Amazon Sidewalk to go Live on 08 Jun

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Not always true. A couple of months ago, more than 3000 addresses in my city lost internet, mine included. The apartment on the other side of my bedroom wall did not (same fiber, different isp), so I could have used their wifi in this scenario

What if you've got ancient DSL service and you know you're neighbor has 1 GB cable connection and an Echo. Can you unplug your DSL modem and stream on your neighbor's service?

What if you didn't pay your bill and don't have any Internet service at all, but you have a registered Echo and your neighbor has an Echo? After all, your "service" is technically "down," right?

And what about a family trying to get along on capped Internet service (like that provided by AT&T) who all stream different services and are constantly on the edge of overcharges? Is Amazon responsible for paying those?

Fortunately I'll never have to find out, since I'll never have an Echo.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by rcentros

What if you've got ancient DSL service and you know you're neighbor has 1 GB cable connection and an Echo. Can you unplug your DSL modem and stream on your neighbor's service?

No. The maximum bandwidth that the neighbor's Echo will allow for all sidewalk usage combined is 80Kbps. And typical bandwidth usage will be much lower than that. That is a tiny amount, not at all useful for streaming and would be annoyingly slow even for web browsing.

Not that you would even be able to web browse since Amazon is limiting the types of devices that it will allow on the Sidewalk network to things like light bulbs and tracking fobs.

Originally Posted by rcentros

What if you didn't pay your bill and don't have any Internet service at all, but you have a registered Echo and your neighbor has an Echo? After all, your "service" is technically "down," right?

Your Echo is not going to connect through your neighbor's Echo. That is not what this is for.

Originally Posted by rcentros

And what about a family trying to get along on capped Internet service (like that provided by AT&T) who all stream different services and are constantly on the edge of overcharges?

With the low bandwidth usage of Sidewalk there will be few cases where it puts someone over the edge of a usage cap, but yes, it could happen.

Originally Posted by rcentros

Is Amazon responsible for paying those?

Of course not.

[DiapDealer]

Never let things like facts get in the way of a good, completely uninformed, FUD rant I say.

[mrscoach]

I followed the steps listed, but there is no Sidewalk listing to turn off. Maybe because I live in the boonies of western Texas?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by mrscoach

I followed the steps listed, but there is no Sidewalk listing to turn off. Maybe because I live in the boonies of western Texas?

These instructions?

Fortunately, turning Sidewalk off is relatively painless. It involves:

1. Opening the Alexa app
2. Opening More and selecting Settings
3. Selecting Account Settings
4. Selecting Amazon Sidewalk
5. Turning Amazon Sidewalk Off

I was able to find the setting in the Alexa app on my iPhone.

[Byrdie]

I also followed the instructions, only to find I have no Amazon Sidewalk listed in my Account settings. I do have an Echo, so that's not why it's missing. But I'm in Canada, maybe it hasn't been added yet?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Byrdie

I also followed the instructions, only to find I have no Amazon Sidewalk listed in my Account settings. I do have an Echo, so that's not why it's missing. But I'm in Canada, maybe it hasn't been added yet?

It's only available in the US.

Where is Amazon Sidewalk available?

Sidewalk is currently only available in the US.

Amazon Sidewalk FAQ
.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

It's only available in the US.



Amazon Sidewalk FAQ
.

It's also not available on all Ring or Alexa devices. I have both Ring cameras and Alexa devices, and none of them are able to use sidewalk.

Shari

[DiapDealer]

Echos and select Ring floodlights and Spotlight Cams for now.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Echos and select Ring floodlights and Spotlight Cams for now.

...but not *all* echo devices. I have the original echo and 2 of the older echo dots. None of them are able to use sidewalk.

Shari

[tubemonkey]

What are Sidewalk Bridges, and which devices are able to become Sidewalk Bridges?

