Is there any way to adjust the brightness of the clock matrix and the app display separately? The display is significantly brighter than the clock; but when I adjust the brightness to a comfortable level (30%) the clock becomes very dim.
Also, WiFi connectivity seems extremely flaky. With my regular AP I get 2-3 bars of signal strength but constant disconnect/reconnect notifications and connection error messages that need to be dismissed. I set up a range extender a few feet away from the dock, but am unable to connect to it. The AP is shown in the list of available access points on the config page, but once I select it, enter passkey and hit connect the dock claims it cannot find the SSID. Do I need to do a factory reset to change APs? Can I use the wired connection instead?
Thanks for your feedback. Mini Dock currently does not support adjusting the brightness of the clock matrix and application display separately. We will organize a discussion on this item later. If it is passed, we will add this function in the subsequent version.
About Wi-Fi connection:
Please make sure that the range extender you set supports and enables 2.4GHz band Wi-Fi. Mini Dock only supports 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi. If it is 5GHz Wi-Fi, Mini Dock will not be able to connect.
Mini Dock only supports 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi and does not support wired connection.
If you check that your range extender is set to 2.4GHz band Wi-Fi, please provide us with the SN of Mini Dock (Settings >>> My Device >>> SN), and we will open the remote log for you to further troubleshoot.
If you have any questions about the use of the product, please feel free to contact us.
It is a dual-band range extender, but only the 2.4GHz network shows up in the list (I have separated them out on two different SSIDs to avoid confusion).
It would be a nice feature to be able to use the ethernet port for network connectivity, but I guess that requires some work.
What do you mean by “remote log”? Is there a backdoor in the firmware that will allow you access to system logs, or does the dock periodically upload logs to your servers? I hope I misunderstood that; that would be very concerning.
EDIT: I’ve finally managed to get a stable WiFi connection (so far, at least). The issue of any firmware backdoors or telemetry still concerns me though. The only thing I can find in any of the documentation that hints at something like this is from General - Vobot Mini Dock
TCP 443 https://dock-sync.myvobot.com Device Health Report
What data (if any) is sent to this server? I can’t find any other documentation on this, and there is no way to enable/disable any telemetry on the dock itself. Will black-holing this server in my router’s DNS cause any operational issues with the dock?
Using the Ethernet port for network connection is indeed a good feature, and we will consider this in the next generation of products.
Regarding the remote log, I need to explain to you:
The device will not actively report the log
The device remote log only contains part of the error information when an error occurs
We can only enable the log after obtaining your consent and obtaining the SN of the device.
Regarding the device health report you mentioned, it only contains the counter of the device health operation cycle and does not contain any other information. If this port is disabled, the device will think that it cannot access the network service and will automatically restart.
If you have any questions about the use of the product, please feel free to contact us.
Thanks for the info, but some more details would be great - if only to alleviate any concerns.
Exactly what is logged in this error log? Does it contain IP addresses, SSIDs, PSKs or other sensitive information? Can I preview this data somewhere?
How are you able to enable the transmission of these logs based on device serial number? That would indicate that you can communicate with the device, or force the device to communicate with you.
Why does the dock need to be in constant communication with the dock-sync server in order to function? I use it for keeping time and monitoring my Home Assistant server - constant internet connectivity is not required. Also, if this was a simple network connectivity test you could do what everyone else does - send an ICMP PING to 1.1.1.1 or similar robust infrastructure. That would also ensure that my dock does not become an unusable brick if your server goes down, is ddosed or is otherwise unreachable. In my opinion, throwing the dock into a constant reboot loop if it can’t “phone home” is a very bad idea. There has to be a more robust way to handle this.
Please consider, for the next version of the firmware, adding a configuration option to disable all telemetry, remote logging, “health checks” etc.
Sorry if this comes off as paranoid or whiny, but with closed-source firmware and software like this it’s important to be transparent about what data is sent by the device and/or harvested by you - and to give users the option to opt out.
We understand your concern about privacy and data security. Here are some explanations for your concerns:
Privacy and Data Transparency
Data Collection Content:
The device only records non-sensitive system operation information (such as error code, hardware status, running time), and does not contain any personal privacy data (such as IP address, Wi-Fi password, SSID name).
All data is only used to improve product stability and push security updates, and will not be shared or sold.
User Control:
Privacy setting options will be added in subsequent firmware versions, allowing you to completely turn off telemetry, health check and remote logging functions.
Server Communication Necessity:
The device needs to communicate with the server to obtain system updates and basic operating status records. If the server connection is interrupted (such as DNS blocking), it may cause a short restart. We will optimize this issue in future versions.
Remote Log Mechanism:
Error logs are only generated when the device reports an error, and they will only be submitted and transmitted after you actively contact and authorize. They are only used for troubleshooting and will not be stored or monitored for a long time.
If you still have questions, please feel free to contact the support team. Thank you for your trust and supervision!