Sidewalk is the name of a new solution created by Amazon that aims to simplify the connection of low-power devices. In other words, various types of sensors and trackers, among others, will be able to benefit from this interesting, though somewhat controversial, offering, as it will be enabled by default on all compatible devices. So, here's everything you need to know about Sidewalk.
What is Amazon Sidewalk?
Let's start from the beginning, with the basics: what is Amazon Sidewalk? It's a new technology, or rather a new type of Wi-Fi network, that Amazon has created to facilitate connectivity between low-power devices over long distances. In other words, it eliminates the current limitations on communication between devices that are outside a certain range.
How Sidewalk works
Amazon Sidewalk's operation is very simple and not far from what Apple's Find My network does using the iPhone, iPad, etc., of its millions of users around the world.
Amazon Sidewalk consists of two types of devices . On one hand, there are those that act as bridges or nodes, currently such as Amazon Echo and Ring. On the other hand, there are those that will connect to these points, such as Tile. These small locators would be one of these devices that would simply benefit from Sidewalk, but would not contribute to expanding the network's coverage.
What coverage does it offer?
Amazon Sidewalk uses the 900 MHz band , which allows it to offer a theoretical coverage range of between 500 meters and 1,5 kilometers when combined with other devices. So, just like with Apple's Find My network, the more devices that can act as a bridge or connection node, the greater the coverage will be.
Here, luckily, Amazon has a very important user base with Amazon Echo in practically all the countries where the company operates. The same is not true of Apple, where while the iPhone and iPad are quite popular, mobile market share is still something that Android leads.
Endpoint Devices for Amazon Sidewalk
- Amazon Echo Dot (XNUMXrd generation and newer)
- Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (XNUMXrd generation and later)
- Amazon Echo Plus (all generations)
- Amazon Echo Show (all generations)
- Amazon Echo Show 5 (all generations)
- Amazon Echo Show 8 (all generations)
- Amazon EchoShow 10 (2020)
- Amazon Echo Spot (2017)
- Amazon Echo Studio (2018)
- Amazon Echo Spot (2018)
- Amazon Echo Entry (2019)
- Amazon Echo Flex (2019)
- Ring Floodlight Cam (2019)
- Ring Spotlight Cam Wired (2019)
Amazon Sidewalk will use your internet connection
Yes, Amazon Sidewalk will use your Internet connection to allow those products that connect to the node or bridge to take advantage of the network. But beware, this is the same thing that Apple's Find My does when your iPhone detects a product from another user: collect the information you provide and send it to the company's servers to then transmit that data to its owner.
Well, Amazon Sidewalk will do exactly the same and also completely anonymously so that neither the person who owns the access point or node nor the person who owns the device that connects to it has information about the other.
Furthermore, connection usage will be minimal. Don't expect them to be able to connect for browsing, watching online videos, etc. It will only be used to transmit these fragments of information and will never exceed 80 Kbps speed or 500 MB of data transferred per month.
Security and privacy
Going a little deeper into the topic of security and privacy, which is probably what interests you most: Amazon Sidewalk is built on several protocols that will allow for secure use of the network, and a technical document published on the company's website explains in more detail each and every one of the measures taken for this purpose.
Thus, together with encryption measures and minimizing the data collected so that only the minimum necessary for operation is transmitted, the Sidewalk network will not know the content of the packets or the commands that are sent through it. That is, again, like Apple's Find My network.
The latter is achieved thanks to three types of encryption that guarantee that only the desired party will have access to said data:
- Sidewalk application layer enables secure and private communication between the connection point and the application server.
- Sidewalk application layer protects the Sidewalk bundle from the hotspot wirelessly. The plain text data in this layer is accessible only to the endpoint and the Sidewalk Network Server (SNS).
- Flex Layer, which is added to the Sidewalk Gateway (GW), provides the SNS with a reliable reference of the time the message was received, and adds an additional layer of confidentiality to the packet. The plain text data in this layer is accessible only to the GW and SNS.
For you to understand easily, the user who enables his device as a network connection point will not see information related to other devices that use the Sidewalk network extension that he will create. In the same way, whoever accesses Sidewalk through another user's connection device will not see details or information about it either.
Everything will work anonymously, just like Find My. So, what controversy could Amazon Sidewalk generate or is already generating? Well, the first and most obvious is to think that they are going to be using your Internet connection as if they were connecting directly to your WiFi network. But that is not how we have explained to you.
Even so, it is true that like any other wireless connection protocol, it is true that at some point some type of vulnerability could occur that would end up affecting the security of users. Although it is also likely that it is easier for them to try to connect directly to the home network and not through them.
When will Sidewalk be available?
Amazon Sidewalk will begin to be used on June 8 in the United States and little by little it will reach the rest of the countries where the company operates. And yes, it will be an option that once it is available will be activated by default for everyone.
We admit that this is still not a good idea, that the company should introduce a notice or alert that explains to the user what it is, the benefits it provides and why maintaining said feature can be interesting for him and the rest of the users.
However, we understand that there are those who are most jealous of their privacy and do not want to have active any function that they are not going to use or believe is unattractive to them. In that case, you just have to do the following
How to disable Amazon Sidewalk
To disable Amazon Sidewalk from your Amazon Echo, Ring or any other device that supports it now or in the future, all you have to do is the following:
- Open the Alexa app on your mobile phone
- Go to the More section
- Now go to Settings and then Account Settings
- If you already have Amazon Sidewalk active you will see it there
- Touch deactivate it and that's it
As you can see, it is very simple and although we understand that this option is necessary for some, there are other companies that activate similar things, they do not say anything or give an option, it is known that they still have them, it seems that they can do what they want.