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?
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)
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