Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration

Re:Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration by zakki on Sunday September 20, 2020 @02:06AM (#24532196)

Why no backlash for iOS and Android? We have to register to use the devices.

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Re:Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration by unnameduser1 on Sunday September 20, 2020 @02:14AM (#24532239)

You dont have to register for ios and android. For sure not with you real data. Anonymous email suffices. And you do get services by both platforms for free included in your purchase. Push notifications, automatic updates, free messaging and not to speak about tons of free apps to use.

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Re:Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration by m463 on Sunday September 20, 2020 @06:19AM (#24533087)

I believe you no longer have to register your ios device - but it is a dark pattern. On the screen to enter your apple id, you don't have a "skip" choice, you have to say "don't have one" and I believe then you can skip setting up an apple id.

You can use it like a phone at that point - you can send text messages and make calls, but I don't believe you can install any apps.

That said - you must go online - turn on cellular data or wifi before you can use the phone, it must be "activated". And apple phones home a lot.

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Re:Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration by Silhouette on Sunday September 20, 2020 @07:09AM (#24533264)

And apple phones home a lot.

I see this sort of claim often, but reliable information about the specifics is hard to come by. Can you share any?

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Re:Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration by m463 on Monday September 21, 2020 @12:35AM (#24539837)

On a mac run little snitch. On a current ios iphone, I'm uncertain but i run an older version of ios with adblockios.

It contacts a whole slew of apple and 3rd party sites. the main one is that it contacts *.ls.apple.com all the time (location services) even with location services turned off. lots of other apple sites. third party is akamai all the time, but also sites like phicdn.net and att.net (I have an at&t iphone). I do not have any at&t app installed.

on macos catalina, you can (currently still) run little snitch and all kinds of services start contacting apple. and new ones have shown up like touristd and rapportd. Every time you try to pull up a help page. Every account you configure, apple based or not. sigh.

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Re:Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration by Silhouette on Tuesday September 22, 2020 @03:04AM (#24551742)

I wonder whether the ls.apple.com servers are connected with security features like "Find my iPhone". But then, I'm not sure exactly what Find my iPhone does if it's turned on but location services are disabled.

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Re:Netgear Firmware Requires Online Registration by Rebelgecko on Sunday September 20, 2020 @02:16AM (#24532247)

I don't think that is correct. What sort of registration are you thinking of?

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