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End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:54 pm
by cheese_breath
My older Chromebook has reached the end of its Google support, and I was wondering what the dangers might be from continuing to use it anyway. I can connect it to the network by ethernet cable so I doubt anyone could sneak in through the wifi. I know it wouldn't get whatever new features Google comes up with, but that's OK.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:06 pm
by smarcus3
Per the company's End of Life policy, Chromebooks and other Chrome OS devices are only entitled to five years of feature and security updates. After that, Google doesn't guarantee that these systems will run safely or properly.

Due to security issues the computer should not be run on the same network as any other devices you use for financial activities. When using assume that the computer is compromised from a privacy/security standpoint. So connect to the guest side of your router and use it to watch cat videos :sharebeer

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:13 pm
by cheese_breath
I use it to watch Australian Rules Football, but cat videos should be good too. :wink:

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm
by smarcus3
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:13 pm I use it to watch Australian Rules Football, but cat videos should be good too. :wink:
For that why not. :mrgreen:

I'd recommend connecting to the guest side of your router so the Chromebook is isolated from the rest of your local networked devices. Otherwise the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:20 pm
by camillus
Help me understand. The operating system on the chromebook is just Chrome, correct? And this is updated automatically.

How is a chromebook much more safe at 4.5 years of life as opposed to 5.5 years? As long as the chromebook has the current version of the OS, shouldn't it be equally as safe as a chromebook a few years newer?

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:24 pm
by smarcus3
The manufacturer won't push security updates to the device per their policy. If Google wanted to they could support the hardware for any length of time. For example windows does this. Windows doesn't care of your hardware is 20 years old or new.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:27 pm
by cheese_breath
camillus wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:20 pm Help me understand. The operating system on the chromebook is just Chrome, correct? And this is updated automatically.

How is a chromebook much more safe at 4.5 years of life as opposed to 5.5 years? As long as the chromebook has the current version of the OS, shouldn't it be equally as safe as a chromebook a few years newer?
But it doesn't. They stopped issuing updates for the older Chromebook a few months ago. I still get them for the newer one. Also, it appears there must be some slight differences dependent on the computer model number.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:31 pm
by Saving$
Ok, they stop pushing the updates. But can you pull them - ie update the browser?

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:32 pm
by smarcus3
Not sure. I doubt it. Google wants you to buy another device.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:45 pm
by Scrapr
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:24 pm The manufacturer won't push security updates to the device per their policy. If Google wanted to they could support the hardware for any length of time. For example windows does this. Windows doesn't care of your hardware is 20 years old or new.
MS ends support all the time. I just checked Windows Vista. That support ended in 2017

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/hel ... of-support

Win 7 mainstream support ended in 2015. Extended support until 2020. I imagine you can pay for updates. Typically business I would think

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:48 pm
by smarcus3
They allowed free upgrades to 10 from 7. Buts it's off of scope for the OP

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:12 pm
by random_walker_77
Saving$ wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:31 pm Ok, they stop pushing the updates. But can you pull them - ie update the browser?
Oh wow, I hadn't heard about this. This is kind of awful -- it sounds like you can't pull updates either. 5 years after the model hit the market, it becomes unsupported, period. Which means you can buy a chromebook on a closeout sale and have less than a year left until it reaches end of life.
https://liliputing.com/2018/04/googles- ... oblem.html

At that point, the more technically adventurous could try installing ubuntu linux: https://blog.ubuntu.com/2018/01/30/tuto ... chromebook

Or a couple other options: https://www.howtogeek.com/403164/what-t ... -its-life/

But basically, if you still want to run Chrome OS w/ security updates, you need to go buy new hardware.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
by CFM300
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:27 pm They stopped issuing updates for the older Chromebook a few months ago. I still get them for the newer one.
Did you try checking for updates manually?

https://support.google.com/chromebook/a ... 7889?hl=en

My wife has a Chromebook that's more than five years old. Not sure if it still gets automatic updates, but if she checks for updates, it provides them.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
by smarcus3
Getting Ubuntu on it would probably be a good option instead of running unsecured.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:44 pm
by Spinola
As stated, install some flavor of Linux, like Ubuntu and you will be fully supported with security and updates.
https://www.howtogeek.com/162120/how-to ... h-crouton/
Forced upgrades from Apple, MS, Google are monopolistic. I have completely abandoned commercial operating systems for Linux. 5 years now. Never looked back. It's very liberating. Plus Linux breathes new life into older hardware. Very Boglehead, don't waste $ buying a new computer, install Linux on your existing computer, and if needed add a (larger) Solid state drive.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:43 am
by kjvmartin
Even my 2008 iMac, still running like a champ, became officially "vintage" in the Apple world a couple years ago. It only got 10 years of updates.

