I have the x1-carbon and a1. They have LAN mode, which means they can connect to the BambuStudio software without connecting to the internet. All they need is to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the PC running BambuStudio.
I went to the devices tab in BambuStudio, and it says “please install the network plug-in before log in.”. Does this mean I absolutely need to install this “network plug-in” to connect to my printers locally? Also does the “network plug-in to log in.” mean that I need to sign into my BambuLab account on the BambuStudio software to use the printers?
I’m not able to install this network plug-in because the IT team managing my computer says it may be a “security risk” since they don’t want anything getting into the network because a lot of sensitive stuff is accessible through it. Does this mean I can’t print to my printers without using the micro-sd card?
Yes
No
They are bullshiting you
No Bambu Studio’s plugin doesn’t need extra permission to install.
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Hi Lucas,
Yes, unfortunately (and unnecessarily).
Also does the “network plug-in to log in.” mean that I need to sign into my BambuLab account on the BambuStudio software to use the printers?
A login is not required if not using any cloud features. Note that Studio itself has “sync to cloud” option which can be disabled (this syncs all your custom profiles between Studio installs and filament profiles with the printer, or is supposed to).
the IT team managing my computer says it may be a “security risk”
They’re not wrong to be cautious since the plugin is completely opaque and encrypts its traffic. The best you/they could do would be to firewall the Studio application on your PC so that it cannot communicate with anything outside the local network, or maybe even can only talk to the the printer specifically. Another option may be to set up a virtual LAN between your PC and the printer.
Does this mean I can’t print to my printers without using the micro-sd card?
W/out the above workarounds, yes, that’s correct.
Cheers,
-Max
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This hotelonley person says your IT is bullshitting you about this being a security risk. I can assure you it is definitely a security risk.
Code is loaded from bambu CDN servers upon starting studio. Shady already. Next, the printer we have at work immediatelly started scanning all ports on the network it was connected to. Super shady, got a MAC address blacklist immediatelly.
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In theory, you could also try copying the plugin manually into your directory first and see what happens:
- If it still fails, you can try manually installing the network plugin
Of course, it could still be blocked, but who knows what your IT team has actually set up. I’m guessing it’s being blocked, but I’ve also seen plenty of times in companies that IT people just don’t have a clue.
If you don’t feel like running to the printer all the time, you could just get yourself a kabel and card like this: WiFi SD Card. It just depends on the WiFi range, but you won’t be using the company’s WiFi - you’ll have to use WiFi directly from your PC.
