I would go one step further and recommend a router with a customizable, Linux, firmware (OpenWRT, Tomato, DDWRT, etc).

Your TV is probably just one of the many devices that sends a scary amount of requests to a bunch of shady servers. With a firewall + DNS server that you control and a decent blocklist you should be able to block most requests and you won't be exposed if a new device connects to your network (for whatever reason).

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drnick1 4 hours ago | parent [-]

> I would go one step further and recommend a router with a customizable, Linux, firmware (OpenWRT, Tomato, DDWRT, etc).

Yes, those are good options, but in true HN spirit, my suggestion is a plain Linux distro. The firewall/router is just a few iptables lines, which AI can now provide in a few seconds.

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forgotpwd16 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

OpenWRT is a Linux distro. Just one optimized for embedded devices. If don't like the very utilitarian web UI can connect over ssh and use iptables or whatever else you want.

	▲	abeyer an hour ago \| parent [-]
		But that means custom per-device firmware builds, that in my experience with every router I tried it on means they lag months/years behind security patches. Is there some way to stay patched without building from source and reflashing every time a patch to something upstream happens? (almost daily, now, I guess that means?)

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loufe 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Is there any good GUI for a vanilla Linux networking stack, to your knowledge?

	▲	drnick1 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		IIRC, IPFire is more or less that. I control my Debian router/home server using SSH and have no GUI at all. It's largely set and forget, and don't recall last time I touched the firewall.