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Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

kb.netgear.com

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Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#91

Post by bitwize »

jhawk28 wrote: post #67
userbinator wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how long until this gets hacked, and someone releases a cracked firmware with this idiocy removed. Clearly, the functionality is already there if it can be accessed "3 times". This is the dark side of the "update culture" --- forcing you to take all the things you don't want along with the bug fixes. Aided by dire security warnings of not updating, it's a perfect way to achieve control over your userbase.

You can probably install tomato, ddwrt, or openwrt.

Until they lock down the bootloaders...

Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#93

Post by bserge »

userbinator wrote: post #72
duxup wrote: post #32

My new clothes washer has an app. It requires access to location, and phone settings or the app closes by design. I don't think this stuff stops without legislation.

Things like this are why I buy "dumb" equipment, which will remain obedient to you and not the manufacturer. My white goods are all many decades old. Washer and dryer are both entirely computer-free (mechanical controls) and don't even contain a single semiconductor (unless you count the indicator bulbs I replaced with LEDs.) Many people often think the house/life of a software developer is filled with "smart" things…

Damn, that's impressive. Sadly I've yet to see an old non-electronic washer or dryer still work. Just about everything is simply worn out, even the hoses crack and crumble. But they did last a long time compared to new stuff.

Tbh, there's nothing wrong with electronics, "smart" doesn't mean it needs an Internet connection.

Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#94

Post by nicolaslem »

hinkley wrote: post #74
greatgib wrote: post #7

Soon you will not be able to use a switch on a private network not connected to the internet thanks to these assholes... No more Netgear device for me!

I wonder how hard it is to build your own switch these days? Maybe something built around a Pi class SBC?

If you don't care about performance, any computer can bridge multiple interfaces in software and behave like a switch.

Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#95

Post by yaris »

I wonder what could serve as the replacement for Netgear switches. I have a couple GS108s at home and thought to buy a couple more. After such news I don’t want to even come close to NG, but from possible alternatives I’m familiar only with Linksys which are not an option really. What are other brands to consider?

Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#96

Post by bserge »

Pxtl wrote: post #53

I had a Nighthawk router of some persuasion that was so infuriatingly buggy it took years off my life. A bad router is so maddening that the curse "may your brakes work as well as your firmware" repeatedly came to mind. Never again.

Only buy something that works with OpenWRT. Or at least has hardware that is compatible so you can make your own build or have someone else do it. And contribute to the project, if you can.

I'm still on a now ancient TP-Link router, it works absolutely flawlessly with all the features one might need.

I know newer routers can be faster on stock firmware because of proprietary stuff, but fuck that, if I need Gigabit, I'll use wires. WiFi N speeds are good enough for me.

Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#97

Post by iforgotpassword »

yaris wrote: post #95

I wonder what could serve as the replacement for Netgear switches. I have a couple GS108s at home and thought to buy a couple more. After such news I don’t want to even come close to NG, but from possible alternatives I’m familiar only with Linksys which are not an option really. What are other brands to consider?

I've got a managed Zyxel switch at home. Not exactly a challenging setup, 4 vlans and that's it, but apart from a known firmware bug with multicast when I first bought it, with an update already available, there have been no issues at all. Would buy again.

Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#98

Post by bbx »

m463 wrote: post #29
4cao wrote: post #2

> You can login and access all features through the local browser UI 3 times without registering the switch through your netgear.com account. How generous, for a device that people buy (not rent) from them, and pay actual money for (not receive for free). And apparently Netgear didn't even feel the need to bother including any contrived excuse as to why this is being introduced. What a time to be alive.

This is becoming the dark-pattern-du-jour. I get this with videoconferencing too (webex, teams), where the app starts downloading and the ability to do what you want (use the browser) is hidden or delayed until you've failed.

I noticed that too. A few weeks ago, clicking on a Zoom link in your browser would trigger an automatic download of the app installer (which I don’t want). The webpage would still display an “or launch in the browser” link. But yesterday I noticed the link was gone, thinking the only option was to install the app (which I still don’t want). But it turns out the browser link appears after a 5-second delay.

I wonder how many people installed the app thinking it was the only option now. I assume a lot of people. Or how to increase your install numbers with that one weird trick.

Very sneaky.

Re: Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

#99

Post by nicolaslem »

shock wrote: post #38

I recently bought a couple of Netgear Managed Switches (for Business)⁰ and in their datasheet they list "Local-only management" as a feature. Only after they arrived we discovered that you only get limited functionality in the Local-only management mode, you have to register the switches to your Netgear Cloud account to get access to the full functionality. Reading up on it, this was achieved only after a community o…

I was looking for small business switches recently and I noticed the trend across all brands to push hard for cloud management (aka your device is a brick when we get tired of supporting our cloud platform).

I ended up with a local-only tp-link JetStream.

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