Companies have to eventually move on with tech, I suppose?

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:02 am
by telemark
I have a Samsung Chromebook I bought in 2012. I just powered it up and it started receiving updates. Pull up Settings, use the menu in the top left corner, and choose About Chrome OS.

P.S. Mine just finished, and under Detailed Build Information it shows a build date of January 11, 2019.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:32 am
by lakpr
I hate to be that guy, but shouldn't this thread belong to the Personal Consumer Issues forum, not Personal Investments forum?

PS: I agree with the Ubuntu recommendation. There is a product called XtraPC sold on Amazon, which is a USB stick that contains the Linux operating system. Could be a great way to reuse the old hardware without having to learn the new Linux OS. Just stick it in a USB port and power up. The stck has most common utilities like a web browser, Linux equivalents of Word and Excel, notepad etc.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:18 am
by student
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:13 pm I use it to watch Australian Rules Football, but cat videos should be good too. :wink:
For that why not. :mrgreen:

I'd recommend connecting to the guest side of your router so the Chromebook is isolated from the rest of your local networked devices. Otherwise the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
+1

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:18 am
by LadyGeek
This thread is now in the Personal Consumer Issues forum (Chromebook).

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:14 am
by cheese_breath
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:13 pm I use it to watch Australian Rules Football, but cat videos should be good too. :wink:
For that why not. :mrgreen:

I'd recommend connecting to the guest side of your router so the Chromebook is isolated from the rest of your local networked devices. Otherwise the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
I'm with AT&T Internet now, and I don't think their gateway (combined modem and router) has a guest side.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 9:55 am
by smarcus3
That's disappointing. I know my current spectrum and Google does but that's not yours. Might be worth a call to technical support

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:36 am
by quantAndHold
cheese_breath wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:14 am
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:13 pm I use it to watch Australian Rules Football, but cat videos should be good too. :wink:
For that why not. :mrgreen:

I'd recommend connecting to the guest side of your router so the Chromebook is isolated from the rest of your local networked devices. Otherwise the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
I'm with AT&T Internet now, and I don't think their gateway (combined modem and router) has a guest side.
My 2 year old AT&T modem/router has a guest side. If yours doesn’t, it might be worth a call to them to see if you can get a newer one. If your modem/router is older, I wouldn’t be surprised if it has security issues of its own.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:39 am
by BobTexas
Chrome books are meant to be almost disposable. You can get a new one on Amazon for $150. If you don’t want to do that running it on Ethernet at home is pretty safe, and I wouldn’t lose sleep over that.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:45 am
by Turbo29
Spinola wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:44 pm As stated, install some flavor of Linux, like Ubuntu and you will be fully supported with security and updates.
https://www.howtogeek.com/162120/how-to ... h-crouton/
Forced upgrades from Apple, MS, Google are monopolistic. I have completely abandoned commercial operating systems for Linux. 5 years now. Never looked back. It's very liberating. Plus Linux breathes new life into older hardware. Very Boglehead, don't waste $ buying a new computer, install Linux on your existing computer, and if needed add a (larger) Solid state drive.
Yes, I have a 10yo laptop that works fine with Ubuntu.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:58 am
by fru-gal
I considered posting what version of Windows I'm running, since I have expensive unique peripherals that only run on it, but I think I won't. Most of the time I am not connected to the Internet. The heck I'm going to spend a bunch of money due to planned obsolescence.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:14 am
by JoMoney
Personally, I wouldn't fret much about continuing to use an old Chromebook that didn't have the latest security patches. I wouldn't want it for deeply personal or financial stuff though. The biggest vulnerability I think is the browser itself and any plugins you add, not necessarily the operating system. Unless you're running the Chromebook in "developer mode" every time the Chromebook reboots it verifies the installation is running the Google approved version of the OS and hasn't been modified. The hardware is relatively unique with different manufacturers and a bit too esoteric for anyone to really target a specific model for malicious malware on the hardware. On the other hand, if you install plugins from the Chrome Web Store and agree to give those apps permission to spy on you, that is a vulnerability, so is visiting strange websites that might try to track you or get your browser to report information you don't want it to... but those are vulnerabilities you have even with the most up to date browser. With an old browser you migh argue a sort of "security through obscurity" - the older, less used, less supported your browser becomes, the less likely it will be targeted by people trying to exploit vulnerabilities in the latest browsers.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:19 am
by bondsr4me
lakpr wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:32 am I hate to be that guy, but shouldn't this thread belong to the Personal Consumer Issues forum, not Personal Investments forum?

