US bans sale of all *new model* non-US made wifi routers

[Notconnected]

Safety being used as an excuse to control products, just like age verification is about the children. Just more control mechanisims.

The FCC has set up a conditional approval process that, on paper, lets manufacturers apply for exemptions. In practice, it's not a security review. The application requires "a detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States," documentation of "committed and planned capital expenditures" for US-based production, and quarterly status updates on onshoring progress. If you're approved, you get a temporary exemption, typically up to 18 months.

Notice what's not in that list: security testing, independent code audits, vulnerability disclosure requirements, or any technical evaluation of whether the router is actually safe. A manufacturer could build the most thoroughly audited, security-hardened router on the planet, and if it's assembled in Vietnam without plans to be manufactured in the United States, it can't get authorized. A router assembled in Texas with the exact same firmware, the same Chinese-made chipset, and the same global open-source software stack would sail through. The process is asking "are you willing to move production to America?", not "is this router secure?"

 

[Notconnected]

And if state-sponsored hacking via consumer networking equipment is the actual concern, the scope of this ban is oddly narrow. Routers aren't the only devices on your home network with a foreign-made chipset and a firmware stack that could theoretically be compromised. Managed switches, wireless access points, NAS devices, smart home hubs, IoT sensors, all of them run software, all of them connect to your network, and almost all of them are manufactured overseas. If a TP-Link router is a national security risk because it could be compromised by a foreign state, then so is a TP-Link smart plug, a TP-Link security camera, or for that matter, a Hisense TV with a microphone. The FCC didn't touch any of those.

 

[Notconnected]

So Asus are already jumping though hoops for the powers that be,
may be they should get a pass on the router ban, seems they are bending over backwards to make their firmware available for audits since 2016, when the FTC settled with the company over security flaws in its routers that left hundreds of thousands of consumers exposed. The default login credentials on every Asus router were "admin" and "admin," and a vulnerability in its cloud storage feature led to hackers accessing over 12,900 consumers' connected storage devices. Asus agreed to 20 years of independent security audits as part of the settlement.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

And if state-sponsored hacking via consumer networking equipment is the actual concern, the scope of this ban is oddly narrow. Routers aren't the only devices on your home network with a foreign-made chipset and a firmware stack that could theoretically be compromised. Managed switches, wireless access points, NAS devices, smart home hubs, IoT sensors, all of them run software, all of them connect to your network, and almost all of them are manufactured overseas. If a TP-Link router is a national security risk because it could be compromised by a foreign state, then so is a TP-Link smart plug, a TP-Link security camera, or for that matter, a Hisense TV with a microphone. The FCC didn't touch any of those.

They're either executing on the vague "concept" of a plan, or to increase the wealth of their money for their 1% billionaire buddies. Not sure. Might be both.

 

[KevTech]

I wonder how this will affect cable ISP gateways as they are a modem and a router.

 

[Tech9]

Regardless of connection technology most subscribers use ISP provided gateways not designed or made in the US. In theory under current conditions all xDSL, Cable, Fiber, 4G/5G gateways have to be replaced at some point. Lets say 100 million subscribers with $100 device each... some $10 billion extra expense and someone else have to pay. No big deal. We've burned >$4 billion to circle around the Moon once and many people here on the Earth who wonder what they are going to eat today were watching it live on TV.

 

[Notconnected]

I wonder how this will affect cable ISP gateways as they are a modem and a router.

Would the ISP 's not be considered business / commercial and as such be exempt from the ban.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

Would the ISP 's not be considered business / commercial and as such be exempt from the ban.

They're not the builders of these routers. China currently is.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

.We've burned >$4 billion to circle around the Moon once and many people here on the Earth who wonder what they are going to eat today were watching it live on TV.

I heard they brought RTRHTR v1.7 with them in the capsule to stay warm during their journey. I also heard through the grapevine that they used it to BBQ a few times as well. Glad we could make a difference!

 

[Notconnected]

They're not the builders of these routers. China currently is.

Yes, but does the import ban chinese made routers for the business market as well as the consumer market.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

Yes, but does the import ban chinese made routers for the business market as well as the consumer market.

No, ISPs are affected as well because this hardware is considered "consumer-grade".

 

[Tech9]

I expect to see in Canada some of the "unsafe" for the US gateways. Xfinity for example is on both sides of the border now and many other ISPs using the same cable network infrastructure provide similar gateways to their customers. Someone will figure out how to recover some damage. We already have most models certified in Canada, firmware update for compliance and ready to go.

 

[fruitcornbread]

FCC just announced today that Netgear and Adtran have conditional approval until October 1, 2027.

https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist#conditional-approvals

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-routers-uas-conditional-approvals

 

[KevTech]

FCC just announced today that Netgear and Adtran have conditional approval until October 1, 2027.

Interesting that the cable modems/gateways are on the approval list too.
I thought the ban was just about routers but maybe it also pertains to cable modems and gateways as well.