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Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

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Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#11

Post by GoToRO »

ashtonkem wrote: post #10
gentleman11 wrote: post #7

I would be upset if my tv sent a single byte of information out. I use an old lcd and if it ever dies, I just don’t even know what we’ll do. Can you even buy TVs anymore that don’t spy on you?

You could just not configure the network on a smart TV if you can’t find a dumb one.

2 years ago with a Samsung tv: no network, no terms and conditions signed, no terms signed, the tv would always forget to use the same input it was using before restart (degraded functionality). I never tried to remove the network after I signed the terms, maybe it woul have still worked.

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#12

Post by salawat »

ashtonkem wrote: post #10
gentleman11 wrote: post #7

I would be upset if my tv sent a single byte of information out. I use an old lcd and if it ever dies, I just don’t even know what we’ll do. Can you even buy TVs anymore that don’t spy on you?

You could just not configure the network on a smart TV if you can’t find a dumb one.

Actually, I recall articles which mention certain brands would look for nearby unsecured networks. All of that goes out the window if vendors start provisioning SIMs and use the cellular network.

I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have some code for looking for undersecured networks capable of being exploited to derive credentials, though at least then you'd have grounds to sue under CFAA.

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#13

Post by chadlavi »

kirkouimet wrote: post #3
aleister_777 wrote: post #2

Interesting question and I agree. Also, what are you "unusing" it for exactly that requires it to have power?

Just have it powered on for my Apple TV, I never use any of the features of the TV, but I did connect it to the WiFi when I first set it up.

so you do use it to watch your AppleTV?

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#14

Post by sidpatil »

salawat wrote: post #12
ashtonkem wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could just not configure the network on a smart TV if you can’t find a dumb one.

Actually, I recall articles which mention certain brands would look for nearby unsecured networks. All of that goes out the window if vendors start provisioning SIMs and use the cellular network. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have some code for looking for undersecured networks capable of being exploited to derive credentials, though at least then you'd have grounds to sue under CFAA.

Embedded SIMs won't be an insurmountable problem as long as the TV can work without network connectivity, but they'll be very inconvenient to deal with.

A destructive approach would involve desoldering the chip or unplugging the antenna. A nondestructive approach would involve Faraday-caging the television: a mesh or aluminum foil taped around where the antenna resides.

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#15

Post by aaron695 »

What about a boring, you are looking at the data usage for the wrong device? What's the logging graphic from?

The uploads to downloads look like P2P.

Not sure why it'd be asymmetrical though if you aren't managing it and what would it be storing on at that GB? Is there a hard disk in the TV?

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#16

Post by myrandomcomment »

salawat wrote: post #12
ashtonkem wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could just not configure the network on a smart TV if you can’t find a dumb one.

Actually, I recall articles which mention certain brands would look for nearby unsecured networks. All of that goes out the window if vendors start provisioning SIMs and use the cellular network. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have some code for looking for undersecured networks capable of being exploited to derive credentials, though at least then you'd have grounds to sue under CFAA.

This is HN lore. Commented many times, but no one has the proof.

I have an old Vizio and 2 Samsungs. Configured them wired to updated the firmware then blocked the port on the switch. I use an AppleTV for everything as I know what it is sharing.

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#17

Post by myrandomcomment »

sidpatil wrote: post #14
salawat wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, I recall articles which mention certain brands would look for nearby unsecured networks. All of that goes out the window if vendors start provisioning SIMs and use the cellular network. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have some code for looking for undersecured networks capable of being exploited to derive credentials, though at least then you'd have grounds to sue under CFAA.

Embedded SIMs won't be an insurmountable problem as long as the TV can work without network connectivity, but they'll be very inconvenient to deal with. A destructive approach would involve desoldering the chip or unplugging the antenna. A nondestructive approach would involve Faraday-caging the television: a mesh or aluminum foil taped around where the antenna resides.

The issue can be solved by not buying a TV with a SIM (hopefully still a choice).

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#18

Post by gorkish »

You are using a Ubiquiti device that gathers ip accounting information from a slew of various devices on the network then tries to cram it all together into an overall view. It seems widely accepted that their statistics aren't that reliable. My system reported day that my sleeping macbook sent out 7TB of data. /Narrator: It did not./

Are you totally positive and 100% sure that this is even Internet traffic? Unifi will report all LAN traffic too. Some of those first gen smart TVs will spew untold amounts of multicast and broadcast in an effort to discover DLNA servers and other media devices.

Anything other than speculative theories?

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#19

Post by zamadatix »

GoToRO wrote: post #11
ashtonkem wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could just not configure the network on a smart TV if you can’t find a dumb one.

2 years ago with a Samsung tv: no network, no terms and conditions signed, no terms signed, the tv would always forget to use the same input it was using before restart (degraded functionality). I never tried to remove the network after I signed the terms, maybe it woul have still worked.

I only connect my Samsung TVs for firmware updates, seems to work fine pulling the plug after.

Re: Why is my unused Vizio TV sending gigabytes of traffic every day?

#20

Post by heroprotagonist »

salawat wrote: post #12
ashtonkem wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could just not configure the network on a smart TV if you can’t find a dumb one.

Actually, I recall articles which mention certain brands would look for nearby unsecured networks. All of that goes out the window if vendors start provisioning SIMs and use the cellular network. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have some code for looking for undersecured networks capable of being exploited to derive credentials, though at least then you'd have grounds to sue under CFAA.

It doesn't even need that, really. Zigbee and similar long range wireless mesh networks are very realistic (and probably cheaper) for basic usage data.

Bandwidth is much more limited so it probably won't send screenshots of what you're watching like has been reported with some TVs. Screenshots aren't really needed, though, when there's a host of other metadata and on-device processing available.

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