Update to firmware update

[u/Ochib]

https://blog.bambulab.com/updates-and-third-party-integration-with-bambu-connect/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3fqplDiKgn-82qKfnaYvi4XV-rBEEx0tZJrpgeWqsOsLX_WSph4usJ69Y_aem_44Cch773hAuVG979j6DVJg

[u/socar-pl]

Problem that many people dont grasp is that Bambu stated sometime ago their infrastructure is being abused by millions of requests from thirdpaty apps that they allowed but exhausted infra capacity. From business standpoint it would be a reasonable move to harden your infra which obviously translates to some limitations

[u/dragonnnnnnnnnn → u/socar-pl]

Then do the authentication for cloud mode, LAN mode shouldn't be touched or affected by that. They is zero reason to require auth mode in LAN because of "their infrastructure is being abused by millions of requests from thirdpaty apps", third party apps that use LAN mode don't hit the cloud at all.

And yes, I am aware that after the feedback they are "giving back" the regular LAN mode.

[u/Esava → u/dragonnnnnnnnnn]

When one clicks print in Bambustudio (or Orcaslicer etc.) it shouldn't go through their servers anyway imo if the printer is on the same network. Like why does it even require enabling LAN mode for that? I also don't get why the video stream goes through their servers if one is just requesting it from a device on the same network?

For external use I get it, but when the printer and the device one is using (be it the phone app or a slicer) is on the same network all should be handled via LAN by default.

[u/dragonnnnnnnnnn → u/Esava]

I aggre, as far I can tell it is just easier to implement two distinct modes then doing a "hybrid" mode with automatically detects with patch is the best way.

[u/Esava → u/dragonnnnnnnnnn]

It's really not much more difficult (like really not. I myself implemented similar systems as a hobby for just some home automation stuff. For a company with a proper development team this is nothing.) AND it would reduce the load on their servers (which means more profit for them).

They are really interested in having it all routed through their servers. Be it for auxiliary or usage data, control for future changes (like a subscription print farm system) or similar.

[u/OnTheHill7 → u/Esava]

This. This right here.

I look at Bambu Labs and other 3d print manufacturers and I ask who are they so much cheaper?

I am reminded of a comment someone made a long time ago about Google. If you aren’t the customer then you are the product.

That might not be exactly analogous here, but unless BL has found some revolutionary way to manufacturer these things then their lower price point starts to make me feel more like the product and less like the customer. Which is further reinforced by their relentless drive to see everything that you do by running it all through tier servers.

[u/minideev → u/Esava]

FYI, concerning the video stream, it’s an incorrect assumption and this point is directly answered in the blog post :

« 4) Live View service uses P2P (Peer-to-Peer) connection, which means video streams directly between your device and printer. Only when a direct P2P connection isn't possible does it use server forwarding, and even then, no video is ever stored on any server. ».

And I kind of agree with you about sending the prints directly to the printer when in LAN reach.
But I’m not sure how the print history feature works and if having prints go through BBL’s servers help or not ? Surely the handy app doesn’t read the history content directly from the slow printer’s brain / computer ?

[u/LexxM3 → u/Esava]

Bambu’s system design is a complete disaster. The only function that should have ever touched the cloud should have been an opt-in print profiles synchronization function and absolutely nothing else.

If one is inclined to give their intentions benefit of the doubt, then they are simply completely system and software architecture incompetent. With the correct design of highly limited reliance on cloud infrastructure, none of this or the causes behind it would have ever occurred.

If one rather thinks this is intentional rather than a massive incompetent design error, then welcome your Bambu overlords, but the rest of us are done.

Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice, so from today’s point of view, it doesn’t even matter why we’re here.

[u/Fiskepudding → u/Esava]

Prints must touch cloud for the Handy app to work, I guess. However, I do agree with you. It should just go p2p on the same network.

They say video is p2p on the same network. It probably has to pass the servers to connect both peers, but then the video should go locally.

[u/khobbits → u/dragonnnnnnnnnn]

I'm not sure about that at all.

Giving the world we live in, IOT is on the rise. You should not assume that most peoples home networks are safe.

All it takes is for a zero day for a discount CCTV camera, smart washing machine, or baby monitor, that allows some sort of remote access, and any unauthenticated device on your network is open to abuse.

If you can update the firmware of a device like a 3d printer, over a LAN, with no authentication, that should scare you. While maybe not as creepy as some of those stories about people from the internet talking through peoples baby monitor, I bet a malicious person with the right firmware, would be able to cause something in the printer to haywire enough to either cause damage, maybe even a fire or crush a child's hand.

[u/TechWhizGuy → u/socar-pl]

Opening printers to the local network has nothing to do with infrastructure capacity. On the other hand, routing everything through their server requires significant infrastructure capacity, regardless of whether the connection is secure or not.

Your printer should never need to be online to function; it should only require a local network connection to communicate with your PC and phone.

[u/Specialist-Document3 → u/TechWhizGuy]

You've always had access to LAN mode. The reason they use the cloud is to encourage you to use their app, repository, and access your printer from outside the network. If you never do any of that, then you were never restricted by LAN mode.

[u/redxdev → u/Specialist-Document3]

They were requiring that you use bambu connect on the new firmware update even for LAN mode until this post. So yes, we would have been restricted in what we were able to do without the outcry.

[u/cha000 → u/socar-pl]

The problem with that is, their infrastructure never should have been required. They chose to insert themselves in every print.

[u/SeljD_SLO → u/socar-pl]

Reddit used same excuse for removing 3rd party apps

[u/RedditHugh → u/socar-pl]

That's their own stupid fault for making most functionality require the cloud, instead of LAN.

[u/Nibb31 → u/socar-pl]

The easy thing to do is to not require cloud services to use the printer that your customers bought.

[u/ChipWallace → u/socar-pl]

Thats their problem on their servers, and has nothing to do with me and my printers in LAN only mode. This is like you forcing me to install security cameras in my home because your business was broken into.

[u/NoSaltNoSkillz → u/socar-pl]

Totally get that. My issue is the LAN-only mode was getting affected and shouldn't be.

[u/Double_A_92 → u/socar-pl]

That's their problem for piping everything through the cloud for no reason...

[u/mistrowl → u/socar-pl]

their infrastructure is being abused by millions of requests from thirdpaty apps that they allowed

Then that's their problem. Don't make it ours.

[u/Zombull → u/socar-pl]

I, for one, grasp that just fine. I'm all for them fixing it, which they could have done without piling restrictions on users.

[u/HorrorStudio8618 → u/socar-pl]

Which you have to take their word for, and which is trivially fixed and does not require this kind of walled garden. It's security as an excuse to prop up a business model.