Amazon is automatically opting everyone's devices into their Sidewalk program

[Aribeth Zelin]

I use Alexa for soothing ocean sounds to lull me to sleep and as an easily configured alarm clock. The Echo Dot is isolated in a bedroom, so I don't worry too much about the recording of our (mostly incredibly boring) conversations. If Amazon wants to hear us chat about "All the cats are in and both dogs have peed. Can I brush my teeth first?" then be my guest.

We use rain sounds, but might have to suggest ocean ones for a change of pace.

 

[Romana]

I had bought an Echo Dot, but returned it when I found out it couldn't do something I needed (be an auxiliary speaker for my TV.. Just as well.

 

[Caete]

I use Alexa for soothing ocean sounds to lull me to sleep and as an easily configured alarm clock. The Echo Dot is isolated in a bedroom, so I don't worry too much about the recording of our (mostly incredibly boring) conversations. If Amazon wants to hear us chat about "All the cats are in and both dogs have peed. Can I brush my teeth first?" then be my guest.

I use an ancient iPad with Sleep Machine Lite from SleepSoft LLC on it. As it is the free version it just has reflection, wind chime and rain as the adjustable sounds but it also has alarm and timer options. By tweaking those 3, I manage to get a Blade Runner atmosphere sound which puts me out in well under 15 mins.

 

[Beebo Brink]

I had bought an Echo Dot, but returned it when I found out it couldn't do something I needed (be an auxiliary speaker for my TV.. Just as well.

Mine was free, handed out as a party favor at a company gathering. I don't think I'd ever pay for one; it's just not that useful.

 

[danielravennest]

So default network sharing is plausible deniability for pirate downloads and other unacceptable content. Thanks Amazon.

(I have several computers, but no "smart" devices, not even a smartphone. I consider them more points of potential failure.)

 

[Noodles]

So, I know everyone is all panicky about this, and I turn d it off myself, but it's (in theory) segment d traffic on some sort of direct backhaul through Amazon. It's not like it's an open Wifi Access point to your home network.

At least not until some hackers break it.

 

[Clara D.]

So, I know everyone is all panicky about this, and I turn d it off myself, but it's (in theory) segment d traffic on some sort of direct backhaul through Amazon. It's not like it's an open Wifi Access point to your home network.

At least not until some hackers break it.

I'd use a real router that let me set up zones and keep them off the "real" network and bandwidth limited . . . if I was even interested in one.

Privacy issues aside, I don't need something that'd aggravate my impulse buying problem.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

So, I know everyone is all panicky about this, and I turn d it off myself, but it's (in theory) segment d traffic on some sort of direct backhaul through Amazon. It's not like it's an open Wifi Access point to your home network.

At least not until some hackers break it.

If you have Xfinity Internet, your Xfinity-provided wireless router is doing this as well. It's segmented from your actual network, but your router is broadcasting an open WiFi connection with the SSID of "xfinitywifi" that can be connected to by anyone with an Xfinity account.

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

If you have Xfinity Internet, your Xfinity-provided wireless router is doing this as well.

I have Xfinity and I bought my own DOCSIS modem which is configured as a bridge and doesn't have a Wifi access point built into it.

 

[Clara D.]

I have Xfinity and I bought my own DOCSIS modem which is configured as a bridge and doesn't have a Wifi access point built into it.

Bridge mode and a real router FTW \o/

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

Yep, a real router (ERX with a packet firewall) and a separate AP that's not doing any routing. And a separate box acting as the DHCP server so I can be a bit tricky about what IP addresses I hand out to unknown MACs.

 

[Clara D.]

Yep, a real router (ERX with a packet firewall) and a separate AP that's not doing any routing. And a separate box acting as the DHCP server so I can be a bit tricky about what IP addresses I hand out to unknown MACs.

I was just using "zones" with third-party firmware for that.

The unknown/moocher zone was throttled to dial-up speeds.

 

[Essence Lumin]

I have Xfinity and I bought my own DOCSIS modem which is configured as a bridge and doesn't have a Wifi access point built into it.

Same. There is another box for the wifi.

 

[Noodles]

Yep, a real router (ERX with a packet firewall) and a separate AP that's not doing any routing. And a separate box acting as the DHCP server so I can be a bit tricky about what IP addresses I hand out to unknown MACs.

I need to do this again. Before moving I had something similar going. I can't even properly do DHCP assignments at all on my current router. You can do it, but you can only pull from the regular pool of available IPs for DHCP. Which means everything is mixed anyway. It's stupid. I want it to assign addresses to known devices within a range while assigning DHCP randomly in a separate range.

I also can't have the router give out any particular DNS, on assignment. I want it to push my PiHole automatically.

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

The only problem is when there's a Comcast outage I have to spend time convincing them it's not my modem and that no it *is* supported (and still listed as their recommended modem on their website) before they will file an outage for my area whereupon they tell me they can't file one because there's already one filed (and why didn't you check on that first?).