… does America even manufacture routers?
The FCC decided that all foreign-made consumer-grade Internet routers are prohibited from receiving FCC authorization and are therefore prohibited from being imported for use or sale in the US.
Submitted 2 weeks ago by floofloof@lemmy.ca to technology@lemmy.world
https://infosec.exchange/@briankrebs/116280575943263005
Comments
TowardsTheFuture@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
We don’t lol
Electronics manufacture of any kind has been heavily outsourced since at least 1995.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
That only means we’re going to take over a country that makes routers.
atropa@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Do they know what a router is ?
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
It depends on their version the fcc is considering “manufactured”. If they mean it in a literal sense, there’s pretty much just starlink. If they mean it can be an American company but put together overseas then there’s plenty, like Netgear and Linksys.
14th_cylon@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
linksys is owned by foxconn since 2018, the times when they were cheap brand of cisco are long gone.
SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
I think the last time that was the case, they were called modems and made by US Robotics.
Shortly after the chips and components started coming from Japan and eventually Taiwan.
teft@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
If foreign made routers pose a severe cybersecurity risk then why would you let the current ones on the market stay? If they were truly a problem you’d remove them from the market, not grandfather them.
But like everything with this capricious administration the real reason they’re doing this is probably because someone greased their palms.
InnerScientist@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
doesn’t cover ISP or commercial equipment
The foreign backdoors will stay for critical infrastructure
n7gifmdn@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Honestly it feels like they get their Intel from memes.
hperrin@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Awesome. So what used to be a $50 router is about to be a $150 router. Great.
some_designer_dude@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
And it’s going to suck BALLS
cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
$150 will get you a mini PC that you can run OPNsense on. Hopefully they don’t ban WiFi access points next.
14th_cylon@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
there is not much wifi access points that are not routers at the same time and i doubt that said regulation would make such a minor a distinction.
unfortunately we can only guess, because only official document i have found is as vague as the news reports.
www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist
Routers^ produced in a foreign country, except routers which have been granted a Conditional Approval by DoW or DHS.
gibmiser@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Conditional approvals - it’s a bribe scheme. Companies can ask for exceptions. Sure they wouldn’t Grease any palms…
SleeplessCityLights@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
They bulit the bribe into the law: “Producers of consumer-grade routers that receive Conditional Approval from DoW or DHS can continue to receive FCC equipment authorizations. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit applications to conditional-approvals@fcc.gov.”
floofloof@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
So the application process is “drop us an email and we’ll tell you where to deposit the money.”
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Next up, foreign VPNs and shortwave radios are illegal to use.
Then phone calls are restricted.
Then international mail has to be inspected and censored.
All hail Chairman Trump!
USA USA 👊🇺🇸🔥
Quexotic@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260312
Compromised devices already comprise what amounts to a foothold within US network infrastructure that makes attribution of actors and defense of critical infrastructure impossible.
It’s actually a really good situation for China since they have access to millions of these compromised devices in police stations, fire stations, hospitals, within critical infrastructure networks etc.
Also, the equivalent of mail censorship is already being done by more subtle means.
The US is more fucked than you know. I just hope the US doesn’t piss china off too much. The asymmetric warfare will claim more lives of civilians than combatants.
jobbies@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
[deleted]DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Sorry I don’t have white privilage.
White dudes voted him in, this aint on me.
FrankFrankson@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Well tell us your four point plan about how to overthrow the US government and take back control. You can base it on one of the numerous revolutions you have obviously been a part of. It’s not like you are just some asshole who doesn’t really know anything about it and you are just greatly oversimplifying the situation…that couldn’t be it.
gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
The excuse that it’s for security reasons just immediately falls apart when you get to this part of the article:
The notice from the FCC states that companies can apply for conditional approval for new products from the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security. However, that requires the businesses to provide a plan for shifting at least some of their manufacturing to the US in order to receive that conditional approval.
So it’s fine to supposedly threaten national security if you do some more manufacturing in the US? Uh-huh. How does that balance out exactly?
Angrydeuce@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The unwritten part is where Trump gets a free gold plated golf cart or some other stupid shit to sweeten the deal.
Its grift allllll the way down.
rumba@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I hate to say anything that would defend any of this, but cheap Chinese routers are very prone to security issues. There’s a guy that has a youtube channel built arond taking apart and reverse engineering all kids of electroncis. He’s found some pretty bad stuff in generic routers, static logins, telemetry sent home, remote executable code in the admin portal while not logged in.
I agree there’s a lot more here they hope to gain, and that those gains are their primary objective, but there are some real issues from consumer network electronics.
