[mythtv-users] Slightly OT: RF blaster

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 8:33 PM, Eric Sharkey <eric at lisaneric.org> wrote:
....

> firewall

Firewalls are not magic.  I was actually thinking about
networks (such as share living complexes) where
everyone shares the same network/access.  If you are
not a single child, did you not play pranks on your sibling?

Note that many current modems/routers have bugs that
allow uPnP discovery behind the "firewall".  When do you
think people will disable uPnP, or upgrade their firmware?

> Or are you suggesting malware could infect hosts inside the firewall
> and seek out STBs on the local network?  I suppose it's possible, but
> it seems like a lot of work for little gain.

In IPv6, *everything* has a public IP address (at least
if you are doing it right).  There are certainly proponents
of the position that network blocking should be removed,
and the end node (which knows what it needs) configures
its own security protections.

Some MSOs are deploying cloud based solutions, where
you tell the cloud servers what you want the STB to do,
and it (eventually) does it (it gets the info from the cloud
server).  I know one MSO allows you to program your
DVR that way.  I certainly hope they use authentication
rather than allow anyone to set your DVR to record every
SpongeBob Squarepants episode ever broadcast).
Today many STBs have DOCSIS modems in addition
to their QAM decoders.  The current next step is CCAP,
but the end game is pure IP based service delivery.  And
your STB will have most of its smarts in the cloud.

I have not been closing following the latest technical reports
on CCAP, and the long term visions by the big MSOs (I
think Comcast and Time Warner Cable issued a new
one around 18 months ago) but they are out there for people
to read.

Gary