The inadequacy of Bambu Lab’s response so far is well summarized here:
Jeff Geerling: I probably won’t buy another Bambu Lab printer
5 Likes
If “security” was really the reason for BL to make drastic changes to how people are using their BL printers, one would think that BL would promote the use of LAN only modes. Nothing more secure than a device not connected to the internet/cloud at all. I’ve got one BL printer and even when it prints well, I’ve never liked the way it operates using the cloud. For prototyping I’m still using other printers away from any cloud.
I do hope you’re not going to try to update my printer without my consent. I also hope you read up on EU consumer protection laws. As soon as I lose important functionality that I had when I bought the printer, I will demand the local dealer to take it back for a full refund and take it to court, if necessary. I’m sure there are enough EU customers here to make it a class action one. Might take years, but will hurt BL in the process, just as they are hurting their customers.
11 Likes
I’m still in shock after this change in direction and the dishonest communication. Can’t believe they are still doubling down on calling their attempts at locking down the whole ecosystem a “security update”, even after being called out by so many people.
16 Likes
I wish I could say nice try! It’s actually a very sad try! but thank you!!! I was planning to order a new printer you saved me with showing where this company is going.
Which genius came with this idea (security update)? we expose you to the online traffic and then tell you that we will lock your hardware for your own good!!
7 Likes
Making us use a third party app is unacceptable.
And the security on your new third party app was broken on day one by hackers.
Stop trying to pull some proprietary b******* and put an open API that everybody can use on the printer.
Nobody believes you’re not attempting vendor lock in, no matter how furiously I swear up and down otherwise we know it’s just PR.
10 Likes
Thank you for this, it is exactly the sort of feedback Bambu needs during the Beta phase, on how to improve things.
Hopefully more people use the Beta firmware/software to understand firsthand what is actually happening/changing, and help them improve things rather than just complain based on wrong information or assumptions as that is not helping anyone.
It is good that the developer mode is being added (or was it always there/planned but not mentioned?) to basically keep the current behaviour. That obviously needs to be fully tested also to ensure that does allow current workflows to continue.
I purchase my X1C less than a month ago and IMMEDIATELY set it to LAN-only mode strictly for security purposes. Now I’m finding out this isn’t truly LAN-only; it’s a hybrid of sorts that still allows the printer to reach the web in its own. If I wanted MY PROPERTY to update itself, I’d buy a Windows PC.
Should this “update” with this “new feature” be forced on me, I’ll scrap the $1500 machine and buy a Creality K series printer.
Quit trying to play network police, work on the features people ACTUALLY want and let us be responsible for our networks as well as the devices that live on our networks.
7 Likes
According to Bambu, this is not the case:
So either this is a something that needs fixing as they progress through beta testing if this is not the case or they are misleading people. Until the beta firmware has actually finishing testing phase (and hopefully all the bugs squashed) and formally released, any requirement for internet/access to Bambu servers is a bug that needs fixing, based on their own official statement.
1 Like
Bad choice of words, only the worlds biggest liars have used these words over the last 5 years.
So you’re indirectly saying no warranty replacement parts if we use this mode?
We will reluctantly use the option provided, but please note that we not be able to provide you with any more money…
4 Likes
I was just about to buy a few things from Bambu Store, but until they come out with clear promises I’ll not be doing that, as much as I was looking forward to them. You need to properly sort this issue out, rather than ignoring what the community asks for. I’m not a serious 3d printer, so all I am really looking for is promise of long term support, without subscription fees, or any other limitations that would’ve made me go to another company when buying my first printer.
2 Likes
This clearly shows that it is not about security. I don’t believe that incompetence is an excuse at the level that BambuLab is operating at. They clearly want to be gatekeepers – they say as much at the end of their follow-up: any 3rd party developers are welcome to reach out to their development team to establish a partnership.
It is incredible how poorly developed this application is, and how little attention to security as been given. All under the guise of security, mind you. It only took one or two days to nullify the security of the app.
I was very impressed when I received my first printer late last year, admiring the attention to detail and the level of quality in the hardware. The same cannot be said for their software. BambuStudio has its raft of quicks, bugs, and functional limitations.
All they need to do is expose an OAuth endpoint with registration mechanisms, and any third-party app / hardware (using OAuth in the firmware) can connect securely and efficiently. This is nothing new, as many others have mentioned.
I have been a software developer for almost 35 years, and Bambu Connect reeks of rushed, top-down managerial and marketing requirements. If technological requirements were the driver, then the tech-team would have driven the implementation, and made sure it was done right.
