FCC defines consumer routers expansively, updates FAQ to include Wi-Fi hotspots.
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FCC says ban on foreign-made routers includes portable Wi-Fi hotspots
- Thread starter JournalBot
- Start date
This feels like fine graining things based on what they think the general public won't notice should any given company refuse to pay the bribe to get their product blessed. Routers, so many people use the ISP provided router they probably won't notice anything. Dedicated hotspots are also pretty niche AFAIK. But people would definitely notice if their phone could no longer act as a hotspot.
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Railroading people into the US into certain brands with no actual justification is just a way to get bribes. I hate current Netgear stuff, and I enjoy using my Unifi Dream Router.
It's so irresponsible to force people to abandon perfectly good gear next year unless their manufacturer bribes the government, because I guarantee there's no actual data driven info behind this decision. This admin is too stupid to do that.
It's so irresponsible to force people to abandon perfectly good gear next year unless their manufacturer bribes the government, because I guarantee there's no actual data driven info behind this decision. This admin is too stupid to do that.
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Is there any router, consumer or not, which came out in the past 10 years, that was wholly manufactured in the US?
Given the modern day tech supply chain being what it is, I don't think it's possible in the short or even medium term for a router to comply with this requirement.
Which means that the administration is basically going to be giving out exemptions on an individual basis.
So this is less of a ban but arbitrary application of the rules.
Given the modern day tech supply chain being what it is, I don't think it's possible in the short or even medium term for a router to comply with this requirement.
Which means that the administration is basically going to be giving out exemptions on an individual basis.
So this is less of a ban but arbitrary application of the rules.
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This is not a defense of this policy, because it's obviously horseshit since it's consumer gear only, you can pay your way around it, and it does nothing to actually address the issue but they get to beat their chest while screaming MURICA.
However, SOHO routers have an abysmal track record. and since they're the thing actually sitting on the internet in a home network, they're the thing that's going to be compromised. And they definitely do get compromised in the real world.
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Are we sure this is 'bribe' related? I'm sure we can come up with a better conspiracy theory.
How about... "They" are forcing everyone to use ISP provided routers (since it's consumer only) that have firmware that has been 'modified' so Palantir/ICE can more easily track/spy on domestic "enemies" ?
/s
How about... "They" are forcing everyone to use ISP provided routers (since it's consumer only) that have firmware that has been 'modified' so Palantir/ICE can more easily track/spy on domestic "enemies" ?
/s
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Requiring manufacturing in the US but not requiring sourcing the parts in the US doesn't even even any provide sort of national security benefit, which is the justification they're using. There's no difference between assembling foreign parts abroad or foreign parts here.
Apparently companies will also have to stop making firmware updates available in the US for already existing products. Great national security benefit there to make people choose between running unupdated routers or resorting to finding firmware updates via third parties.
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Hold on to (or buy) equipment that can run OpenWRT. Then dare them to pry the updates from your cold, dead hands.
“As we set out this year to defeat the divisive forces that would take freedom away, I want to say those fighting words for everyone within the sound of my voice to hear and to heed, and especially for you, Mr. Carr: ‘From my cold, dead hands!’”
OpenWRT Table of (Subversive) Hardware can be found here.
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Glad someone posted this.
There will definitely be a lawsuit. You can't just wail "national security" and expect to avoid scrutiny.
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Well... Not just bribes... They also get pretty good value from baked in backdoors and surveillance.
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They don't. Presumably Netgate's devices aren't "consumer" and the community versions are installed on your own hardware. What are they going to do, block all computers with networking?
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Anyone still claiming this is about “security” is a damned liar. This is about Netgear and Amazon wanting to exclude competition (read TPlink) from the market because they’re incapable of competing fairly, but even our hopelessly corrupt courts would balk at an explicit bill of attainder.
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does this applied only to new sales or to installed base? Are we at risk of having to disconnect our home Wi-Fi hardware?
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The FCC has already implied they’re going to move next to ban software updates to existing routers so you do the math.
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If that was true, then I would expect that they'd have given approval to other companies.
I'm sure that TPlink will probably be allowed once they "give a donation" to Trump.
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ubercurmudgeon
Ars Tribunus Militum
That's a nice niche you've got there. It'd be a shame if anything......... happened to it.
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It appears I ordered that set of hotspots just in time. Now, getting them set up is another matter... because AT&T's corporate account management is just the worst.
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Not only does this make no sense, but they keep conflating Wi-Fi access and routing. Yes, I know that most consumers don't know the difference, but I would hope federal policy would be applied based on technical definitions, not popular perception.
Ah, who am I kidding…
Ah, who am I kidding…
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Normally I have the same complaint, but in this case it's almost accurate because the only devices they're going to go after are going to be AIO devices that are routers and APs. And there's no technical justification for why some devices are included and others aren't, so being correct wouldn't help anything.
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Considering that Netgear began offering hotspots several years ago, this is not really surprising, although it is definitely disappointing.
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Does the cellphone have 2 buttons on the right side and 1 button on the left? Banned!
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Definitely looks that way to me. I got rid of my ISP's garbage Amazon router and replaced it with the TP Link Decos. Zero reliability issues since I did that. The Amazon routers would randomly drop the connection 4-5 times a day.
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The Most Transparent(ly corrupt) Presidency Ever.
There's always a 'quiet part' with Republicans slogans and their agendas. And it's also always the most important part of what they're really doing. Here are a few more, just for fun.
Won't Someone Think of (ways to further abuse and exploit) the Children.
The Government Doesn't Work (and we're the cause of it).
See also: The Government is Broken (because we broke it).
Free Speech (for us, not for you).
Freedom of Religion (as long as we agree with it).
And so on, and so forth....
There's always a 'quiet part' with Republicans slogans and their agendas. And it's also always the most important part of what they're really doing. Here are a few more, just for fun.
Won't Someone Think of (ways to further abuse and exploit) the Children.
The Government Doesn't Work (and we're the cause of it).
See also: The Government is Broken (because we broke it).
Free Speech (for us, not for you).
Freedom of Religion (as long as we agree with it).
And so on, and so forth....
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They don't. 99.999% of consumers nor the government know anything about pfsense or opnsense.
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This says consumer. If Mikrotik rebrands all of their stuff to enterprise, can they still sell it widely?
Loophole could be just upgrading the capabilities of all routers to be dual-use.
Loophole could be just upgrading the capabilities of all routers to be dual-use.
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The thing that bugs me the most about this is that it takes genuine areas of concern (core infrastructure vulnerabilities and the ability to domestically produce core infrastructure) and then just plays Calvinball with the whole situation.
The fact it only applies to consumer devices is even more ridiculous. A legitimate security concern is botnets derived from outdated and vulnerable consumer routers, but this wouldn't do anything to prevent that.
The fact it only applies to consumer devices is even more ridiculous. A legitimate security concern is botnets derived from outdated and vulnerable consumer routers, but this wouldn't do anything to prevent that.
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Bribe? it could be that those companies financed Trump's campaign or sponsored his inauguration, which is apparently all good, and not a conflict of interest that should repulse voters.
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If anything, it successfully abandons managing commercial-grade offerings and may increase the retention of old, unsupported hardware that underpins the botnets by providing an opportunity for raising prices due to a smaller number of vendors in the market! But doing it right might actually guide us toward support requirements, consumer protection, and reasonable assessments of technological supply chains.
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My current "router" is pfsense, running in a vm on proxmox. Proxmox is running on a dell r740. I'd ask if I was legal if I cared.... But I'm guessing none of the morons making this crap up would even understand the first sentence.
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