Samsung forum: Smarthub issues

I have been currently working in the A/V industry for a home automation company for the last 5 years. In the last couple of years we have installed hundreds of these smart devices, Samsung, LG, Sony, etc.

Prior to that I have been in the computer industry for 20 years, building and fixing, computers creating wired & wireless networks, etc.

I understand these appliances have limited computing power, ram, etc, and understand the limitations therein, however, my point is that if a product is designed to offer certain options and features, and being sold and presented that way, the company is setting consumers expectations.

Average consumers don't know anything about their network, routers, and the like. The small percentage of people that do know, may have locked down their router, forgot about it and they are the ones that need to address issues mentioned above, but that is a very small percentage of people.

A 50 year old man who buys a Blu-Ray for streaming apps, expects it to work as advertised without the troubles most people have been experiencing. Yes albeit, slower than a computer, but it should work!! He should not need to worry or be concerned with firewalls, DMZ, etc.

I don't believe in this instance the product is the problem, it is the back end infrastructure supporting it.

These are Internet appliances. If you purchase a Internet radio, you put it on your network and it typically just works... As should the Blu-Ray devices, or TV's or what have you. If a person is required to manipulate their firewall in their router, than then product is flawed in it's design, plain and simple. The communication through the router should not be treated any differently than any other network device.

Neil

Keep in mind that routers did not have firewall settings just a few years ago. So the products may have been fine then and for many features even on Windows to Windows we have seen the router settings to change.

-> Since we need to change router settings for Windows, your requirement seems to tell me the industry failed this round.

I too have wondered if it was a good idea to use TCP/IP. Requiring folk to learn that means they can't be just a consumer anymore.
Bob

Read page 43 of
http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/DGN2200/DGN2200_UM_3Feb11.pdf

By default this router blocks communication from the WiFi to the LAN.

I would be guessing that you want all WiFi products that need a connection to the LAN be removed from the market. But I'm guessing what you are thinking.

Tell me what you think consumers should do when a router blocks such communication.
Bob

Hi ndeangelis,

I've read your posts, and I understand your complaints. I know some of what goes behind the scene, and I obviously can't tell you everything I know, but I can say that many of your complaints are being addressed.

I would like to discuss one thing that you complained about: the troubleshooting process that we put customers through is to eliminate possibilities. Yes, we have them turn off firewalls or turn off encryption on their wireless access point, but these steps aren't meant to be a solution; they're meant to eliminate variables in the problem. We recommend turning those things back on when done, albeit sometimes with a modification.

HD Tech

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