For work we has some proprietary designs that we print. How do you print 100% offline to maintain company trademark items?
Bambu official answer: Use the SD card or LAN only mode.
The common sense answer: Dont print with a Bambu printer at all.
removed due to inaccuracy, see replies below
There is no guarantee that during updates bambu doesnt have access to your past prints. At least thats the way I understand it. Those who have a better understanding of data security and code can confirm or correct me.
This is the sad reality of Bambu machines. If you print anything that needs to stay a secret, the best option is to buy something else.
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This printer needs to be connected to the cloud for printer start up [.,.]
No, it doesn’t. You can start it up and run the setup without Internet.
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If you can not connect the printer to the companies WLAN, which understandable, you can still use the WLAN of your smartphone, i.e. hot spot function of the smartphone. I would use that for the occasional update. Otherwise use the SD Card for offline printing.
Really?? I thought the first step after turning on the printer for the first time was to pair it to a Bambu account? Thats the first step I remember when setting up my printer… but maybe there is a way to bypass it I missed.
During the initial setup you can go into the interface and change to a local LAN. Most beginners wouldn’t know about that. You can also switch to a local LAN setup at any time. Applies to all Bambu models.
There’s even a youtube video on taking your printer offline after the setup…
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Looks like the “lan only” mode for offline printing from PC app is only available for X1. I’m on P1S with latest firmware and yes you can connect using bind code in lan only mode, but the wlan you are on must have internet access. The printer is still using cloud to connect. As soon as I disable the wlan from internet access the connection to my printer drops. I’m curious if this is the same on X1?
Yes, if you carry an sdcard to and from the printer, you are correct. Waiting for someone to release a hack since my conversations with bambu support seem to be going in circles on this. “You can have your secure, private printing when you pry it from our cold dead hands”
As a new user who took advantage of the recent anniversary sale, this is disappointing. The printer is great and works out the box as advertised but the connectivity requirements are unpalatable.
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Yes, I feel your pain. Capitalism in china is interesting. CCP is willing to look the other way only if it benefits them in some way. The amount of intellectual property flowing through their hands from these “cloud” apps is staggering. Working for a global company in IT with a presence in china we spent a ton of energy and resources trying to secure the companies product only to find knockoffs being sold later in china. This is their way of life, and getting the cool features of these printers comes with a price. Still walking my sdcard back a forth on it, and wishing I had just bought the prusa I wanted.
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I think I would look into your setup as there are many people on the forum who print completely offline via LAN mode in both the X and P series printers.
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You are correct. Except one thing, they think Lan only mode is not connecting to the internet or cloud, but it is. Steps to reproduce my issue: setup up Lan without internet access. Join printer to network using the sdcard method offered by Bambu. Connect laptop or pc to this isolated network. Now how does the software connect to printer? Bind with pin code only. If you try to get this pin code on the PS1 you need to account setting on panel. The account settings have no ability to generate pin code in this isolated state Lan only or not there is no pin code generation. I do see under wifi settings a random code called “access code” but it is an 8 digit code as apposed to the 6 digit pin code and after multiple attempts I am unable to connect using partial digits of this code in any order. The pin code is generated under the “Account” section on panel and is disabled completely when isolated from internet. I’m going to try connecting the printer in LAN only mode with wifi network open to internet and do a packet capture on the gateway to confirm my statement that lan only is still connecting to internet, and will post my results her later. My guess is that its connecting to servers somewhere in China, or a a cloud host here in USA that is still affiliated with China. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Chinese people, just the business practices they are forced to work under are not so great.
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" The firmware version for P1 series printers starts from version 01.06.00.00, while the firmware version for A1 series printer starts from version 01.03.00.00. These versions now support PIN code binding of printers in Bambu Studio. This means that there is no longer a requirement for the printer and Bambu Studio to be connected to the same local network during the binding process. Please note that future firmware updates will also enable the X1 series to support this functionality."
