I hacked my washing machine

Network isolation & IoT risk

• Several commenters are uneasy about letting a washing machine onto their home network at all, even “in isolation,” citing risks of botnet activity, data-cap abuse, and vendor spying.
• Others argue isolation is practical: put untrusted devices on an IoT VLAN with no peer-to-peer access, strict firewall rules, and limited/one-way internet access; trusted clients can selectively reach them.
• There’s debate over what “isolated” means: separate VLAN vs truly separate LAN vs unidirectional links. Some note that VLAN-based isolation still depends on correct configuration and non-compromised gear.
• The author explains the washer was on an isolated guest network, with a specific firewall rule allowing only their script to talk to the washer, and minimal/brief internet exposure.

Alternative ways to “hack” a washer/dryer

• Many describe simpler notification setups:
  • Smart plug with power monitoring: alert when power drops below a threshold for a set time.
  • Vibration sensors (often Zigbee/ESP32) on washer/dryer.
  • Door/reed sensors combined with API or power data to detect “wet clothes left in drum.”
  • LoRa link for machines in basements or far from the house.
• Some use these techniques broadly for dishwashers, microwaves, countertop ovens, or 3D printers.
• 240V dryers are harder because of limited smart-plug options; people discuss CT clamps, internal wiring, and safety concerns.

Smart vs dumb machines

• A number of commenters prefer “dumb” 1990s-style washers with mechanical timers, predictable cycle lengths, and longevity, using simple phone timers instead of automation.
• Others note new machines often gate features (like delay start) behind Wi-Fi apps, or have very long and variable “eco” cycles, especially in Europe and in combo washer–dryers or ventless dryers.
• There’s debate about whether newer machines truly have shorter lifetimes versus more intense usage; some brands are cited as lasting decades, but this is contested.

Protocol reversing & tooling

• Commenters discuss:
  • That the washer uses no TLS and weak XOR “encryption” (sometimes even sending plaintext/garbage).
  • Using apk-mitm, Jadx, and similar tools to bypass certificate pinning and extract keys from Android apps.
  • Preference for learning and tinkering versus just using the vendor’s app.

Meta: style of post

• Multiple participants praise this as the kind of hands-on, exploratory hacking they want to see more of, contrasting it with LLM-heavy content and pointing to Hackaday for similar projects.