I work on copiers for a living.
You guys are scaring me!
Louis Rossmann is correct: there is no reason to let your printer connect to the internet. They’re never going to release an update that makes the printer insanely better or more efficient. It might improve the program & functionality, just slightly? But every time it connects there is a very real possibility they push an update on your purchased goods to fuck you over. It’s not worth it.
Its why I put all of mine including the ones at work in the blocked ACL.
I totally get it and agree, but does this mean you use an USB cable at all times to print things ?
Either USB connected to one PC which shares it, or just block it’s Internet access in the router firewall
Connecting to the network does not have to mean connecting to the internet. Basically every consumer grade router out there is capable of restricting a device to the local network only. It could reach other devices on the network and the other devices would be able to reach it, but it would still be cut off from the internet.
Never let your printer connect to the internet
Controversial, but same with your television.
I wouldn’t say that’s controversial, but it’s really just a matter of choosing which platform you think will enshittify slowest.
Smart TV with no Internet connection + streaming box with Internet connection. Every TV behaves the same way if they all use the same streaming boxes. If a streaming box provider steps out of line, you switch to another vendor or use a media PC.
TVs are forced to just be TVs, to display in the quality you bought them for. Their totally innocent array of hi-sensitivity Big Brother microphones have nowhere to transmit every sound in your living room, etc.
When they eventually start making it illegal or impossible to do that, I’ll just wait for my last TV to die and then I don’t know what. Maybe take up shuffleboard?
Sceptre sells non-smart TV still. Unfortunately, only available @ Walmart & Amazon. Really a lesser of two evils situation. Support union-busting or support planned obsolescence and spyware.
I’ve seen newer printers that won’t work without a cloud connection.
That’s when you return the printer, which hurts the brand with the retailer.
Forced updates should be illegal.
Malware’s definition:
Malicious computer software that interferes with normal computer functions or sends personal data about the user to unauthorized parties over the Internet.
Any forced update that increases data collection without consent or intentionally breaks previous functionality being pushed out to millions of people should result in multi-decade prison sentences for cybercrimes.
100% agree, yet nobody arrested CEOs of neither Samsung nor Apple despite them deliberately applied “updates” to slow down their phones.
That’s why all I have is an old black and white brother printer, because you can’t even trust them anymore
I specifically excluded Brother from my last printer search because I read they were getting precious about toner cartridges. HP was totally in on that as well with ink jet.
I was able to get a laser printer from HP that didn’t have enshittified firmware, and that thing is never ever going to be on the network. This was a few years ago. I hope HP is sensitive to their business customers, who would be a large fraction of laser printer buyers. But I don’t know how they are these days.
I’m sp glad to be paperless. Printers are a joke.
Thankfully I learned this lesson early in life and I haven’t owned in printer in nearly 20 years.
That’s not how you deal with a printer. This is:
But how are you going to produce your TPS reports after this?