PS: I agree with the Ubuntu recommendation. There is a product called XtraPC sold on Amazon, which is a USB stick that contains the Linux operating system. Could be a great way to reuse the old hardware without having to learn the new Linux OS. Just stick it in a USB port and power up. The stck has most common utilities like a web browser, Linux equivalents of Word and Excel, notepad etc.
that usb stick sounds great.
I want to try Linux but don't know how to get it on my blank usb stick.
I will use it on a 2006 mac book pro and an older hp laptop.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:20 am
by smarcus3
You can live boot into Ubuntu to 'try' it without changing anything with the current OS. not sure if this works for Chromebooks through. it does for Windows.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:22 am
by cheese_breath
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:36 am
cheese_breath wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:14 am
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:13 pm I use it to watch Australian Rules Football, but cat videos should be good too. :wink:
For that why not. :mrgreen:

I'd recommend connecting to the guest side of your router so the Chromebook is isolated from the rest of your local networked devices. Otherwise the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
I'm with AT&T Internet now, and I don't think their gateway (combined modem and router) has a guest side.
My 2 year old AT&T modem/router has a guest side. If yours doesn’t, it might be worth a call to them to see if you can get a newer one. If your modem/router is older, I wouldn’t be surprised if it has security issues of its own.
Maybe I'm wrong then. It's only a year old. I'll have to check it out. Maybe it has a guest side, but it hasn't been activated?

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:24 am
by bondsr4me
smarcus3 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:20 am You can live boot into Ubuntu to 'try' it without changing anything with the current OS. not sure if this works for Chromebooks through. it does for Windows.
yes, that's why using the usb to boot up sounds appealing
that way I wont have to install it on the hard drive.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:26 am
by smarcus3
Here you go: https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/t ... -windows#0

I did it years ago. Very easy. Now I just buy cheap laptops off dell outlet so I don't have to deal with the limitations of Linux.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:53 am
by bondsr4me
smarcus3 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:26 am Here you go: https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/t ... -windows#0

I did it years ago. Very easy. Now I just buy cheap laptops off dell outlet so I don't have to deal with the limitations of Linux.
thanks for the link!

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:56 am
by smarcus3
bondsr4me wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:53 am
smarcus3 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:26 am Here you go: https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/t ... -windows#0

I did it years ago. Very easy. Now I just buy cheap laptops off dell outlet so I don't have to deal with the limitations of Linux.
thanks for the link!
No problem.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:11 pm
by munemaker
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm ...the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
Is this true in fact or just conjecture? I have never read of this happening?

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:02 pm
by smarcus3
Conjure with chromebooks but this happens with Windows computers. Its why your at a heightened risk when using public wifi hotspots. Most devices are setup to 'trust' local intranet connections so once you breach a single device behind the firewall / router the others are more susceptible to attack. This is why people setup 'guest' access to their wifi so it keep their devices quarantined from others.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:06 pm
by quantAndHold
cheese_breath wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:22 am
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:36 am
cheese_breath wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:14 am
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:13 pm I use it to watch Australian Rules Football, but cat videos should be good too. :wink:
For that why not. :mrgreen:

