4 ms·

Airgapped is harder than you might think. If your TV finds an open network (neigbours?) it will use that one. And it is only a matter of time before they have c

by tjoff 3mo ago

Airgapped is harder than you might think. If your TV finds an open network (neigbours?) it will use that one. And it is only a matter of time before they have cellular capabilities too.

JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
> Airgapped is harder than you might think Probably. The LG TV I have doesn't have cellular, but does have a removeable Wifi/Bluetooth module [1]. You have to disconnect a ribbon, unscrew the module and then pop it out. [1] https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3140596/Lg-Oled83g3-Series.html https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3140596/Lg-Oled83g3-Series...
- bombcar 3mo ago
  Sometimes those "modules" are just the antenna, and the Wifi is quite capable of connecting with no antenna at all.
  - dzdt 3mo ago
    Make it a tinfoil hat :-)
  - ssl-3 3mo ago
    All radios (including those that do wifi stuff inside of televisions) need an antenna in order to perform wireless communications. An antenna may be obvious and external (like one on the fender of a 1979 Ford Pinto), or built with very deliberate PCB traces (as with a Raspberry Pi), or incidental (some component of the device behaves as an antenna, even if unintentionally), or a combination of these things, or something else entirely. But whatever its form: An antenna must be present or wireless RF communication simply can't occur.
lelandfe 3mo ago
> If your TV finds an open network (neigbours?) it will use that one I looked into this last year while researching TVs and couldn’t find anything to substantiate it.
Mindwipe 3mo ago
When was the last time you saw a completely open residential wifi access point in the wild? This seems a little like worrying about getting Dodo poisoning.
- JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
  > When was the last time you saw a completely open residential wifi access point in the wild? I have family who get frustrated with their home Wi-fi and about every other year conclude the solution is to unsecure the connection.
  - SoftTalker 3mo ago
    I'm not sure Comcast would even let me do that today, though I haven't tried. I gave up running my own home router and WiFi a few years ago, they just made it too much of a PITA.
- tjoff 3mo ago
  maybe not residential, but if you are close to a coffee shop or bar or anything else that offers it...
  - Mindwipe 3mo ago
    I genuinely don't recall the last time I saw one of those that didn't require me to at least go to a registration page to accept the terms and conditions in order to actually transmit any traffic.
- HeyLaughingBoy 3mo ago
  Mine up until a few months ago. Didn't really care because you'd have to stop literally in front of my house to access it. And living on a street with only about 4 properties, that would merit a visit from me asking why you're parked in front of my house.
SoftTalker 3mo ago
Maybe 10 years ago. Very few homes have an open network today, ISPs all ship their routers with random passwords and/or force the customer to create a WiFi password during setup.
- deleted 3mo ago
  [deleted]
- zappb 3mo ago
  Comcast still defaults to adding an Xfinity access point to their routers for other customers to use.
  - qlte 3mo ago
    Which requires login (and a separate paid subscription these days).
kmeisthax 3mo ago
Aah yes, the ol' "Emergency Wi-Fi Connection" Nintendo uses to make really scary anti-piracy screens where they dial 911 and call the cops on you playing a pirated version of New Super Mario Bros U.

by tjoff 3mo ago

Airgapped is harder than you might think. If your TV finds an open network (neigbours?) it will use that one. And it is only a matter of time before they have cellular capabilities too.

JumpCrisscross 3mo ago

> Airgapped is harder than you might think Probably. The LG TV I have doesn't have cellular, but does have a removeable Wifi/Bluetooth module [1]. You have to disconnect a ribbon, unscrew the module and then pop it out. [1] https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3140596/Lg-Oled83g3-Series.html https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3140596/Lg-Oled83g3-Series...

bombcar 3mo ago
Sometimes those "modules" are just the antenna, and the Wifi is quite capable of connecting with no antenna at all.
- dzdt 3mo ago
  Make it a tinfoil hat :-)
- ssl-3 3mo ago
  All radios (including those that do wifi stuff inside of televisions) need an antenna in order to perform wireless communications. An antenna may be obvious and external (like one on the fender of a 1979 Ford Pinto), or built with very deliberate PCB traces (as with a Raspberry Pi), or incidental (some component of the device behaves as an antenna, even if unintentionally), or a combination of these things, or something else entirely. But whatever its form: An antenna must be present or wireless RF communication simply can't occur.

lelandfe 3mo ago

> If your TV finds an open network (neigbours?) it will use that one I looked into this last year while researching TVs and couldn’t find anything to substantiate it.

Mindwipe 3mo ago

When was the last time you saw a completely open residential wifi access point in the wild? This seems a little like worrying about getting Dodo poisoning.

JumpCrisscross 3mo ago
> When was the last time you saw a completely open residential wifi access point in the wild? I have family who get frustrated with their home Wi-fi and about every other year conclude the solution is to unsecure the connection.
- SoftTalker 3mo ago
  I'm not sure Comcast would even let me do that today, though I haven't tried. I gave up running my own home router and WiFi a few years ago, they just made it too much of a PITA.
tjoff 3mo ago
maybe not residential, but if you are close to a coffee shop or bar or anything else that offers it...
- Mindwipe 3mo ago
  I genuinely don't recall the last time I saw one of those that didn't require me to at least go to a registration page to accept the terms and conditions in order to actually transmit any traffic.
HeyLaughingBoy 3mo ago
Mine up until a few months ago. Didn't really care because you'd have to stop literally in front of my house to access it. And living on a street with only about 4 properties, that would merit a visit from me asking why you're parked in front of my house.

SoftTalker 3mo ago

Maybe 10 years ago. Very few homes have an open network today, ISPs all ship their routers with random passwords and/or force the customer to create a WiFi password during setup.

deleted 3mo ago
[deleted]
zappb 3mo ago
Comcast still defaults to adding an Xfinity access point to their routers for other customers to use.
- qlte 3mo ago
  Which requires login (and a separate paid subscription these days).

kmeisthax 3mo ago

Aah yes, the ol' "Emergency Wi-Fi Connection" Nintendo uses to make really scary anti-piracy screens where they dial 911 and call the cops on you playing a pirated version of New Super Mario Bros U.