The basic argument here is why do we need to go through their cloud to print our files, when this could very easily be done through our own secured LAN. Plenty of users have voiced their discontentment with having to print through their cloud, many pointing out cloud security concerns, among other things…yet Bambu continues to push its own agenda, instead of allowing users to choose which path serves them best: cloud or LAN.
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Users will still be able to do this. Where does this misunderstanding that Bambu Connect has to be connected to the cloud come from? It’s not. It’s simply a secure bridge between your computer and your printer.
I feel much safer while taking my shoes off at the air port. Don’t you.
Does your average “creative consumer” want more and more MakerWorld stuff advertised at them, more and more upsells? Or do they also just want to get done the thing they want to get done and be left alone?
Because they’re changing the terms on people who have already bought from them.
This should be obvious: Bambu will not in perpetuity allow you to run a legacy build that talks to their control plane. The goal is and has to be to force upgrades.
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So, I work in the connected-devices API space, which means I do know a little bit about system security of devices like this and how engaging with a cloud backplane works. I am not a reverse-engineering specialist, but I know a number of people who are.
With that in mind, would you mind telling me what makes Bambu Connect more secure than any other binary running on a client device? Like, be specific?
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This totally sucks.
Bambu, pla listen to your clear shoutout from the users: ensure 3rd party apps can be fully functional!!!¡
I’m sorry if you’re having issues as such. I’m not sure what to tell you. I use Makerworld a lot. I design a lot. I 3d print a lot. I’ve felt the experience getting easier and nicer for me, personally. Across the broad.
My dad really enjoys his 3d printer too, and he’s never made complaints like this. Every once in awhile he tells me how much easier it is, and all this and that, compared to the Vyper he had before his Bambu. He mostly prints stuff he designs himself, and has never indicated annoyance towards Bambu as if there was something standing in his way.
He’s a pretty happy guy. Was an engineer most of his career. He designs a variety of things, from practical prints, to toys for himself and his grandson (my nephew).
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Sure, with enough time and people everything is hackable… I have no knowledge to how secure it is but it can’t be any less secure than it currently is as currently there is no security. I’d rather security be implemented before there is a problem… then after.
We were all warned this was coming a year ago. It shouldn’t really be any suprise.
I didn’t said anything about Connect, but about the new firmware. And it definitely affects, among other functionalities, the LAN, as well as the connection to Bambu’s cloud.
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That’s not true. But also, an analogy if you will.
Is your house safe right now? Surely, someone could just break the lock and come in? So, to be extra safe we need to install four extra gates that take different keys outside. We also need to install a few giant steel doors and board up all windows and other ways into the house. For you to get in it might take you an extra 15 minutes each time BUT don’t worry, it’s all to make sure you’re super safe now.
They’re “adding security” (maybe) but at a big cost to usability and flexibility. I’ll sit by and wait for your first post in a year when you can’t even use your printer because their site is down…
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If you read further down in that same article.
Why does it need to be enabled in LAN mode as well?
One of the key points of this security upgrade lies in the improvement of the network security capabilities on the printer side. The printer’s LAN mode is a working mode we defined in which the printer does not connect to the cloud service, and usually only the client software in the same local area network can access the printer. However, please note that even when the printer is in LAN mode, the network environment in which the printer is located may still be connected to the public network, and other malicious software may still be able to remotely access the printer. In addition, other networked devices or software in the local area network may not be secure, such as Trojan horse software or other backdoor software, which may run on computers or handheld devices, or may also run in embedded devices.
In the above two cases, the printer may still be attacked from the outside, or even remotely. 3D printers have complex moving parts and heating elements that pose a high risk if unauthorized people with ill intentions gain access to them. The results of such unauthorized access can be severe and we take safety very seriously. To avoid the printer being in an unknown situation, we uniformly manage the authorization and control of all accesses to avoid potential risks.
What exactly is the big cost in usability and flexibility? Bambu Studio will work the same. Orca won’t currently have full function to control but this isn’t something that will always be going forward.
Does this mean I won’t be able to use Orca Slicer in the future?
