this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2025
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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

xkcd #3109: Dehumidifier

Title text:

It's important for devices to have internet connectivity so the manufacturer can patch remote exploits.

Transcript:

[A store salesman, Hairy, is showing Cueball a dehumidifier, with a "SALE" label on it. Several other unidentified devices, possibly other dehumidifier models, are shown in the store as well.]

Salesman: This dehumidifier model features built-in WiFi for remote updates.
Cueball: Great! That will be really useful if they discover a new kind of water.

Source: https://xkcd.com/3109/

explainxkcd for #3109

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago

There must be some way to remove the "smart" controller from a device and replace it with a dumb one, like an arduino or something. I want to lobotomize these devices.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I bought a washer that has wifi connectivity. It want to texts me or something when the cycle is finished and doesn't even seem to have a 'play a loud beep when done' option. How does this make any sense at all?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

My brother in christ, you bought the machine

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago

I think we aren't yet used to machines fucking us over in unexpected ways for that sweet sweet spying/ad revenue.

Like, who would have asked 10 years ago "will my TV show extra ads?". Now it's hard to get one that doesn't have them. And dishwashers are next

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

How does this make any sense at all?

I bought a washer that has wifi connectivity.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Ok sure. What I really did was buy a new washer that was on sale and I got $100 off. Maybe I will have it connect to my neighbors WiFi, since they never secured it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I mean there's heavy water

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

which we already know of, innit ?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I'm still trying to figure out my network settings so that I can have my IoT one one network while still being able to access my home assistant from the other network.

Unfortunately, my ISP is also my cable company, and I have to use their modem/router combo else the cable boxes won't accept the cable signal. I'm using my own wireless access point (which also doubles as a switch for the handful of Ethernet devices I have), and it can split off a separate SSID, but that's not really doing much.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I have a separate IoT network. It's basically just a guest wifi for IoT. Anything coming in on that network gets a VLAN tag and only previous & established connections can get out. Honestly, it's kinda a pain in the ass with homeassistant because I keep HA on the other network so I have to manually find devices. It might be easier to just block it at the ip level or blacklist outgoing ip ranges to Tuya or whatever.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

I have HA on a separate VLAN from IoT devices and have set up mDNS reflection so it can find them.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

You joke but my dehumidifier has an automatic comfort mode of some sort.

I guarantee that next run will have that button with screen print AI something something above it instead.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

If I can turn it on remotely, that's a good feature. I have solar, I want it to work when the sun is out and I'm producing excess energy.
Yes, I know I can use other peripherals to do this (sometimes) but its always nicer if its just built in so I don't need to waste carbon on other things.

The only thing I want when manufacturers add wifi to these things is to appeal to open source principles like allowing us to connect to it and communicate with it openly and not tie it down to some cloud service they run.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Why not plug a dumb dehumidifier into a Home Assistant controlled outlet?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago

Yes, this is generally what can be done. Disadvantages include:

  • having to buy yet another device
  • knowing which dehumidifier will start working as soon as it gets electricity. The ones sold in my country are all no name brands with little information if they will work or not and few spec sheets.
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