No it couldn’t. My washing machine cant connect to my network! I can’t think of a valid reason why I would even want that.
Your washing machine could be sending 3.7 GB of data a day — LG washing machine owner disconnected his device from Wi-Fi after noticing excessive outgoing daily data traffic
Submitted 9 months ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/your-washing-machine-could-be-sending-37-gb-of-data-a-day
Comments
ioslife@lemmy.ml 9 months ago
Buffalox@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I tried it with our dish washer, just to see what it’s about. Turns out it’s all about nothing. It’s absolutely void of any real functionality.
jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 9 months ago
I can think of a very valid reason. I very often forget that I ran the washing machine, I’m already investigating how to send a notification to my phone or computer after it is done. Right now I am checking how much electricity it consumes and when it stops doing it. But a API would be nicer.
GentlemanLoser@ttrpg.network 9 months ago
They sell clean/dirty indicator magnets for dishwashers for like $2.
Tangent5280@lemmy.world 9 months ago
stick a bell onto it and take a moment to listen whenever you want to check.
cyberic@discuss.tchncs.de 9 months ago
What about a NFC tag that starts a timer on your phone?
Bigfish@lemmynsfw.com 9 months ago
On one hand, it would be nice for us to drop the smart plug here, but at least those can be entirely local-only. I highly doubt any device API would be local.
loobkoob@kbin.social 9 months ago
Yeah, I don't get it. I guess I can see the appeal of some "Internet Of Things" connected appliances, like smart fridges suggesting recipes and keeping track of stock and auto-populating shopping lists for you. I don't need that personally, but I can see why it could appeal to some people.
But things like washing machines and dishwashers? You need to be there in person to fill them up just before they're ready to go on, and to empty them when they're done. And when they're not turned on, they're sat there doing nothing. What "smart" functions can they even offer?
CeeBee@lemmy.world 9 months ago
What “smart” functions can they even offer?
Notification that the cycle is finished and checking how much is left.
But that’s about it.
kent_eh@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
I guess I can see the appeal of some “Internet Of Things”
IoT, where the “S” stands for security…
agressivelyPassive@feddit.de 9 months ago
Because it’s advertised. That’s why.
A remarkable (and actually concerning) percentage of people completely lack the critical thinking skills to question whether that’s a good idea. The box says it has WiFi, WiFi is good, so I connect it to WiFi. Simple as that.
indigomirage@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
Well the missing socks have to go somewhere… /s
Buffalox@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Yes, socks can turn into a lot of data really fast, especially if they are multithreaded. Which is why I only use single threaded socks to protect my dataplan.
indigomirage@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
So much for my fibre connection…
NegativeLookBehind@kbin.social 9 months ago
billiam0202@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Given that one sperm has 27.5 MB of data (which means each orgasm has over 7 petabytes of information!) I think we can safely assume which socks his washer is transmitting.
snooggums@kbin.social 9 months ago
Given that one sperm has 27.5 MB of data (which means each orgasm has over 7 petabytes of information!)
Redundancy!
merc@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
The info in each sperm is effectively identical, so it’s still only 27.5 MB of data in the whole thing, just with a lot of redundancy for error detection / correction.
A_Very_Big_Fan@lemmy.world 9 months ago
You wouldn’t download a sock
I’m too lazy to Photoshop it into a real image
Plopp@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I’m sure they’re being downloaded to Russia and then sold back to the west to finance the war!
NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Anybody in his right minds wouldn’t connect a washing machine to WiFi in the first place.
abhibeckert@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I dunno about you, but I would love to get a notification on my watch when the machine has finished it’s cycle. And I’d also like to see a proper error description on my phone, instead of just “UE” on the timer LCD.
If we’re going to get really fancy… I’d love to be able to load the machine in the morning, but tell it to actually start running several hours later when I’m about to leave work home. I obviously don’t want clean wet clothes in the washing machine all day… but I don’t really want to run the washing machine when I’m home either, because it’s noisy.
A wifi connected washing machine sounds like a great feature to me, and I’d happily pay for it (with dollars, not with an invasion of privacy). I guess that means I won’t be buying an LG.
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Anybody in his right minds wouldn’t
connectbuy a washing machinetowith WiFi in the first place.Ftfy
Said this elsewhere recently, family had a washing machine for 30 years, from when I was little to in my 30’s. Just fixed as needed. Could’ve still fixed it when they replaced it, just felt it was time.
I’ve never had dirty clothes come out of a washing machine, using cold water and powder soap. Not sure why people think an agitator needs all this nonsense attached.
I still buy my machines used off Craigslist. Current one (apartment style) is 20 years old, I’ve had it for 5 if them. Cost me less than $200. Replaced a spring for $20 so far.
There are no IoT/smart devices in my house (well, damn TV, but I’m workin on that).
