legit mf217w firmware?

[sandyt]

A couple months ago, I updated my mf217w firmware directly from the printer to 11.03.  However, the latest firmware posted on Canon support website is still 11.02 two months later.

I would like Canon to confirm that 11.03 is the official firmware and that they just forgot to post it on their support website.

Or do I have to worry that hackers have penetrated Canon's updating server and whatever personal information I printed/scanned/faxed would be compromised.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

No one has hacked into anything.  The FW is legitimate.  Canon didn't forget to post the FW.  Sometimes newer releases are made available for download sooner than they might get posted to the website.  Very common occurence.  

[Patrice]

Hi sandyt.

The firmware version 11.03 is the latest firmware update for the printer. The updates are released to the printers first, and it will be listed on the website in the near future. At this time, there is no ETA as to when it will be listed on the website, but you are currently using the most up to date firmware.

If you have any other questions, please call us at 1-800-OK-CANON (652-2666), Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET (excluding holidays).

[sandyt]

I actually have a problem with this explanation (rather than just simply forgetting to update the website) because it means I am an unwitting beta tester.

You can tell the firmware developers that I had a problem with the 11.03 updating itself. The printer won't finished updating the firmware. I actually did the unthinkable and turned off the printer after 10 minutes mid-firmware update.

I turned the printer back on and it was fine.

[sandyt]

A proper way to do with is:

(1) post BETA firmware on website and clearly identify BETA

(2) identify what is being fixed in the BETA firmware and warn users that unless you have that specific problem you want to fix right away, stay away from the BETA firmware because it can BRICK your printer.

(3) ONLY AFTER firmware finished BETA testing, the company would enable direct to printer firmware update to the release version.

Right now, Canon is doing it completely backward.  I got a BETA firmware update directly from the printer WITHOUT any warning.

[sandyt]

It's been 6 months since I started this thread and 8 months since I got the BETA firmware update without warning.

The BETA firmware remains in BETA.

End users are still unwittingly updating their printers with BETA firmware without warning and express consent of end user.

Will Canon remove Google Cloud Print in their printer firmware now that GCP will be closed down by the end of the year? It will certainly be good security practice to remove GCP from the firmware next year.