Thank you for posting this. It further proves my point. I’m on the latest firmware. I connected printer to the internet to update it as that is required. Key words in this statement “…connected to same network…” further proves this is still connecting to internet otherwise how would it traverse 2 networks? If they said, “no longer required internet access” that would be different. If you have 2 separate subnets you would need to control the network and have routing set up for these two networks to see each other. Also, you would need some common gateway for the 2 networks. The cloud connection is still required. I am willing to accept that maybe my firmware is malfunctioning in some way that times out when generating the PIN, but it would not explain the fact that a bambu printer on a separate network is still accessible from bambu studio on a completely separate network. Thanks again.
If you have a router that has a 2.4 and a guest 2.4 you have 2 networks. You also have two networks if you have a 5ghz that’s has another SSID. I’m sorry but I don’t read that as you do.
I am currently on my homes 5ghz that has a completly different SSID than the 2.4 the printer is on and I am communicating with it easily. I think you’re taking it too literally. When setup (online or LAN) you do have to be on that same SSID. Afterwards you can use a different if using the cloud. I’m not sure that holds (should) on LAN mode.
I’m not trying to argue with you, just point out where I think you’re a little off.
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Thanks for the reply, no worries I never felt you were arguing and even if you were thats fine too. I love healthy debate. Let me clarify a little. First your 2.4G and 5G networks are most likely using the same DHCP and therefore have same subnet (example: 192.168.1.0/24 or something simular, anything in the 192.168 range is set aside as private IP subnets by protocal standards). Your separate guest network will have another subnet with a seperate DHCP server giving an IP in the 192.168 range. These are essentially two seperate subnets with a common gateway (your router). It is possible, if the router has feature to do so, to allow these two subnets to see each other. Putting a static route on gateway will achieve this. So without adding this static route on your gateway as default we now have: 2 seperate networks, first is the 2.4/5G 192.168.1.0/24 and second is (for example) 192.168.2.0/24. If your printer is on the guest network and there is no route to main network they will not see each other(note: some routers may automatically add the route for two networks to communicate, but this is rare and unlikely). At this point, how does your bambu studio on main network connect to your printer on guest network? The only possible path would be for bambu studio to go out to cloud where the directive or info for current printer associated to your cloud account would then point it back through the internet through you common gateway(router) to the printer on your guest network. Essentially the bambu cloud is doing the routing. If you were to modify your guest network with firewll rule that blocks its internet connection, and therefore isolates it from the cloud 99.9 percent chance your printer goes offline on bambu studio. I give .1 percent chance as I’m always afraid of absolute staements.
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I’m giving up. I think you’re overthinking this and being a bit too literal.
While I am aware of what you’re saying, it’s not what Bambu means when it says “same network”. They simply mean SSID as that is exactly what laymen would think when they see that.
You have to approach the tech as a person who isn’t into tech beyond the consumer level.
So during setup you must be on the same SSID or “network”. LAN may require the same, I haven’t used it but to try it out. I’d give it a go if I weren’t in the middle of a big project.
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I print via an SD card on my X1C. I doubt China is worried about stealing Joe bobs flexy dragon remix anyway.
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Thanks John, I appreciate your input. The whole point of my comments were that bambu printers cool features/software connectivity are not available without internet access. From your comments I can see you are connected to the internet. I’m not trying to be condescending as we all have different specialties and few people know a lot about a lot, more know a lot about a little. In this case I do this for a living. As a systems engineer I design and implement enterprise solutions in the IT realm. As a hobby I tinker in IOT and embedded systems. I know the chip bambu is using is most likely the ESP32 or the like and the ESP8266 does not have the larger memory and functionality. I’ve written the code for these and could write the code to provide internet only binding to bambu printers. What I can’t write is the code controlling the printer itself or I would have already hacked it and released it to all. On the networking and systems side I am an independent consultant designing solutions from the ground up. So networking is not difficult for me to understand. An SSID or service set identifier is the identifier for the wifi network which is bridged to the LAN on the router. I am being literal for a reason. When explaining something I believe details and terminology are critical for understand what I am explaining. I get it, the majority of people don’t care. Most do not need to protect intellectual property. Just clarifying my comments so you understand the setup of this device does not elude me. The facts are: Bambu printer require cloud to print directly from bambu studio unless you just carry the sdcard to the printer. I think this should be clear on their website before we purchase it. Ok, im done to. thanks again John
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That is simply not true. Please stop spreading false information.