I'd recommend connecting to the guest side of your router so the Chromebook is isolated from the rest of your local networked devices. Otherwise the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
I'm with AT&T Internet now, and I don't think their gateway (combined modem and router) has a guest side.
My 2 year old AT&T modem/router has a guest side. If yours doesn’t, it might be worth a call to them to see if you can get a newer one. If your modem/router is older, I wouldn’t be surprised if it has security issues of its own.
Maybe I'm wrong then. It's only a year old. I'll have to check it out. Maybe it has a guest side, but it hasn't been activated?
Very possible. My guest network wasn’t active by default.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:28 pm
by quantAndHold
munemaker wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:11 pm
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm ...the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
Is this true in fact or just conjecture? I have never read of this happening?
Okay, I’ll take a crack at answering this. Fact. Basically, bad guys look for any opening they can get through to get anywhere on any machine they can, then use that opening to move further into the computer or the network. From the outside, your home network is pretty well protected, and there aren’t that many ways for a bad guy to get in. A misconfigured or unpatched chromebook, or smart TV or whatever, can allow them to get inside the network. Once they’re inside the network, they have easier access to other devices that aren’t as well hardened from inside the network as they are from the outside.

This kind of attack is actually how the big data breaches happen. An attacker uses one attack to get inside the network, then looks inside the network for other misconfigurstions and vulnerabilities they can exploit to move from machine to machine within the network.

That said, is some attacker sitting at his computer specifically trying to get into cheese_breath’s network? No. But once the chromebook stops getting updates, there will eventually be a chrome security flaw that’s exploitable. Bad guys have tools that look for that. They find it, get in, and either run a botnet on cheesy’s chromebook, or automatically run other software that scans his internal network looking for other machines to take over.

Personally, I run all of my “smart” devices (Roku, Alexa, etc) on my guest network. I also don’t run any software that isn’t fully up to date, especially on my internal network.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:38 pm
by munemaker
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:28 pm A misconfigured or unpatched chromebook, or smart TV or whatever, can allow them to get inside the network.
Even if you have a strong firewall where the IP address is not even visible from outside? I am wondering how someone could get in through my Chromebook when my network IP address is not even visible? Doesn't the network firewall provide protection?

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:20 pm
by oxothuk
munemaker wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:38 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:28 pm A misconfigured or unpatched chromebook, or smart TV or whatever, can allow them to get inside the network.
Even if you have a strong firewall where the IP address is not even visible from outside? I am wondering how someone could get in through my Chromebook when my network IP address is not even visible? Doesn't the network firewall provide protection?
Vampires can't break in to your house - but they can come in freely at your invitation.

If you happen to visit a web page which then runs a piece of javascript malware, it's essentially the same thing; the script runs on YOUR computer which is inside your home network and firewall.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:44 pm
by Saving$
What quantand hold said.

Read about how a casino was hacked through a fishtank:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/leemathews ... 34feed32b9

Medical providers have been hacked through med devices.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:57 pm
by quantAndHold
munemaker wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:38 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:28 pm A misconfigured or unpatched chromebook, or smart TV or whatever, can allow them to get inside the network.
Even if you have a strong firewall where the IP address is not even visible from outside? I am wondering how someone could get in through my Chromebook when my network IP address is not even visible? Doesn't the network firewall provide protection?
Like oxothuk said more poetically than I can. There are some really egregious bugs that will allow an attacker to get in without you doing anything at all. Rare in 2019, but they still come up every once in awhile. For example, there have been a series of bugs in the routers we all use. But most attacks start with someone clicking on a link, which causes the code to download and run from the inside.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:05 pm
by tibbitts
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:48 pm They allowed free upgrades to 10 from 7. Buts it's off of scope for the OP
They did but for a limited time and not from every old windows OS, so it would be at least premature to speculate that MS will continue to do that. Maybe next time everyone will have to pay a couple of hundred dollars. So previous to 7 you would have had to pay to upgrade your device to 7 in order to qualify for the free 10 upgrade when it was available.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:08 pm
by cheese_breath
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:28 pm
munemaker wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:11 pm
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm ...the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
Is this true in fact or just conjecture? I have never read of this happening?
Okay, I’ll take a crack at answering this. Fact. Basically, bad guys look for any opening they can get through to get anywhere on any machine they can, then use that opening to move further into the computer or the network. From the outside, your home network is pretty well protected, and there aren’t that many ways for a bad guy to get in. A misconfigured or unpatched chromebook, or smart TV or whatever, can allow them to get inside the network. Once they’re inside the network, they have easier access to other devices that aren’t as well hardened from inside the network as they are from the outside.

