आईसीटी समाचार
Even though it was designed to make life easier with OnHub routers, Google's fixation on cloud-based management for its networking devices has occasionally produced headaches. It will now be a motivator for everyone still using the OnHub to find a replacement by the end of next year, when Google's applications will no longer allow users to update their device's settings. Users received an email, and a support website disclosed that the switchover will take place on December 19th, 2022. (via Droid-Life).
When it was still rare for Google and Amazon to produce their own hardware, Google partnered with TP-Link and, subsequently, Asus to create OnHub routers that were designed to fit in with the rest of your home. They had attractive smartphone apps to facilitate setup and controls, as well as a style that fit in, making them more likely to be placed in a central area, perhaps improving WiFi coverage. People would be more inclined to install them in a central spot if they were styled to match interior décor, which would improve Wi-Fi coverage.
They even had elegant smartphone applications to control them so you didn't have to sift through cluttered menus, but those apps are no longer available, since the settings have been combined into Google's Home app. The routers will continue to function after the shutdown date, but you won't be able to change their settings, download updates, or perform much troubleshooting. Google, for its part, is providing a 40% discount on a Nest Wifi device, which should save a lot of money compared to the current prices, which start at $149 for a base unit and $189 for a base and one extension.
At least for routers that are many years old, getting a replacement that is "even quicker and more competent than before" doesn't seem like an unjust offer. Still, it gives the impression that purchasing one of these routers entails "owning" it for as long as Google is prepared to maintain it. How many of your ostensibly smart devices will become bricks and electrical rubbish if a switch is flipped on the back end?
