Bambu A1 mini still operates on 1.04 firmware which does not include authorization “security feature”. Naturally, I want to avoid it.
I know I can meddle with router somehow, even if it does not have parental controls or other very clear option to leave it inside local network.
However I would prefer preventing update in some other way, if there is any. This little printer is quite portable and I sometimes bring it to other locations. Also, remote printing and monitoring are nice features, which would be a pity to lose.
What would you suggest, or maybe have done yourselves?
Don’t let it connect to the wifi/internet?
I mean, sure, you have to do the SD card shuffle, but it’ll guarantee you don’t end up having to deal with this.
If you have a more advanced set of network hardware (which it doesn’t sound like you do) you could add a firewall rule to block traffic from the LAN IP of the printer, or for something like Unifi, simply block internet access entirely. But, even then, if you screw it up now or in the future, surprise software updates will happen.
So far what I found:
My router has an option to block internet access by MAC address, which is even better than by IP.
LAN mode works via wi-fi, so no cables or flash drives needed.
Also Orca slicer is almost the same as Bambu studio, even supports printer’s camera. Feels even snappier without an account and integration with “store” or whatever that online stuff is called.
Got more interested in trying out VPN now, so I probably could observe prints from a laptop in any location.
Not as bad as I feared, not as good as it could be.
You could set up Tailscale on any device in your network and access it through that. That’s probably the easiest way to do it.
Easy mode: don’t connect it to internet
Slightly harder: add exceptions for bambus servers in your routers firewall so that requests to that domain are blocked
Dependent on hardware that you own and less likely to exist on basic routers: create a virtual lan for your 3d printer that does not have internet access but has intranet access, allowing you to connect between computers but not to the web (my preferred solution)
Slightly harder: add exceptions for bambus servers in your routers firewall so that requests to that domain are blocked
I assigned a static IP address to my A1 mini in my router, and made a firewall rule preventing all traffic originating from that IP from going to the internet. The printer is also in LAN only mode, but I periodically have to reconnect it to Bambu studio which is annoying.
That’s similar to the isolated vlan but someone who knows more about networking than me will probably be able to explain why the vlan is superior. I would imagine it’s failsafeness, the vlan is just its own thing
The benefit of doing the domain specific firewall blocking would be if you wanted your printer to otherwise have internet access (eg to check octoprint remotely). I don’t print when I’m not home due to the risk of fire and I don’t trust opening up my printer to the web, so I don’t bother with this. Others may have different opinions on acceptable risk
Your router probably has a firewall you can set to just block all internet access to your printer’s IP. You’d have to make sure you let it access the home network if you want to send files remotely to it.
Alternatively, routers nowadays have a guest network. You may be able to disable internet access to the guest network and connect the printer to it. You would have to temporarily connect your host device to the guest network to send your files to print, which can be annoying.
Also, remote printing and monitoring are nice features, which would be a pity to lose.
I don’t see an easy way to accomplish this independent of Bambu’s servers, especially if you use the handy app on your phone.