This kind of attack is actually how the big data breaches happen. An attacker uses one attack to get inside the network, then looks inside the network for other misconfigurstions and vulnerabilities they can exploit to move from machine to machine within the network.

That said, is some attacker sitting at his computer specifically trying to get into cheese_breath’s network? No. But once the chromebook stops getting updates, there will eventually be a chrome security flaw that’s exploitable. Bad guys have tools that look for that. They find it, get in, and either run a botnet on cheesy’s chromebook, or automatically run other software that scans his internal network looking for other machines to take over.

Personally, I run all of my “smart” devices (Roku, Alexa, etc) on my guest network. I also don’t run any software that isn’t fully up to date, especially on my internal network.
But (I assume) they'd have to enter through the wifi. If I'm ethernet connected to the gateway is the wifi still active?

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:46 pm
by inbox788
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:54 pm My older Chromebook has reached the end of its Google support, and I was wondering what the dangers might be from continuing to use it anyway. I can connect it to the network by ethernet cable so I doubt anyone could sneak in through the wifi. I know it wouldn't get whatever new features Google comes up with, but that's OK.
What model? Is your battery still good? How many hours when new and now?

I wouldn't worry right away, but as more exploits are discovered, I would become more concerned. Plan to replace it sooner or later and avoid or reduce personal use (email, financial, etc.). If you're just browsing news or watching videos and listening to music/podcasts, it doesn't matter. Anyway, between battery life and performance becoming unacceptable (especially for newer functions and web sites), an older Chromebook isn't going to be as fun or useful.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:52 pm
by quantAndHold
cheese_breath wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:08 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:28 pm
munemaker wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:11 pm
smarcus3 wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:16 pm ...the Chromebook could give access to your other devices to a hacker.
Is this true in fact or just conjecture? I have never read of this happening?
Okay, I’ll take a crack at answering this. Fact. Basically, bad guys look for any opening they can get through to get anywhere on any machine they can, then use that opening to move further into the computer or the network. From the outside, your home network is pretty well protected, and there aren’t that many ways for a bad guy to get in. A misconfigured or unpatched chromebook, or smart TV or whatever, can allow them to get inside the network. Once they’re inside the network, they have easier access to other devices that aren’t as well hardened from inside the network as they are from the outside.

This kind of attack is actually how the big data breaches happen. An attacker uses one attack to get inside the network, then looks inside the network for other misconfigurstions and vulnerabilities they can exploit to move from machine to machine within the network.

That said, is some attacker sitting at his computer specifically trying to get into cheese_breath’s network? No. But once the chromebook stops getting updates, there will eventually be a chrome security flaw that’s exploitable. Bad guys have tools that look for that. They find it, get in, and either run a botnet on cheesy’s chromebook, or automatically run other software that scans his internal network looking for other machines to take over.

Personally, I run all of my “smart” devices (Roku, Alexa, etc) on my guest network. I also don’t run any software that isn’t fully up to date, especially on my internal network.
But (I assume) they'd have to enter through the wifi. If I'm ethernet connected to the gateway is the wifi still active?
They enter through the internet. There’s nothing special about WiFi vs wired. They could be (and probably are) in Russia or China.

There are ways to get in via an unsecured WiFi, but the attacker needs to be within about 1/2 mile of you, and your 1 year old router is pretty well secured, if you’re using a decent password. For practical purposes, your home WiFi has about the same level of security as your wired internet.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:02 pm
by cheese_breath
inbox788 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:46 pm
cheese_breath wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:54 pm My older Chromebook has reached the end of its Google support, and I was wondering what the dangers might be from continuing to use it anyway. I can connect it to the network by ethernet cable so I doubt anyone could sneak in through the wifi. I know it wouldn't get whatever new features Google comes up with, but that's OK.
What model? Is your battery still good? How many hours when new and now?

