Thanks to Red Badger and ShadowAce for the pings!
Posted on 06/08/2021 5:48:16 AM PDT by Red Badger
Amazon is working on a shared low-bandwidth network and it needs your help – specifically your Wi-Fi.
By pooling neighbor's Wi-Fi together, the Seattle-based e-commerce giant says its Amazon Sidewalk network can extend the low-bandwidth working range of devices, ultimately helping them stay better connected to the internet.
The shared network works off of Sidewalk Bridge devices – including select Echo and Ring devices – together.
Sidewalk launched on eligible Ring devices last year, but will launch on eligible Echo devices on June 8.
"These Bridge devices share a small portion of your internet bandwidth which is pooled together to provide these services to you and your neighbors," according to Amazon's website. "And when more neighbors participate, the network becomes even stronger."
For instance, Sidewalk allows users to continue to receive motion alerts from Ring Security Cams even if a device loses its Wi-Fi connection, an Amazon spokesperson told FOX Business. Additionally, Sidewalk can be used to control your Ring smart lights at the end of a driveway or to track down a lost pet, the spokesperson said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxbusiness.com ...
The laws of physics will not be abridged, even by Amazon.
The more load you put on a system, the slower it gets................
ROKU is the best. I haven’t had cable TV for years but you wouldn’t know it with all the choices that ROKU gives us.
Seems like theft of service for Amazon to resell everyone’s Internet that they pay for.
It has just created a back door into your network, secured only by the ability of Amazon devices to recognize that traffic comes from another Amazon device.
And you trust Amazon with that capability?
Do you also trust that Amazon won't, upon request, allow various government agencies use of this back door into your private home network? Do you trust that all Amazon employees and contractors will be trustworthy?
Do you trust Amazon's Chinese equipment suppliers?
Most sure way to “opt out” is to never “opt in” by having amazon devices on your premises.
There is probably and most likely a small print clause in the contract that covers their ass...............
My WiFi access point and router offers a feature that lets me limit access by “foreign” devices: MAC filtering. It’s not perfect, but it stops the unsophisticated device user from latching onto my Internet bandwidth. That and a WAP password.
Yep... That was my thought too. This may actually create a counterproductive situation for the whole network not just a few like now. It is load sharing, and the average might actually be less efficient than what most already have.
Thanks to Red Badger and ShadowAce for the pings!
Oh, yeah, I just can’t wait for the knock on the door from some coppers about the kiddie porn being downloaded via my WiFi connection. Yeah, that sounds like a great way to start a day.
In addition, imagine the fun of some local Karen clogging the connection since everyone told her to bugger off with her non-stop polemics.
If I can’t pick and choose who participates, don’t expect me to contribute my private monies.
Open the Alexa app:
1. Open “more”and select “settings.”
2. Select “account settings.”
3. Select “Amazon Sidewalk.”
4. Turn Amazon Sidewalk “off.”
You can opt out.
For now. If past performance is anything to go by Amazon will simply "upgrade" and the ability to opt out will simply vanish from the new version...
To be fair... you’re not really sharing your wifi more than the Bluetooth in your Amazon devices. Bluetooth runs on 900 MHz, so the area it covers is MUCH better than the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz from your wifi. In tight neighborhoods with quarter acre or smaller plots, this makes for a substantial mesh network. In rural areas, this won’t be very effective.
Still, fsck Amazon, esp. for making this an opt out vs. opt in product offering. No more Amazon devices in my home.
We have Hughes.net satellite and even though the upgraded service is much better than the old there is still some latency. The ROKU works great on it. Even the live streaming news shows work without buffering. The Firestick not so good.
My only problem is teaching my 82 year old husband something new. LOL Once he learns it he does great but his short term memory loss takes a lot of repetition to get some things to stick. Our cable bill is $202 a month and that’s crazy. There are only 11 shows I watch on it and about the same for him. We don’t watch gay shows, Spanish shows, black shows, or cartoons so a lot of our package is a waste of money. If he gets comfortable with ROKU I will cut off the cable and subscribe to anything he wants but doesn’t get free. That will save us about $150 or more a month.
I don't have Alexa, so I need do nothing.
If there was a solution to get local channels/networks other than off the air, I'd pack in cable in a heartbeat and subscribe to a half dozen $5.99/month networks.
That’s where we are with it. Our cable provider has our local channels. I’m thinking about downgrading the package to the minimum to keep those for a while and subscribe to a few streaming channels on the ROKU. I don’t watch local news or other local channels so it’s not a loss for me but he likes them. Oh, and the $202 a month for the cable doesn’t include any premiums like HBO, Showtime, or Starz. I like Starz but it’s much cheaper to subscribe to the streaming channel.
Why anyone would even entertain the idea of putting one of these spy devices in their homes escapes me.
I built my own home automation system based on Linux, using open source, with no 3rd party interface devices attached like Google, Amazon, Apple, etc. Top it off with encryption, VPN access, and simple commonsense security protocols, and these nitwits will need to work at it a bit to get in.
It’s not impossible to penetrate, but certainly difficult outside of state-sponsored hackers.
People should avoid these devices like the plague that they are.
The gist:
According to The Verge, users can disable “Amazon Sidewalk” by going into the setting section in their Amazon Alexa app. Users can also disable the feature in the Ring app by going into the Control Center and selecting “Sidewalk,” the outlet reported.
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