Your easiest solution is to just not connect it to your network.
If you want to really lock it out, depending on your router you can use the firewall to drop any packets to and from the device's IP.
this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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Privacy
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For a lot of devices that will leave an unsecured wifi network on that will
- allow any passerby to just set it up under their account and potentially mess with it
- use up valuable WiFi channels you might want to use for your own network
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I chose the second option after my new fridge got too friendly with my MIL's phone. Nothing against her, but I didn't want to give it the chance to do that with a stranger.
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If you can find where the antenna is, you can cover it with some metal tape to kill the signal. Or wrap the whole thing on a metal cage or foil, basically put the thing in a faraday cage.
I have a feeling they'd put the antenna in the front panel though, so that solution may not be super aesthethic if that's the case.
Maybe connect it to WiFi, but instantly block Internet Access? Maybe it even has useful local networking features? (OK, most likely not)
Buy the cheapest Wi-Fi AP, leave the AP networkless.
Do not do this. You could break the device and it will hurt the value of the device either way. Do not spend extra just to effectively damage the device
If you're careful and just disconnect the antenna properly such that you can plug it back in it should be okay.
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I have a smart tv, washer, and dryer. None of them are connected to a network. They can’t do anything “smart” without a network. You don’t need to take apart or disconnect anything. In fact, doing so could cause problems if you nick the wrong wire or component.
Just leave it be and you should be fine.
Even owning Smart devices and having them always plugged in may potentially be a vector, Rob did a good breakdown on how this is achieved.
https://odysee.com/@RobBraxmanTech:6/radio:64
Did you know that your IOT devices are secretly communicating with each other? This includes IOT devices that are not in your home. Did you know that what your IOT devices do may be transmitted to third parties? Did you know that your TV may also have the capability and may currently be transmitting your activity far and wide?
There are secret communications occurring between IOT devices using protocols like Bluetooth LE, Zigbee, Thread, 802.15, and LoRa that you likely didn't expect or was not explained when you bought these devices.
Just like Amazon Echo has been conscripted to work with the Amazon Sidewalk Mesh network, other networks are in operation
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model #? You can usually find enough info from the FCC id, which often has pictures of insides, especially radio stuff like.
Edit: nvm, I had missed the Costco link. I'll see if I can find anything.
Thank you, the FCC filing is a good idea, if you find something useful that would be great.
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If you don’t hook it up to your network, what’s the problem?
This shows so much privilege. Apartments, townhomes, condominiums. Sometimes you're scrolling through pages of Wi-Fi networks from your neighbors looking for your own SSID right next to the device.
Yeah, you can't do shit about open Wi-Fi networks near you and promiscuous devices.
It may try to connect to open wifi networks instead, maybe
Honestly asking; Why would I care if my dishwasher connected to some random Wi-Fi. What does it know about me? Someone gonna hack it?
If you're asking in earnest, the last decade has shown for profit corps know no bounds in using technology to extract, poorly protect, and often aggregate and then will make any attempt to monetize possible--often retroactively. While a dishwasher might not have much data in itself to exploit, if your internet connected TV, Car or phone which is constantly scanning for nearby WI-FI items or networks decided to start cataloguing them...well then that would just be a Tuesday for Google, Ford or Sony right?
The more data points, the worse. More breaches, more creepy facts about us floating around in some creepy company or regime's stockpile of data to be used, unilaterally against me. Or maybe the next company to buy the current company I'm happy with. Or the next regime that decides people like me aren't full humans. Between your computer and phone, most people's lives are somewhat laid bare, but add in car tracking which auto companies have stuck their funnel into during the last 5 years, add in appliances, put Wi-Fi if your shower handle...again the people adding Wi-Fi to things like a dishwasher that don't need it have only one thing to gain, monetizing your data and selling it to someone who wants to control you in some way.
There have been instances of network-enabled devices updating to put existing features behind a paywall, unilaterally changing the terms of service (can't use device anymore until you agree to new terms), and simply removing features that you paid for when you bought the device.
Why does a dishwasher need wifi?
How is that legal? Could u buy a dishwasher then 3 months later it starts asking for a small fee per wash?
I know these things happen but usually you are informed in advance and bought the product at a big discount
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So you can get an alert when the dishes are done.
Not justifying the feature itself, but there is a purpose.
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Another (less good) option might be connecting it to a dummy wi-fi that goes nowhere.
If you don't connect it to your network it shouldn't be an issue
commenting for tracking. I've been searching for the same.