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Only company that makes dumb TVs anymore is Scepter, but those TV are a dice roll cause in the same model 1 tv can have a great screen and 1 can have a horrible one… and I’ve had the bad luck of the draw to get multiple bad screens that looked like shit.
So I gave up and bought a TLC.
I cracked it open and unplugged the wifi antenna though, cause you can bet your ass that bitch will never have a chance to phone home and report any and all network snooping.
weirdo_from_space@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Would a large monitor with a streaming box work?
akrot@lemmy.world 9 months ago
It’s mainly done for smart bome feature. People want fully automated homes, and right now more than 90% of all "smart devices are basically botnets. Zigbee ftw.
mechoman444@lemmy.world 9 months ago
As an appliance repair man if 20 years don’t ever connect your application to the wifi.
Knowing what part of the cycle your washing machine is in at all times is useless information.
knobbysideup@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
But then anybody can connect to its default broadcast. Better to pair it to something you can control.
db2@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Imagine spending extra money on a new clothes washer only to have someone turn it in to a crypto miner. 😬
agressivelyPassive@feddit.de 9 months ago
I’m too lazy to come up with a witty money laundering joke.
tdawg@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Why are people connecting their machines to wifi in the first place?
merc@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
I can understand wanting it on your local network. Being able to check remotely how much time is remaining. Getting alerts if it needs maintenance. In a big house with multiple family members all doing laundry, just checking to see if the machine is in use before hauling all your stuff down could be nice. But, that info doesn’t need to leave the house. I don’t know why you’d want that information leaving the house.
uranibaba@lemmy.world 9 months ago
You know, I really like to know if my washing machine has finished when I am on vacation. /s
XeroxCool@lemmy.world 9 months ago
It’s starts with a sales pitch (not just to you, it’s sales pitches all the way down) about how the washer can send the user status, maybe let them schedule, etc. They probably have an app to pair with it to keep it all in-house. One thing leads to another, every appliance gets wifi and sends a ton of data to a totally undoubtedly secure and anonymous centralized server full of harmless data for the sake of saving the customer 15 steps.
Big Brother didn’t ride in on the back of a commie tank, he was invited in for the slightest increase of convenience.
Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 9 months ago
My smart appliances serve as nodes for Pied Piper’s new decentralized internet.
tdawg@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Shut up Jared
AuntieFreeze@lemmy.world 9 months ago
It tells them when the cycle is done. Which apparently a beep can’t do.
Wrench@lemmy.world 9 months ago
My machines are in a disconnected garage. There’s no hearing the beep. And the wash time varies due to load size, to the point that the estimate on the screen isn’t very accurate, so seeing a timer isn’t great either.
I have never bothered to connect them to wifi yet, though. But a phone notification would have is uses.
crandlecan@mander.xyz 9 months ago
Plot twist: it was the Asus router misreporting the amount of data.
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 9 months ago
IoT = bad
rockSlayer@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The ‘S’ in IoT stands for security
DocMcStuffin@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Internet of Targets
spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
LG’s app is an absolute privacy nightmare too. That app must be used if you want access to any smart appliance features and it requires precise location permissions 100% of the time. Even then, the app features mediocre and it doesn’t work very well and often doesn’t notify of a finished wash load until long after it’s completed. Why anyone would want to allow their washing machine manufacturer to continuously track their exact location in exchange for some crappy, poorly implemented features is beyond me.
Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Thanks for pointing out the location service thing. I just killed that shit.
MrMukagee@lemmynsfw.com 9 months ago
I just use a timer on my phone … average wash cycle I use is about 30 minutes … just set a timer on your phone … KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid
ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Just looked at the apples permission settings on my phone… set to only allow location while being used.
Like you I don’t see much use for the app, though the notifications can be handy if you want to know when a load us finished and you can’t hear it’s beeps. I work out of my basement with my washer upstairs so that can be the case with me. But still rare that I ever use it.
Olap@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Until a robot can hang up my washing, my machine is staying off any networks
NoIWontPickaName@kbin.social 9 months ago
When it can you should still setup a private network just for them to communicate
mihies@kbin.social 9 months ago
Yep, one for private use, one for this kind of machines and one for guests. But still, in theory it could be sending sensitive data regardless of network setup.
merc@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
There are probably 3 main groups of people with WiFi appliances:
- The vast majority of people don’t care, and put it on their normal WiFi router and would never notice something like this
- A smaller group of people don’t care much, but pay attention to their bandwidth usage and would spot an appliance trying to send 3.7 GB of data a day
- A much smaller group of people are paranoid and would put the device on its own isolated subnet, or use firewall-type features to limit the access their appliances have to the Internet.
My guess is that if this were a widespread problem, people in the second group would notice, or would have immediately checked and chimed in and said “holy crap, mine is doing this too”. I didn’t hear many people saying that, so I’m guessing this is a bug, and it’s either a one-off weirdness, or it’s a bug related to people in group 3 who are blocking their appliances from being able to connect to the Internet.
