| ▲ | zootboy 10 hours ago |
| And this is why "mandatory app to configure" is an instant dealbreaker for me for any piece of hardware. Don't buy crap like this. Force companies to be better. |
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| ▲ | canpan 44 minutes ago | parent | next [-] |
| When buying fridge, washing machine, oven etc, when I moved, I told the sales person, I like quality, am not price sensitive, but any device that requires an app or has a camera/mic built in is out of question. Some didn't know how to handle that, being used to sell it as a "good thing". |
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| ▲ | binaryturtle 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| If it's a "router" and you can't install a OpenWRT on it, then it's an absolute no-brainer to not to buy it. |
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| ▲ | dotancohen 2 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | To whom? How many people who have bought these things ever heard of OpenWRT? How many of those are capable of installing it? Have you ever considered upgrading your refrigerator? Washing machine? Kettle? A router is a transparent appliance to most people. | | | |
| ▲ | jasonjayr 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] | | I got a new lease on life for a bunch of old/slow MyBook WD Live NAS devices -- OpenWRT installs onto these PowerPC devices, rather easily. | |
| ▲ | rycomb 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | I'd suggest buying the OpenWRT One. I've bought a bunch, and I think it's terrific. | | |
| ▲ | picofarad 4 hours ago | parent [-] | | I think the cost is good too? Decent amount of ports, kinda like a boxless mikrotik. I've considered it, if I can get fiber here I will definitely get one for my segment, and maybe my resell segment too. |
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| ▲ | WarOnPrivacy 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| > And this is why "mandatory app to configure" is a dealbreaker More and more IP cameras can't be set up without a phone app. TP-Link's Tapo line is really bad about it. Even some Reolink cameras can't be setup on their own. Now that high quality, affordable brands like Dahua got banned (w/o evidence), there's less pressure on the survivors to not be awful. |
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| ▲ | userbinator 4 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | More and more IP cameras can't be set up without a phone app. More evidence that this isn't about cost at all, but control. Fortunately, the good old-fashioned "dumb" ones that just have a tiny web server to serve their configuration and viewing UI still exist, seemingly at both the ultra-cheap (unbranded/random brand ones from China based on a reference design, built by companies with no desire to host anything) and ultra-expensive (Axis, Bosch, etc.) ends of the market; the middle is entirely filled with the "smart" "cloud" crap. | |
| ▲ | lucaspiller 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | Reolink has always been like that, but at least they aren't a random no-name brand that could disappear at any minute. | | |
| ▲ | ____tom____ 20 minutes ago | parent | next [-] | | Neither is Motorola. And yet ... The company doesn't have to go away, the app just has to have issues. At least with web apps, you aren't depending on the manufacturer investing in nearly continuous upgrades to work in the rapidly changing phone environment A web UI will continue to work for decades. And app will likely not last a year without updates. | |
| ▲ | WarOnPrivacy 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | I probably should have clarified I'm fine with PC apps for setup but abhor phone apps. I keep junk phones around for when I have no other choice. I just installed 10 Reolinks and I had to set up a phone app for two of them that didn't have an Ethernet connector. Ick. I have one Tapo and ran their app from an android emulator. I won't buy another. |
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| ▲ | m463 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| I just wish: - it was more clear when buying a product that an app is required to activate/use/etc a device - that people who rebelled against this kind of nonsense were backed up by others and respected "more power to you!" |
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| ▲ | pseudohadamard 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Friend of mine had some (non-Motorola) router that her ISP provided her and the only way to set it up was through an app. The first time I ran into this I couldn't believe it, there was simply no way to set this piece of s*t up without using the app, which (a) didn't work until we'd spent ages faffing around with it and (b) was just a glorified set of different wizards that let you set things up in a few fixed preconfigured ways. |
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| ▲ | ValentineC 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-] |
| I fear that this will eventually happen to all Amazon Eero products, which has partnerships with telcos in my country for "free" routers. |