I wouldn't worry right away, but as more exploits are discovered, I would become more concerned. Plan to replace it sooner or later and avoid or reduce personal use (email, financial, etc.). If you're just browsing news or watching videos and listening to music/podcasts, it doesn't matter. Anyway, between battery life and performance becoming unacceptable (especially for newer functions and web sites), an older Chromebook isn't going to be as fun or useful.
It's an Acer C710, so old it has a spinning disk. I don't know the last four numbers, but it looks exactly like this one Newegg's selling...

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... lsrc=aw.ds

Notice Google Chrome is listed as the OS. Somebody's going to be in for a surprise when (s)he gets a notification that it's no longer supported the first time (s)he tries to use it unless the refurber has somehow loaded a more current OS.

I bought it new, and the battery still meets it's three hour rating. I'm not concerned about replacing it as I already have a newer Chromebook. I just dislike trashing something that still works.

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:19 pm
by inbox788
bondsr4me wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:19 am
lakpr wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:32 am I hate to be that guy, but shouldn't this thread belong to the Personal Consumer Issues forum, not Personal Investments forum?

PS: I agree with the Ubuntu recommendation. There is a product called XtraPC sold on Amazon, which is a USB stick that contains the Linux operating system. Could be a great way to reuse the old hardware without having to learn the new Linux OS. Just stick it in a USB port and power up. The stck has most common utilities like a web browser, Linux equivalents of Word and Excel, notepad etc.
that usb stick sounds great.
I want to try Linux but don't know how to get it on my blank usb stick.
I will use it on a 2006 mac book pro and an older hp laptop.
Give Cloudready a try on the old macbook and hp laptop. https://www.neverware.com/freedownload

Haven't looked into running Linux on an actual Chromebook, but I suppose it's possible. There are crouton and crostini hacks that might be a start. Seems like there's some write protect screw on some Chromebooks that may need to be removed. Found some information on Cloudready that looks early and promising, but no didn't come across any actual writeups.

https://neverware.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... Chromebook
https://neverware.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... hromebook-
https://neverware.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... hromebook-

I tried Cloudready, and it's 90-80% like a Chromebook, but on older and slower hardware, it's also sluggish, no unlike most Chromebooks. Did run it on a newer i3 system and it ran fairly well, but they removed dual boot support so I deleted it.
cheese_breath wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:02 pmIt's an Acer C710, so old it has a spinning disk. ...
I bought it new, and the battery still meets it's three hour rating. I'm not concerned about replacing it as I already have a newer Chromebook. I just dislike trashing something that still works.
That's a workhorse, and looks like you've gotten good use out of it. You might still get $50 or so on eBay or Craigslist or pass it on to someone. Many Chromebooks haven't gotten faster, though battery life of 3 hours is low compared to 10 hours or more for new ones these days (and the faster ones cost quite a bit more).

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 7:39 pm
by cheese_breath
telemark wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:02 am I have a Samsung Chromebook I bought in 2012. I just powered it up and it started receiving updates. Pull up Settings, use the menu in the top left corner, and choose About Chrome OS.

P.S. Mine just finished, and under Detailed Build Information it shows a build date of January 11, 2019.
You guys have me feeling a little apprehensive about using the old CB on my home network anymore, so I brought it into DW’s nursing home and logged onto their network. Here’s some comparative information between the old unsupported CB and my newer still supported CB.

Old Chromebook (no longer supported by Google)
Displays a notification when logging on that the device is no longer supported
Build date is August 16, 2018
Version is 65.0.3325.209 (Official Build) (64-bit)
There is no way to check for updates or pull down any updates
Platform is 10323.67.9 (Official Build) stable-channel parrot
Firmware is Google_Parrot.2685.37.0

Newer Chromebook (still supported by Google)
Build date is March 4, 2019
Version 72.0.3626.122 (Official Build) (64-bit)
There is a button to check for updates. When I press it, it says my Chromebook is up to date.
Platform is 11316.165.0 (Official Build) stable-channel gnawty
Firmware is Google_Gnawty.5216.239.156

Re: End of Support Chromebook

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 7:44 pm
by quantAndHold
If it were me, I would just go ahead and use it at the nursing home. Don’t use it for financial websites or email, but as long as it’s not on your home network, it should be fine for bogleheads, or watching videos or reading the news.