First thing I do when I get a smart appliance is scan it with nmap. This has revealed some interesting Easter eggs, like my Davis instruments air quality sensors having a local REST API.

Doing the usual scan against my GE washer and dryer shows that port 53 is listening. What could that be for? Is there a way I can at least query their status locally or something?

When I got the washer and dryer I was excited about the smart home features because getting an alert when my laundry is done or starting the washer remotely so the clothes are done when I get home are genuinely useful features. However, last time I checked the app none of that was available, so I just have these Trojan horses in my home spying on me with no benefit in exchange. Their app wanted my freaking mailing address when I signed up for their mandatory account, so the features mentioned above are the least they could offer in exchange for my digital soul. But I digress.

My fridge is in a similar situation. It commits the additional cardinal sin of ONLY being controllable via the app, with no on-board temp or filter status indicators whatsoever.

  • KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    3·
    6 hours ago

    The only issue I see is that getting most sensors to work in the fridge/freezer is difficult for 2 reasons, the cold fucks with the batteries and the metal body of the fridge fucks with the signal.

    • sramder@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      5 hours ago

      I just used zigbee and put a repeater right next to the fridge. The big ass coin cells in the sonoff temp sensors are lasting around 6 months. Would probably be longer but I have the sensor with a screen in there.

      Obviously YMMV if you have a SubZero or something, but in my jankey LG it works fine.

        • southernbrewer@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          4 hours ago

          Yep my beer fridge is exactly this :)

          Home brewers just set the fridge thermostat as cold as it goes and set the temp externally by turning the power off when it’s cold enough.

          Not sure i’d drill a hole into my nice-looking kitchen fridge though. Probably rather than connect it to WiFi, but… I don’t currently see a need to connect it to wifi anyway?

      • KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        6 hours ago

        It is a legit strategy.

        Or just use thin enamelled copper wire connected to the sensor and tape it down where the door closes, no drilling required.

        • Aussiemandeus@aussie.zoneEnglish
          2·
          6 hours ago

          Yeah I’ve got a multimeter that could do it, but you would need to be careful drilling through to not hit any of the cooling jackets