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From "Happy Hacking" to "Screw You"

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-we're-sad dept.

tquid writes "Trying to bridge the digital divide in Canada's poorest postal code, a principled group of hackers adopt "open source"-based technology spun off from an MIT project. Then the terms on the hardware are changed, and changed again, and then firmware to lock out the frustrated group's software is installed, screwing them out of their investment and many hours of development work."

9 of 243 comments (clear)

  1. Anyone know the details of the MIT agreement? by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wasn't this was originally developed as an open source project at MIT? I imagine their original agreement with MIT probably precluded this very thing (locking it down). If not, I would be very disappointed with MIT.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Anyone know the details of the MIT agreement? by tonyreadsnews · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That is exactly what I'm thinking. Meraki's stuff is all based on the MIT open source stuff. So why can't this group just go back to the original source and build the part that someone else made proprietary.

    2. Re:Anyone know the details of the MIT agreement? by Wodin · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Can they not use jtag to fix them?

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      -- Wodin
    3. Re:Anyone know the details of the MIT agreement? by Muad'Dave · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Isn't that illegal? Updating firmware to enforce a new EULA that otherwise would not have applied? Sounds Microsoftian to me.

      --
      Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
  2. You didn't disable the auto-update? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I learn that my failure is due to the fact that Meraki has automatically updated the software on all of the units (including legacy, such as ours) Didn't you say you wrote your own firmware? Why didn't you disable the auto-update? Did your original agreement allow them to change the software without your confirmation, or worse, did it force you to give them access to your hardware for this purpose? Why don't you use a bunch of WRT54gs with OpenWRT or the Freifunk firmware?
  3. I was considering Meraki... by Thelasko · · Score: 4, Interesting

    until I read this article. My building is going condo and I am considering bringing up the concept of a building wide wireless network at our first board meeting. I am even toying with the idea of sharing with the neighboring buildings. The only commercial product I have been able to find is Meraki. Does anybody have any other suggestions?
    Please forgive my English, it's Monday.

    --
    One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
  4. Re:I don't think they are viable by the_humeister · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Couldn't just get a bunch of Linksys WRT 54GLs, load OpenWRT, and setup that way?

  5. Re:Vendor lockin is a myth by wertarbyte · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Fon has also tried to lock out hackers from their hardware - although the moment they sell it, it's not their hardware anymore. There are still some hacks that work and give you SSH access, check my website about it. Although my latest hack ("kolofonium") does not work with the latest firmware, there are still many systems using it: http://stefans.datenbruch.de/lafonera/kolofonium-chart.png So you can guess how many of the sold FON spots may still be active; FON managed to alienate many advanced users that wished to participate but were locked out of their routers.

    --
    Life is just nature's way of keeping meat fresh.
  6. Re:Vendor lockin is a myth by mellon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Your claim that they are taking a loss at $50/unit doesn't make a lot of sense. First of all, if that's true, then why is it that the open-mesh guys are able to sell an identical unit for $50? The problem isn't that they were taking a loss - it's that they weren't making enough profit. Secondly, consider Linksys routers. You can routinely buy these for $50 a pop, and they contain a lot more hardware than the Meraki. If Linksys is making a decent living in this business, why can't Meraki?

    The bottom line is that Meraki has a losing business plan, and that's why we're seeing all this thrashing. There's no way they can make money fast enough to satisfy their investors at $50/pop, they need to monetize their dashboard system, they need ads, and that's just not what most end-users want. All of this stupid price model tweaking stuff they're doing is almost certainly motivated by promises they made to investors that they subsequently couldn't keep.

    If they are in fact poisoning the firmware (I have two Meraki minis, but haven't had a chance to confirm that their firmware is poisoned), I'm pretty sure this is a felony, but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble to prove it and fix it. Given that the open mesh boxes are $50 each, I can just buy two and replace the two Merakis I bought as a test project, and I'll come out ahead. It's too bad for the people who bought hundreds or thousands of these devices, though. For them, it might be worth consulting a lawyer.