Bambu Connect enables integration with third-party software, such as Orca Slicer by using the file transfer method shared in the wiki. Before announcing this change publicly, we shared it with the lead Orca Slicer developer to ensure alignment and collaboration. Moving forward, we remain committed to working closely with them and other partners to facilitate the integration of Connect software, creating a smooth and hassle-free experience for all users. We previously highlighted these upcoming changes in an earlier blog post, where we clarified that we cannot guarantee long-term support for aftermarket software or hardware that interacts with the printer or its heating elements.
Our team is actively working on submitting the integration code for Bambu Connect. Once submitted, it will be up to Orca to decide when and if to incorporate it into the slicer, enhancing the user experience. We anticipate the code will be available on GitHub within the next few days, ready for integration into the Orca codebase.
You are welcome to wait but nothing in this update will stop you from using your printer “if their site is down”.
well after reading a bit about this, i can say that while i kind of understand why some people are upset about this, where they have setup workflows (let’s face it, based out of the network being too open, which can be risky, depending on who you are) and will now need to either adjust or switch to a different setup.
I understand your grievance and your stance to move away to another system, however from a pure consumer point of view - which is the vast majority of bambu users - this change comes with little to no impact. For some users, they only use bambu studio or handy through the cloud anyways, everything will be the same. For others (like myself) that sometimes use orca and lan mode, it just means one step additional step, which is to send from Connect (and this one sounds pretty much how Prusa does it), instead of directly from the slicer. This is a very low effort action for my use case, and one that i’m perfectly fine with as it comes with an increase in network security.
I realise that a lot of you will disagree with my opinion, and that’s fine, but this is my take, and i suspect will be something shared with many users that don’t “tinker” with their bambu machines. We all knew that Bambu was a closed source, closed hardware brand, it’s kind of weird that now everyone is surprised about something that probably is coming even a bit too late, from an ecosystem perspective
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I do have such knowledge, and nothing they’re representing to us at present (and I would bet money, will be apparent when Bambu Connect is cracked open like an egg) will do that. That’s why my hackles are up.
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Yeah it’s garbage. It should just be a “feature” people can turn on.
If not, the thing is a brick. I will sell it and trash talk it to every person and community I know if they don’t change it
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There’s the main flaw in Bambu’s claimed “logic” for pushing and trying to “sell” this ■■■■ to us, and its so called “interest” in “ensuring” my my printer "security ".
If I’m relying on LAN only, ensuring the security of my network is my own problem (if any), not that of Bambu. And second guessing on my network architecture (or anyone’s else’s) doesn’t seem to be a strong point for Bambu, given how poorly manages it’s own cloud security.
may part doesn’t sit well with me (and evidently with others). Furthermore, anyone could update firmware off-line without the need to ever connect to the internet. So, the whole Bambu argument of having our "security " at heart (and not its clear mercantile interests) is moot and untenable.
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Once more for emphasis: how does it do this?
“It’s more secure” would be a more credible position to hold if Bambu Connect wasn’t going to run on a client device. It is. The exact behavior Bambu Connect does cannot be practically hidden from you when it has to run on your own Windows or Mac computers. There’s no delta between doing this in Bambu Connect and doing it in Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer.
Most people use this phrase wrong, but I mean it specifically: Bambu’s claims are literally begging the question.
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If it wasn’t running inside your network through a client software, than you’d need cloud and couldn’t use pure LAN, so I don’t understand your argument
I’m not a network engineer, so I won’t pretend to know how it works, for me it looks like it acts as sort of turning your computer into a hardware authenticator, which for me it’s perfectly fine
If you can’t secure you’re own machine, that’s pretty much on you
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Yeah, this isn’t like the most ideal, but it sounds like mostly a non-issue. If orca can send the gcode directly to the bambu connect, then it sounds like not that much of an encumbrance.
I like to consolidate the applications I use, and keep my pipeline tidy, but that level of extra step is pretty easy to deal with and isn’t out of line with some of the other tools I use throughout my life; not just in the realm of 3d printing.
These guys would hate the hoops we have to jump through when connecting into our work computers and client systems where I work. It’s a mess and a half, and that’s on a good day. The Bambu experience is exceptionally smooth in comparison.
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i’ve been printing in LAN mode since day one , and that is not going to change
The following printer operations will require authorization controls:
- Initiating a print job (via LAN or cloud mode).*
So i will not update ever, i will rather sell my printer.
I should have gone for the Prusa mk4. Now i regret buying this thing.
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