4mo ago

Disabling wi-fi on Samsung home appliances (specifically dishwasher)

www.costco.com /samsung-46-dba-top-control-smart-dishwasher-with-autorelease-and-stormwash.product.4000233780.html

Replacing a dishwasher. Most of the mid-range options now come with fucking Wi-Fi. Found a model I liked, no info in manual and support from Samsung was of course, useless since it wasn't already in the manual and wanted to keep talking about their exciting "smart things" app. gag.

I saw a youtube video of a guy disconnecting wifi cable on a fridge. I'm fine doing that if I have to open up the board but it'll probably be smaller than the fridge and who knows if it'll be helpfully labled like the one in the video was. Internet searching showed me there may be oven keypress combinations to turn wi-fi radio on/off. Anyone have anything similar/advice for Samsung appliances, specifically dishwashers?

89 comments

If you don’t hook it up to your network, what’s the problem?
- It may try to connect to open wifi networks instead, maybe
  
  Honestly asking; Why would I care if my dishwasher connected to some random Wi-Fi. What does it know about me? Someone gonna hack it?
  
  Like what? Home wifi requires passwords.
- This shows so much privilege. Apartments, townhomes, condominiums. Sometimes you're scrolling through pages of Wi-Fi networks from your neighbors looking for your own SSID right next to the device.
  Yeah, you can't do shit about open Wi-Fi networks near you and promiscuous devices.

I had to buy a washing machine recently. I asked if I could get one without the smart features (this was a half joke thinking there was no shot in hell, but at least I got to express disinterest). They looked in the back to find that they did have the previous model. They said it was basically the same but without the smart features—then they said it would still be under the same warranty & would cost me $150 less. I got real lucky that day—& the fact that I need a new TV has caused me dread knowing you basically can’t find ’em anymore.
- Literally the same, just bought a new washing machine. Most are now smart enabled. I don't get it at all.. Like why does a washing machine need to be on the internet at all.
  You're washing is done... Yeah I know I can no longer hear it.
  Start it later, there is a delay mode.
  I physically have to be in front of the washer to load it. Why would I then use an app.
  We paid a premium for one without Wi-Fi
- Sceptre has Non smart TVs. May be the only ones left to be honest
- Don't connect the TV to the internet. Buy a settop box like a shield TV and stream through that.
  
  Why folks always say this as if it won’t connect to your neighbor’s open WiFi? Some of these are being built with cellular access like those Nspresso machines—or LoRa—so you can’t just not connect it. These devices don’t need any network access.
- Speed Queen is still making dumb albeit electronic models. Bit pricey but solid. Or get yourself an old one off Craigslist and call someone to refurb it. Those will often outlast anything else.
- AFAIK, the Samsung BEC-H series commercial monitors don't have the "smart" features (at least enabled, probably still exist under the hood somewhere).

Don't connect it to anything.
- Not even power and water supplies?

Your easiest solution is to just not connect it to your network.
If you want to really lock it out, depending on your router you can use the firewall to drop any packets to and from the device's IP.
- For a lot of devices that will leave an unsecured wifi network on that will
  allow any passerby to just set it up under their account and potentially mess with it
  use up valuable WiFi channels you might want to use for your own network
  
  I have an old tplink router i connect shit to that i then turn off
- I chose the second option after my new fridge got too friendly with my MIL's phone. Nothing against her, but I didn't want to give it the chance to do that with a stranger.
- Won't the neighbor's kid just hack into it and flood your kitchen, then?
  No, better to disable it physically
  
  That's not how dishwashers work.

Another (less good) option might be connecting it to a dummy wi-fi that goes nowhere.

I have a smart tv, washer, and dryer. None of them are connected to a network. They can’t do anything “smart” without a network. You don’t need to take apart or disconnect anything. In fact, doing so could cause problems if you nick the wrong wire or component.
Just leave it be and you should be fine.
- Even owning Smart devices and having them always plugged in may potentially be a vector, Rob did a good breakdown on how this is achieved.
  https://odysee.com/@RobBraxmanTech:6/radio:64
  Did you know that your IOT devices are secretly communicating with each other? This includes IOT devices that are not in your home. Did you know that what your IOT devices do may be transmitted to third parties? Did you know that your TV may also have the capability and may currently be transmitting your activity far and wide?
  There are secret communications occurring between IOT devices using protocols like Bluetooth LE, Zigbee, Thread, 802.15, and LoRa that you likely didn't expect or was not explained when you bought these devices.
  Just like Amazon Echo has been conscripted to work with the Amazon Sidewalk Mesh network, other networks are in operation
  
  Good point. I did not consider this. Thank you.
- If I did that half my neighbors would own my devices in a week because they like transmitting open access points for setup purposes. I just connect them anyway and then just block them from outbound access at the router if I want to restrict them. That way I can be sure. Then I can use my Homeassistant server to control them from behind the firewall locally if they have that capability.
  
  You make a terrifyingly interesting point. I did not consider this. Thank you.

Don't worry, OP. Samsung makes absolute dog shit appliances, so you'll be replacing that dishwasher sometime in the next 2 years anyways.

model #? You can usually find enough info from the FCC id, which often has pictures of insides, especially radio stuff like.
Edit: nvm, I had missed the Costco link. I'll see if I can find anything.
- Thank you, the FCC filing is a good idea, if you find something useful that would be great.
  
  I couldn't find it using the model number on fccid.io but it might be that the dishwashers themselves aren't FCC certified and they only send whatever wireless board they add to it.
  Usually can find anything that has radio signals with teardown pics, etc.

It's funny a good open source washing machine with wifi could be amazing, would allow for so much more control by letting you modify programs and view diagnostics but proprietary hardware is never going to let you do the good stuff because the you wouldn't need to buy the more expensive but physically almost identical models.

Mine had an off button (key combo). Check the manual of the model before purchase. Never had to give it another thought.
- I wouldn't trust that. Better to remove it physically
  
  I have a network scanner on my phone. It's off. You may take the bother of physically disconnecting it if you want, but personally I'll keep my warranty.

Disable it on the router. That way if you’re lucky it thinks it’s connected and so won’t constantly bother you about it.

commenting for tracking. I've been searching for the same.

Seems a little over the top. The AP will consume additional power. Just restricting Internet access via router should be way easier.

If you don't connect it to your network it shouldn't be an issue

Why do you care if it has wifi if it's not connected to a network?
- u/logos asked the same thing, I answered in the thread.
  
  Gotcha. As an aside, the syntax to refer to a user is @username@instance, for example mine is @JackbyDev@programming.dev.

If you can find where the antenna is, you can cover it with some metal tape to kill the signal. Or wrap the whole thing on a metal cage or foil, basically put the thing in a faraday cage.
I have a feeling they'd put the antenna in the front panel though, so that solution may not be super aesthethic if that's the case.

buy a used washer without wifi

Maybe connect it to WiFi, but instantly block Internet Access? Maybe it even has useful local networking features? (OK, most likely not)
- Buy the cheapest Wi-Fi AP, leave the AP networkless.

Do not do this. You could break the device and it will hurt the value of the device either way. Do not spend extra just to effectively damage the device
- If you're careful and just disconnect the antenna properly such that you can plug it back in it should be okay.
  
  You you could get a device that you don't need to do this to. They are becoming rare but not impossible to find. Get the dumb machine that is mostly mechanical

89 comments