By @edent · gadget IoT isp virgin wifi · 1 comment · 1,050 words · read ~10,454 times.
Virgin Media have provided me with a test unit of their new Intelligent WiFi pods to review. They're useful, but come with some annoying limitations. If you have a big home, put a pod in every room and you'll have fast WiFi broadcast everywhere. Well, that's the theory. Limitations The big limitation is that both […]
Continue reading →By @edent · internet IoT Smart Home wifi · 4 comments · 300 words · read ~394 times.
Five years ago, I wrote that I had 30 connected devices at home. How has that changed over the last half-decade? Some of my devices have consolidated. My Eufy security cameras have a hub - so despite having more cameras, They're using fewer IP addresses. Similarly, I've replaced most of my LIFX bulbs with Zigbee […]
Continue reading →By @edent · linux virgin wifi · 1 comment · 400 words · read ~857 times.
If you have Virgin Media's cable service, you may have been forcibly opted-in to their WiFi Hotspot Sharing service. This allows anyone with a Virgin Media account to connect to your WiFi! Virgin have been moderately sensible with their design of this - users get a separate IP address, so their activity cannot be commingled […]
Continue reading →By @edent · virgin wifi · 150 words · read ~860 times.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the WiFi router supplied by your ISP is crap. It will be slow, buggy, and have an atrocious user interface. This is especially true of Virgin Media. The Arris manufactured router is so bad that they've released a supplemental app to help you manage your Internet connection. The […]
Continue reading →By @edent · data privacy wifi · 6 comments · 300 words · read ~285 times.
Another day, another data breach. The email addresses and travel details of about 10,000 people who used free wi-fi at UK railway stations have been exposed online. The database, found online by a security researcher, contained 146 million records, including personal contact details and dates of birth. It was not password protected. BBC News There's […]
Continue reading →By @edent · alexa hacks IoT power review sonoff sponsored wifi · 3 comments · 550 words · read ~7,245 times.
I've been sent a couple of Sonoff smarthome gadgets. You can read my review of the S20 WiFi plug socket and the POW in line power controller. Here's a video of me controlling them from my Amazon Alexa: The latency seems a little slow - hard to tell if that's Amazon only relying on US […]
Continue reading →By @edent · IoT power sponsored wifi · 2 comments · 550 words · read ~5,980 times.
The good folks at Sonoff have sent me a bunch of kit to review. See my previous review of the S20 WiFi plug. This is the Sonoff Pow - a WiFi enabled in-line power switch. Set Up Wiring up the Pow is relatively easy. The cover to the terminal block is secured with a simple […]
Continue reading →By @edent · IoT review sponsored wifi · 3 comments · 650 words · read ~6,435 times.
The good folks at Sonoff have sent me a bunch of kit to review. First up, the S20 WiFi Plug - an easy way to retrofit IoT smarts to your existing appliances. This fills the same niche as the Belkin WeMo but with one crucial difference - it's about half the price. Direct from Sonoff […]
Continue reading →By @edent · security virgin wifi · 27 comments · 650 words · read ~16,009 times.
Virgin Media are trying to resell your internet access. Worse still, they appear to be doing it without users' permission. A brief recap: Back in 2015, Virgin Media announced plans for a WiFi sharing network. A user's router would broadcast a separate WiFi network and other Virgin customers could roam on to it via an […]
Continue reading →By @edent · IoT nest wifi · 2 comments · 250 words · read ~362 times.
I never tire of telling people how bad my Nest Protect smoke alarm is. It is a buggy box which requires magic batteries and doesn't support some of its advertised features. Still, I've drilled it on to my ceiling now, so have to put up with it. This morning, I glanced bleary-eyed at my phone. […]
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