Sidewalk Bridges are devices that provide connections to Amazon Sidewalk. Today, Sidewalk Bridges include many Echo devices and select Ring Floodlight and Spotlight Cams. A comprehensive list of Sidewalk devices includes:

* Ring Floodlight Cam (2019)
* Ring Spotlight Cam Wired (2019)
* Ring Spotlight Cam Mount (2019)
* Echo (3rd gen and newer)
* Echo Dot (3rd gen and newer)
* Echo Dot for Kids (3rd gen and newer)
* Echo Dot with Clock (3rd gen and newer)
* Echo Plus (all generations)
* Echo Show (2nd gen)
* Echo Show 5, 8, 10 (all generations)
* Echo Spot
* Echo Studio
* Echo Input
* Echo Flex

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by shalym

...but not *all* echo devices. I have the original echo and 2 of the older echo dots. None of them are able to use sidewalk.

Shari

Correct.

[ZodWallop]

I have Xfinity and they do something similar. I've never bothered to turn it off. And it has been useful to me to connect to generic Xfinity WiFi when I'm out and about.

I also have six Google Home speakers scattered about my house. I find them handy. It's nice to be able to stream Sirius XM with a voice command for instance.

[John F]

Originally Posted by mrscoach

I followed the steps listed, but there is no Sidewalk listing to turn off. Maybe because I live in the boonies of western Texas?

Maybe because your Alexa app isn't up to date?

[Quoth]

It's not at all like Apple "Find my Device". Someone could stealthily put an Amazon Tile in your car or bag and track you. Also it's so complex that it WILL be hacked and is creating a parallel network to the internet with opaque security. Extending a monopoly as well as being wrong in so many other ways.
https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/...sidewalk_mesh/

Amazon devices that can connect to Sidewalk when it’s launched next week: Ring Floodlight Cam (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Wired (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Mount (2019), Echo (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot for Kids (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot with Clock (3rd gen and newer), Echo Plus (all generations), Echo Show (all generations), Echo Spot, Echo Studio, Echo Input, and Echo Flex.

And it's using a UHF license free spectrum illegal outside the USA.

“Amazon Sidewalk only exacerbates the privacy risks that Echo and Ring devices pose to the public," Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the non-profit Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, told The Register.
"The new mesh network raises a wide array of concerns about how users’ data is potentially exposed to other device owners. Also, if Amazon is successful in expanding this mesh network, it could raise huge antitrust concerns, creating a parallel internet from countless Internet-of-Things devices. This risks giving one of the world’s worst monopolists control over not just our devices, but the internet itself."

This is PLAIN ABUSIVE

from June 8, its Sidewalk-capable devices will be opted into the network by default, and Tile compatibility will follow on June 14. After June 8, you can opt out at any time by disabling Sidewalk features in your device.

The EFF's Director of Technology Projects Jon Callas told El Reg that although the security whitepaper “looks pretty good,” there is bound to be at least one bug or overlooked shortcoming that will affect someone somewhere.

For instance, he said a widespread mesh will make it a lot easier to secretly track someone with something like a hidden Tile.

Rather than wait for the Tile to go in and out of range of someone with the Tile app on their phone, during which it can report its whereabouts, with Amazon's Sidewalk in full effect, the Tile can be tracked anywhere and anytime it goes near a participating Echo or Ring device, at the very least. That makes it a lot easier to stalk people, from friends to spouses.

The risk of Sidewalk is not in its network use or privacy, but in the way that it creates opportunities for people to use it to track and stalk others

“A Tile tracker can tell you where your keys are," said Callas. "A pet collar could tell you where your dog is should they get away from you. It also permits someone to track someone else. Drop a Tile into your partner’s handbag, or your neighbor’s car, and you get to track them around.

"As Amazon Sidewalk becomes more widespread, a stalker can abuse it to stalk people better. There are no mitigations mentioned in any of Amazon’s papers, so we assume there are no restrictions on using it for stalking."

Even WITHOUT Sidewalk, the Ring system tells Amazon too much.