Also, I think we have to recognize that this is a Chinese company, and they operate and behave very differently from western companies, like Japanese companies have a different culture and mindset from western companies. This may require different priorities, absolute deference to management, and of course nothing is done without the oversight of the CCP. There may be many different pressures BambuLab is operating under, political, technical, business/marketing, etc.
I do not like supporting Chinese companies, but BambuLab had so much going for it: quality, ease of use, speed, low barrier to entry. The fact that they don’t appear to understand why “misinformation” is being spread (according to their follow-up post) is further evidence that they are operating under a completely different mindset and culture.
I’m not saying all this with the expectation for them to change, but rather with the expectation for me to act in accordance with my values and priorities, and accepting the consequences for my decisions (having purchased a Bambu printer). I will now wait and see how this all unfolds and take the necessary steps when the time comes. That may be looking for a different printer company, different filament supplier, different replacement parts supplier, what have you – I don’t know just yet.
We all need to act in our own best interest, but to do so requires that we are informed. These posts help with that, as do the responses from other 3rd party vendors who are in danger of getting locked out, and even more so the responses from BambuLab.
I’m cautiously optimistic: hoping for the best, but accepting that I need to plan for the worst case scenario.
5 Likes
Many users are writing that they want BL to revert actions or else they will never ever recommend or buy a printer of theirs again.
I go further. With all this, BL has lost my trust. Even if they do revert their actions it will only be to not completely lose their face, and not because they think it’s the right thing to do. That makes it highly likely that something like this will happen again in the future.
If they want to lock their users down, it will happen eventually, and I don’t have hard evidence that this is the case, but I do got the feeling that it is.
Due to the structure and consensus of the 3D printing community, Bambulab had to see coming that this change would absolutely not be met with praise and the fact that they ignored that and did go for it paints quite of a clear picture to me. The blog post just sounds like damage control in the hopes the community will settle with a middleground solution.
This is speculatory but I think you cound be right. Next time it could be a “a few bugfixes” update to the printer and a few weeks later the hidden “feature” gets activated remotely and everyone who has this update has no choice anymore.
The fact that it’s not possible to downgrade to a previous firmware points to that. I don’t see a reason why they should make that impossible for another reason. “Security” certainly isn’t a good or real reason for that.
1 Like
Where is this officially stated/documented? As you can downgrade firmware via Bambu Handy for other firmware “updates”. Is this firmware update going to be different?
This change reeks of damage control and a half-arsed attempt to fix everything while also somehow trying to convince everyone it’s our fault for misunderstanding everything
The damage is done
The trust is lost
1 Like
I fully agree with @Mike_Bronner and I’d like to highlight one thing:
Not only is this rushed, top-down type of thing that’s badly written - it’s the actual opposite of what a proper solution would be to problems bambu cite as the reason for introduction of Bambu Connect and lock out for 3rd-party vendors.
3 Likes
Guys let’s calm down. Bambu clearly is listening so we need to request this reversal in a calm and clear manner. If we can get them to listen to us now while these features are in beta, then we should be able to get them reversed.
8 Likes
Hi. I just spent the equivalent of $1400 in my country(South Africa at Geewizz) for a new P1S combo which I received on Friday. I’ve done one print!!! Now today I see that you are essentially locking me in to your software and your cloud service and without the new firmware I will be unable to even print.
If this is the case - I want an immediate refund. I support the right to repair and use any software I choose as it is my printer after all. Please advise how we are going to resolve this situation. Before I bought your printer I read your terms of service carefully and being locked in all of a sudden is not what I agreed to. Please asvise urgently.
2 Likes
Ah crock, just started getting into Bambu Lab environment and now I suspect I’ll be out and back to my other printers, the ones I can use when I want for what I want without having to ask permission from someone else to use them! It seems like the authorisation option that will soon be forced onto All users is a control mechanism and not actually for customer security. Your comment above regarding Beta Testing also seems to be a backtrack from your original notification that ‘Due to the importance of these updates, your product may block new print job before the updates is installed, and will immediately provide update notifications to help you understand the related information’. Sounds more like a demand than a request for assistance to test. Tell me I’m wrong and prove it!
2 Likes
Smells like PR and lies to me. Do better or whither and go out of business. There are other printers than these.
2 Likes
Could see lots of charge backs from customers banks tearing the profits from BL if they tried pushing that out