It’s probably something as simple as a badly programmed firmware update check that doesn’t do exponential backoff when it fails. It probably connects, fails, then immediately tries again. A proper exponential backoff would wait before trying again, and if it failed again it would double the wait time down to some minimum value like once per day or something.
Kethal@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I think the largest group by far isn’t listed: people who bought an appliance and didn’t care at all that it had WiFi and never connected it their network.
ares35@kbin.social 9 months ago
"Error: Wi-Fi must be enabled to load detergent."
Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The article gets into what actually happened.
Dude’s Asus router was incorrectly reporting bandwidth usage.
Treczoks@kbin.social 9 months ago
Just put the device on a separate wifi without internet access, or look at the "child protection" features of your router. Ours can put devices based on their MAC into "access groups" which range from "full access" over "internet from <time> to <time>" to "no internet at all".
Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The article mentions that his router is probably to blame.
Treczoks@kbin.social 9 months ago
This is not just about the amount of data. I'm well aware that the measured amounts were totally off. Nonetheless, it is about being allowed to send any kind of data to the outside at all. And while it is probably quite convenient that you can get a message when a device has done a job, it is sufficient that you as the owner gets it, not anyone outside.
LWD@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Kind of wild we’re getting to the point where various pieces of equipment, with hardware we don’t want to use, need to be tricked into connecting to a fake network in order to prevent themselves from publishing their credentials.
And that’s if we assume there aren’t open Wi-Fi networks they won’t connect to automatically, in order to do their dirty deeds undeterred by their pesky owners.
Treczoks@kbin.social 9 months ago
Luckily, most embedded devices lack the smart to attach to two networks at the same time. So you keep it locked into a network where it can only do your bidding, and it won't listen to anyone else. Unless they built in some very crazy and nefarious code and drive around with network enabled cars in the owners neighborhood.
chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de 9 months ago
Tomorrow it’s my turn to post about this
hOrni@lemmy.world 9 months ago
A: Why would a washing machine have internet access? B: If it has the option, why would You even connect it to the internet? C: If it has to be connected to the internet, why would You even buy it?
LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The issue with web IpT is that devices send data reports of their status every fraction of a second. The packet may just be a few bytes but over time it adds up. Instead I wished they could just send status when they change state and wait for a confirmation but that’s harder to code…
Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I have a new LG dishwasher, last month it sent a total of 2.7M up 1.2M down. When it’s on it does about 50KB up and 150KB down.
JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Was it being used as a node in a botnet? Or did it glitch somehow to keep sending over and over again? I can’t image that behavior is nominal for that washing machine.
800XL@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The only reason I can think of is to be alerted when the thing is done, but our phones have this thing called a timer that can be set to the any amount of time and it’ll count down to 0. It will even make noise when the timer gets to 0!
kinther@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I have a similar model washer/dryer and refuse to put it on my wifi. I only want it to wash and dry.
hal_5700X@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Why a washing machine need the connect to the Internet in the first place?
red_pigeon@lemm.ee 9 months ago
How do I know this kind of thing ? What app can I use to measure this for my devices at home ?
BillDaCatt@kbin.social 9 months ago
I was looking at one of those new washer/dryer combo units recently (I have heard these are common in Europe but they are fairly new to the US market) and it had a unique feature where you could fill the detergent reservoir, scan the barcode on the bottle, and the machine would dispense the appropriate amount of detergent for the load.
I can see connecting to the Internet on occasion might be helpful here to update the local barcode database, but I doubt it should need updating more often than once or twice a year. Does that mean the feature will work without constant live updates? Probably not, but I doubt it needs to update very often to remain current.
kokesh@lemmy.world 9 months ago
My Xerox 6510 pings Google every second. It made it hard to go through my AdGuard Home logs, so no it is banned from DNS.
imPastaSyndrome@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Meh. It’s an article based on a guy who didn’t even see what the data it was sending was our even if it was bugged
iAvicenna@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I need internet for reasons proceeds to send visual and audio recordings
keesrif@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I’m loving the puns quoted in the article haha
skydivekingair@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Clickbait, he tweeted “inaccuracy in the ASUS router tool” later on.
ares35@kbin.social 9 months ago
the writer knew that the stats were bunk, yet wrote the article anyway. the site knew this, too, tacked-on the clickbait headline and published it. toms really has gone to shit the last few years--at least under the current ownership (last changed hands 2018).
br3d@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Speaking of which, it uses the same web interface as a lot of other news sites. Newsletter popup, autoplay video part-way down that then jumps to the top of the screen, etc. What Hifi is the same, and there are various other sites all with the same annoying engine. Two questions: (1) are all these sites owned by the same company and (2) is there a browser extension that can fix them?
nulluser@programming.dev 9 months ago
And OP presumably read the article, knew there was no actual story, and posted it here anyway.
TalesFromTheKitchen@lemmy.ml 9 months ago
Thanks for saving me the click.