believe it, there was simply no way to set this piece of s*t up without using the app, which (a) didn't work until we'd spent ages faffing around with it and (b) was just a glorified set of different wizards that let you set things up in a few fixed preconfigured ways.
- dotancohen 4mo agoI recommend telling the ISP that you do not own a smartphone.
- cyberax 4mo agoThey'll just send a technician to set it up.
- m463 4mo agoI just wish: - it was more clear when buying a product that an app is required to activate/use/etc a device - that people who rebelled against this kind of nonsense were backed up by others and respected "more power to you!"
- WarOnPrivacy 4mo ago> And this is why "mandatory app to configure" is a dealbreaker More and more IP cameras can't be set up without a phone app. TP-Link's Tapo line is really bad about it. Even some Reolink cameras can't be setup on their own. Now that high quality, affordable brands like Dahua got banned (w/o evidence), there's less pressure on the survivors to not be awful.
- lucaspiller 4mo agoReolink has always been like that, but at least they aren't a random no-name brand that could disappear at any minute.
- WarOnPrivacy 4mo agoI probably should have clarified I'm fine with PC apps for setup but abhor phone apps. I keep junk phones around for when I have no other choice. I just installed 10 Reolinks and I had to set up a phone app for two of them that didn't have an Ethernet connector. Ick. I have one Tapo and ran their app from an android emulator. I won't buy another.
- ____tom____ 4mo agoNeither is Motorola. And yet ... The company doesn't have to go away, the app just has to have issues. At least with web apps, you aren't depending on the manufacturer investing in nearly continuous upgrades to work in the rapidly changing phone environment A web UI will continue to work for decades. And app will likely not last a year without updates.
- Marsymars 4mo ago> Neither is Motorola. And yet ... They basically are. They just license their name out now, it’s like buying a Kodak router. (That’s actually relatively common with various tech-adjacent companies, e.g. off the top of my head both Energizer and Philips license out their brand to third parties for random crap, even though they make actual products themselves too.)
- 4mo ago
- canpan 4mo agoWhen buying fridge, washing machine, oven etc, when I moved, I told the sales person, I like quality, am not price sensitive, but any device that requires an app or has a camera/mic built in is out of question. Some didn't know how to handle that, being used to sell it as a "good thing".
- 2Gkashmiri 4mo agoI have an HP wifi printer, 5820 I think. I haven't signed in to HP, haven't connected the printer to cloud. Same for anything else. I don't see the whole "oh you need firmware update to improve the product". 90% of the time it just works. So what happens if the fridge isn't given internet access ? Or washing machine?
- elorant 4mo agoNothing, they just work as intended. I bought a Fujitsu A/C that supposedly required registering through some app. Never connected it, and I removed the wifi kit at installation. Works like a charm no problem whatsoever.
- bzzzt 4mo ago> I haven't signed in to HP, haven't connected the printer to cloud. HP fixed a remote exploit a few years back. Theoretically someone could use your local wifi printer to install a persistent backdoor on your network. In practice HP uses updates to patch leaks in their cartridge protection (the most complicated tech in the printers). And accidentally sometimes bricks printers...
- bityard 4mo agoCompanies are beginning to gate previously existing features behind the requirement to connect their devices to the cloud and/or install an app on your phone. Dishwashers, refrigerators, even (and perhaps especially) cars. "Just don't connect it to the Internet," is sadly less viable option as time goes on.
- GolfPopper 4mo ago
- microtonal 4mo agoI don't disagree, but it's funny that Apple's AirPort routers, which have been axed almost a decade ago, can still be configured with the AirPort app. Years ago, I temporarily hooked up an old AirPort Extreme to replace a broken router, and it even got an update (probably a security update). At any rate, I think as much as web vs. app, IMO companies should be forced to support their appliances for a certain time period by law (the EU has rolled out a law to require this for some device types). If it was normal for a router to work for 10 years or a washing machine for 20 years, a vendor should be forced to support it for that amount of time since the last sale.
- stego-tech 4mo agoThis is quite literally one of my two grievances against Ubiquiti at the moment: its intense requirement for mobile apps for initial setup. Stop mandating apps that will eventually break or cease being supported. Give us an OOBE that can be run independent of some mobile app.
- chainingsolid 4mo agoI was able to install there controller software on pretty much any PC (windows or linuix) and adopt and configure APs. No phone required. Not sure about other networking gear.
- lostglass 4mo agoI was also able to set this up entirely with a web interface.
- piperswe 4mo agoI don’t think I’ve ever _needed_ to use the Unifi mobile app. When I connect something to my network, it shows up in the Unifi controller web app ready to adopt.
- itintheory 4mo agoSame. I have used the controller as a container. Take a backup of the configuration and you don't even need to keep it running. I returned to a network after two years, fired up a controller, imported the config backup and g2g
- sieabahlpark 4mo ago[dead]