[dividuum]

Can't confirm this myself, but in previous threads about similar topics, people noted that some of those "smart" devices probe every open WiFi they find and use that without your explicit consent. So it's not always possible to disconnect them.

[Silhouette]

people noted that some of those "smart" devices probe every open WiFi they find

Given that this would potentially expose them to criminal liability under unauthorised access laws in various places, I have always been sceptical of this claim, and I have yet to see any convincing evidence that it actually happens. Does anyone know definitively that it does?

[coryrc]

Solder the antenna to ground on the wifi module. It's what I'll be doing on my next TV.

[zo1]

The antenna will probably be inside the TV case and very difficult for the "average" user to try. They'd be too-scared to do so. Heck, I'd wager that a good chunk of electrical-minded individuals, even trained ones, would be scared of doing anything to their expensive device that requires them to open it.

[coryrc]

Oh, it surely is. I'm lucky enough to be one of those trained people who can and does do such things (one reason my technology (laptops, TVs, etc) is old is because I continue to repair old stuff instead of getting new shiny).

[reilly3000]

Or you could just block the TV’s MAC address on your router.

[choward]

How does that solve anything? Your WiFi should already be password protected anyway. It's other people's routers with open networks you need to worry about.

[lostgame]

I don’t see an awful lot of open networks anymore... :/

[allannienhuis]

they'll just connect to your neighbour's router, or their car, or their phone...

[kstrauser]

That’s a legit concern. If Samsung made a deal with, say, Comcast to connect to the ever-present “xfinitywifi” SSID, then it wouldn’t matter if you’re blocking the sly TV from your own network.

[Nextgrid]

That's a very valid concern, especially since most consumer-grade ISPs are in bed with the media industry and would be very interested in the tracking data from these TVs.

[nisse72]

Nothing prevents you from presenting that same SSID as a honeypot.

[RandomBacon]

Only if ripping out the wifi module isn't feasible first.

[coryrc]

I could see firmware failing to boot or crashing if an assumed device is missing.

[dawnerd]

Correct thing is to "connect" them to the internet but blackhole them so they cant actually talk to anything. It's what I've done and so far it's blocked a lot.

[JMTQp8lwXL]

With the exception of coffee shops and big box retailers, there aren't many unsecured networks left in even dense residential areas, so I'm unsure of how much impact this has.