The US claims foreign-made routers pose national security risks.
In December, the Federal Communications Commission banned all future drones made in foreign countries from being imported into the United States, unless or until their maker gets an exemption. Now, the FCC has done the exact same for consumer networking gear, citing “an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.”
If you already have a Wi-Fi or wired router, you can keep on using it — and companies that have already gotten FCC radio authorization for a specific foreign-made product can continue to import that product.
But since the vast majority — if not all — consumer routers are manufactured outside the United States, the vast majority of future consumer routers are now banned. By adding all foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List, the FCC is saying it will no longer authorize their radios, which de facto bans new devices from import into the country.
I was hoping to hold off on upgrading my modem and router until at least one of them died. Considering the nature of the Regime, I should just bite the bullet and spend some of my savings. That money will lose value anyways.
Costco is selling an BE19000 router for about $240. That is a bit cheaper than the same thing on Amazon.
Dear American government, I have a better idea: Ban proprietary software on routers. You can even go a bit further and ban proprietary OSes totally. This way nobody will spy on your citizens without their knowledge.
I don’t think they are listening
Their AI is, but it’s simply rating that comment as a -4.31 patriotic sentiment score and updating databases accordingly
Well, I tried to get y’all to stock up on drones a year ago
Unrelated: drones make a great Christmas gift for that recently laid off, benefits denied, recently diagnosed with a disease caused by known carcinogens in their everything, injured at work, under paid and exploited person you know.
Get em before they’re deemed a safety hazard and pulled from shelves.
For some reason the above comment gives an error of Error when viewed outside my comments.
https://lemmy.ca/post/34476205/13234882
Maybe I made them ban drones:
I may have suggested some things.
You may have to copy and paste that link - voyager refuses to open it.
OPNSense and a 2 NIC PC are all you need.
The covered list notes they use the National Security Determination definition of router which is as follows:
Routers: For the purpose of this determination, the term “Routers” is defined by National Institute of Science and Technology’s Internal Report 8425A to include consumer-grade networking devices that are primarily intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer. Routers forward data packets, most commonly Internet Protocol (IP) packets, between networked systems
So enterprise devices (which is where an attacker would focus their attention if they were looking for large payouts or political leverage) don’t count, nor do APs or switches. That really just seems like an excuse to have a platform for the Feds to spy on their citizens.
Also, since when does the FCC have jurisdiction over wired routers? Like the post text explicitly says they will not authorize radios, which wired routers don’t have…
How many strictly wired routers are there anymore? (Somewhat rhetorical question, but I am a little curious)
Enterprise grade routers are different from the typical consumer wifi router. In large companies, wired only routers are it. Youll have differnt ports and different media, but wifi is usually a different set of equipment.
Yeah but I think this legislation is targeting consumer grade equipment, professional tends to be more expensive than consumers are willing to spend, so I wasn’t really considering it part of the equation.
We’ll see what happens after the inevitable wave if lawsuits grinds its way through the courts.
Nail on the head
It’s always projection. This means the dark empire is weaponizing commercial drones and wifi routers and everything else. They don’t want anyone to do to them, what they will now do to you.
That was exactly my thought. “Oh, this means thar the US has Spyware on the routers produced inside the USA, and any US drone has killswitches built in.”
Yup. You’ll need to insert your ID into the US govt approved router as well
United on Spying on our Asses.
Wait, it talks about FCC radio authorization. However that doesn’t make it a router, just an access point. Quite a few routers (thinking the Pro-sumer Uniquiti UXG models) don’t even have radios and aren’t wireless so there’s no radio they can withhold certification on. This could affect AIOs but all you’d have to do is separate your router from your AP.
Definitely sounds like a quickly thrown out, half baked shakedown (bribe) measure with something they could control (radio authorization) and just targeted routers since that’s a common place they are.
Ah yes, more security holes incoming. Gotta love maglomania (not sure if that is the correct word?)
magalomania. 😀
Haha I am not certain that is correct, but it’s what i’m gonna use from now on for sure 😁
They COULD just regulate these things…
Seriously, how hard is it to write a blanket, “No spyware allowed in electronics whatsoever” law and call it a day?
Nooooooo! The free market hates regulation.
But, loves… banning? Wait, that can’t be right…
Many people will soon find joy in slapping a 4-port NIC into an old PC and learning nftables, BIND9 and kea.
You don’t even need all that, if you’re just doing wifi routing, one wired nic and one wifi card will do, if you want wired routing too, just one more nic will do, then use a dumb switch to get the multiple ports.
It’s nftables little Bobby Tables’ brother?
I will find joy in learning about all of these things now.
Thank you!
At least this bans isreali routers
They will get an exemption, if they don’t have it already.
Let me guess, Don Jr. conveniently started a router company yesterday?
until their maker gets an exemption
Ah, yes, how to ask for a bribe 101.
So… can I still flash custom firmware like OPNsense and Openwrt on them? Cause I literally just posted about hardware decision a few days ago 😭
Edit: It seems the article and actual FCC document will leave previous router models alone, but anything newer is cooked… Even the US brands like Cisco aren’t actually manufactured here because we fucking outsource evrything. I hate this government.
You can just buy one of those SBCs with two RJ45 ports that can be used as routers, i doubt that those will be banned.
Or just a PCIe nic in an old desktop
