You can keep using your existing router.

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.

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
      5·
      1 month ago

      Sounds… like a bit of a pain in the ass.

      So, I imagine we’re talking about a linux micro-pc with perhaps 1 or 2 additional pcix networking cards?

  • ramble81@lemmy.zip
    38·
    1 month ago

    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.

  • unmagical@lemmy.ml
    32·
    1 month ago

    It is possible (and now probably encouraged) to run router software on an old PC. You can also slot in a PCIE nic or connect it too a hardware switch and AP for more flexibility and control.

    This won’t stop your ISP from spying on you, but it will stop your American router manufacturer from spying on you.

  • pHr34kY@lemmy.world
    32·
    1 month ago

    Many people will soon find joy in slapping a 4-port NIC into an old PC and learning nftables, BIND9 and kea.

    • Malfeasant@lemmy.world
      2·
      1 month ago

      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.

  • unmagical@lemmy.ml
    25·
    1 month ago

    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.

    • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
      3·
      1 month ago

      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…

      • Etterra@discuss.onlineEnglish
        2·
        1 month ago

        We’ll see what happens after the inevitable wave if lawsuits grinds its way through the courts.

      • Malfeasant@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 month ago

        How many strictly wired routers are there anymore? (Somewhat rhetorical question, but I am a little curious)

        • LordCrom@lemmy.world
          1·
          1 month ago

          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.

          • Malfeasant@lemmy.world
            1·
            1 month ago

            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.

            • LordCrom@lemmy.world
              1·
              30 days ago

              Oh i cant remember the last time i even saw a consumer router without wifi.

              Kinda interesting since i know 1 guy who took a laptop with a broken screen, ripped it off, and used it as a firewall .

              Wish more people knew that routers arent magical devices.

  • CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world
    18·
    1 month ago

    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.

    • Zacpod@lemmy.world
      7·
      1 month ago

      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.”

    • Psythik@lemmy.world
      3·
      1 month ago

      Seriously, how hard is it to write a blanket, “No spyware allowed in electronics whatsoever” law and call it a day?

  • garbage_world@lemmy.world
    10·
    1 month ago

    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.

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    9·
    1 month ago

    looks dubious

    I mean, I don’t disagree that there are security risks posed by random consumer broadband routers. It is definitely the case that unmaintained — not intentionally shipped with malware — routers have been a real security problem in the past. My own view is that the current set of conventions, which often has very poor or no security on devices on the LAN and thus relies on the router to keep bad stuff out, is a very real part of that problem, but sure, having a secure router is part of that.

    However.

    I’d say that the majority of the threats that a router poses are also posed by any device on the LAN that can call out to the Internet. Like, you aren’t doing a lot to secure devices on the LAN if you ban routers and then I can still go buy random gadget from wherever that can get on the WiFi or wired Ethernet network and phone home, take instructions from home, and can talk to other devices on the LAN. I mean, are you also going to ban, say, smart televisions? Ethernet-connected security cameras? I mean, poorly-secured network-connected cameras have posed very real threats in places like Ukraine, where military intelligence has actively exploited them to get information about an area come conflict.

    And I just don’t think that we’re going to commit to locking that down.

    • Barbecue Cowboy@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      3·
      1 month ago

      They did a first pass on banning security cameras many years ago. It was maybe the test bed, I can definitely see that one getting revisited. They only banned two major manufacturers that had kinda already been caught as a major security concern.

      It’s why you don’t see hikvision or dahua anymore where they used to be major players.

  • masterofn001@lemmy.ca
    4·
    1 month ago

    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.