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Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

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Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#51

Post by avhception »

nofunsir wrote: post #35

I just want normal buttons and dials back. Not time-based capacitance buttons that take 5.02 seconds to activate, not 5.0 seconds; nor free-spinning encoder wheels that mandate you give it a jiggle before the washer does anything, even if it's already on the setting you want. I want kachunk-a-chunk back first. Then we can decide if it needs smarts.

My parent's new washing machine doesn't have a real indicator of position on the selector wheel. The wheel has a chrome-like band going around it. Somewhere in that band is a light-grey stripe. It's barely visible from the side even if you look very closely. It's completely invisible when simply looking at the machine from a normal perspective.

Who the hell approved that design?! I have drawn a big black mark on the wheel with a sharpie.

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#52

Post by NaomiLehman »

nofunsir wrote: post #35

I just want normal buttons and dials back. Not time-based capacitance buttons that take 5.02 seconds to activate, not 5.0 seconds; nor free-spinning encoder wheels that mandate you give it a jiggle before the washer does anything, even if it's already on the setting you want. I want kachunk-a-chunk back first. Then we can decide if it needs smarts.

hey, AI needs to reinforce-learn everything about your dirty laundry

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#54

Post by Daviey »

boxerab wrote: post #10

I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that. This rinse cycle is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.

We already have this with the dryer function... It's too hot to allow you to open the door and accept the risk yourself, so I need you to wait 10 minutes for the machine too cool before I unlock the door.

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#55

Post by Ballas »

kennywinker wrote: post #32

I am playing with home automation, and one of the reasons i’m only using zigbee devices is that they have no outside network access. I have two wifi thermostats that I bought before, and one of these days I’m going to have to set up a firewall of some kind to block them from outside access.

The wifi devices are cheaper IME, so I created a IOT VLAN that does not have internet access, nor access to my normal network unless it was initiated from the trusted side.

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#56

Post by nebula8804 »

nofunsir wrote: post #35

I just want normal buttons and dials back. Not time-based capacitance buttons that take 5.02 seconds to activate, not 5.0 seconds; nor free-spinning encoder wheels that mandate you give it a jiggle before the washer does anything, even if it's already on the setting you want. I want kachunk-a-chunk back first. Then we can decide if it needs smarts.

Speed Queen is an American brand that tries to differentiate itself with quality and simplicity:

[1]: https://speedqueen.com/products/top-load-washers/tc5003wn/

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#57

Post by NaomiLehman »

exe34 wrote: post #46
Lio wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. That was the first thing I disabled on my washing machine. I want it to be less intrusive and irritating not more.

was this a UI option or did you have to fix it with wire cutters? mine is mildly irritating.

had to reverse engineer the circuit board

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#58

Post by ssl-3 »

zbendefy wrote: post #47
exe34 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

my microwave oven has two knobs: how hot and how long. I paid an extra £50 to get a model of fridge without WiFi. sadly my washing machine is already at the free-spinning encoder stage - I don't hate it with a passion, but more of a low-enthusiasm. I dread replacing anything that breaks in the next few years.

Why not get the wifi enabled fridge and just not hook it up to your router? Genuinely asking because I plan to do this once I have to get new appliances, is there something missing that way?

Why not buy the fridge that doesn't have wifi smarts to begin with?

If I want to monitor my fridge's temperature, I can buy a widget that does that for a dozen or so dollars and have that sensor talk to the home automation system of my choice. And when the fridge dies or otherwise gets replaced, I can move the sensor to the new fridge. (And when a new sensor comes out that I like better, I can spend another McDonald's Value Meal worth of money to use that instead.)

Besides: We here on HN should all have a certain amount of distrust for devices that self-report problems.

This distrust is part of the reason why ZFS doesn't trust hard drives to self-report issues and does its own checksums instead.

---

But that's a general rant. To answer your question more-directly, if somewhat-tangentially: One of the popular open-source-oriented YouTube dudes (Jeff Geerling?) recently bought a dishwasher that had functional modes that could not be accessed without a wifi connection to The Clown.

And that's... that's not good: In order to be able to use the functions that the thing natively includes, one must always allow it to call home to mother.

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#59

Post by ssl-3 »

frollogaston wrote: post #23
fluoridation wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could also just not give it a network, couldn't you?

Yeah, unless it has a cell modem, not that it's cheap enough to make sense today

I have personally installed equipment that included non-optional, always-on cellular data connectivity that allowed it to be configured and monitored from The Clown.

And Amazon rather famously included cellular connectivity with their early Kindle e-ink book-reading devices -- back in '07.

It's been done before. It can be done again.

Re: Homeowner baffled after washing machine uses 3.6GB of internet data a day (2024)

#60

Post by oliwarner »

ssl-3 wrote: post #50
nofunsir wrote: post #35

I just want normal buttons and dials back. Not time-based capacitance buttons that take 5.02 seconds to activate, not 5.0 seconds; nor free-spinning encoder wheels that mandate you give it a jiggle before the washer does anything, even if it's already on the setting you want. I want kachunk-a-chunk back first. Then we can decide if it needs smarts.

The problem with kerchunk-a-wheels and real pushbuttons (and the not-smarts they imply) is that they're expensive. They're more expensive (and more failure-prone) than the rotary encoders, mush-buttons, and brain-boxes that replaced them. But one cool part about things like motorized kerchunk-a-wheels is that, upon failure, a motivated person on Gilligan's Island can often mend them back into service with a screwdriv…

But these are [often] thousand dollar appliances. "Capacitive buttons are cheaper" shouldn't be a factor.

It's hard to understand why companies can't build things to last, use real buttons, provide parts for servicing at cost, add local APIs for anything "smart", forgo any secondary income streams (eg screens showing ads), and still make a profit.

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