AA5B@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
That may be true and is certainly a well known concern …. Yet given the US government’s recent history, I have a hard time believing much of what they say
Cheap Chinese routers as a risk being true doesn’t prevent it from also being true that the current us administration is full of shit and likely more concerned about enriching someone connected to them
gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
There’s better ways to do it then, EU don’t have that problem for example, and we buy plenty from China.
We just have safety and security standards enshrined into law, and don’t deal with anyone that doesn’t agree to follow them.
It’s why some products have the C€ symbol on them, which is “this has been imported, and meets all legal requirement”
some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
If I read this right it goes beyond the cheap no-name Chinese stuff that we hopefully all know to avoid by now. This would prevent US companies from outsourcing manufacture to foreign countries, which pretty much all companies do at this point
MortUS@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
In the Age of Technology and AI, it does make sense to have any manufacturing operations in house than overseas. Ofc if there were countries we could trust that would be onpar as well, but the U.S. pretty much shit the bed on alliances.
gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Sounds like it’s just a modern version of Indulgences to me.
You have all sinned against
GodAmerica, but if you pay the donation to thechurchgovernment then you will be given access to heaven
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
This only applies to routers.
It’s not widely known outside the ham radio community, but part of the 2.4GHz wifi band overlaps the 13cm amateur radio band. If you turn off 5GHz wifi and lock the 2.4GHz AP to Channel 1, it qualifies as a ham radio, and can be sold as a ham radio instead of an AP/Router. You do need a ham radio license to operate it as a Ham AP, but you do not need a license to buy a Ham AP.
If the end user wants to turn on 5GHz after the fact, there is not a damn thing the FCC can do about it.
evil_andy@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
But you can’t run encryption on it. So that means no WEP, no WPA, no SSL, TLS, VPN, etc.
So yes, while you could run your own wireless access point, it doesn’t solve the main requirement for most people which is privacy.
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
You aren’t understanding my point.
My point is that you can continue toimport and sell the exact same physical device, just with a little change in marketing, and possibly software.
My point is this: Once you have acquired the device, there is fuck all the FCC can do about you converting your “ham radio” back into a consumer-grade router.
floofloof@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
That deals with the need for a WiFi access point, but not the main router functionality. Another approach would be a low-power PC with a
sturmblast@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Lol nice
Pulsar@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The only explanation that makes sense to me is that this is a law to:
- get bribes or favors from telecom equipment manufacturers.
- Create a framework to force backdoors into consumer equipment.
- Force users to use ISP provided equipment.
notthebees@reddthat.com 2 weeks ago
ISP provided equipment is also made outside of the US. This affects way more than just telecom stuff
WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
but does ISP provided equipment count as consumer grade?
trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf 2 weeks ago
Create a framework to force backdoors into consumer equipment. Ding ding ding
First thought upon seeing this headline. How long until we see the great firewall of USA?
Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Yes, everything trump does is a request for a bribe.
homes@piefed.world 2 weeks ago
WHAT
melsaskca@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Even more isolationism. Knowing how the usa works, they discovered the equipment was set up for spying on their people and they want all of that “spying on their own people” power for themselves.
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
they want all of that “spying on their own people” power for themselves.
My assumption as well, after after the video release in the Guthrie case, we know objectively that every device with a microphone or camera and a wireless connection is spying on us and feeding the data to the US government without a warrant too.
wabasso@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Can you link to the evidence from the Guthrie case?
I’ve always figured it was theoretically possible. Interested in any cases of it in the wild.
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yup. That’s basically what happened with TikTok.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Force consumers into US made, AI-laden, crappy hardware full of backdoors for the regime.
0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Gold colored Trump Router incoming
cmbabul@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Dude don’t give them ideas, I live here
rumba@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
TBF the more stupid ideas we give them, the less time they have to do really bad things
reddit_sux@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
A promise of it not the actual router.
Paranoidfactoid@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I can understand the FTC being involved because trade. But the FCC? Maybe regulatory authority over WiFi? But thus seems like massive over reach.
Remember when conservatives claimed to support smaller government?
DarkFuture@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Remember when conservatives claimed to support smaller government?
I only remember when conservatives lied everytime they opened their mouths.
shane@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
Yeah, Reagan was always talking about small government, and then he blew up the deficit with unchecked spending. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
halowpeano@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I mean… “Small government” Republicans were always demonstrably lying, as far back as any of them have been alive. Every one of them just wanted to shift money from things that support people to the pockets of their donors.
floofloof@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
How about the bit where they say home routers have to be approved by the DHS or the “Department of War”? This is not normal.
badgermurphy@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
They still do claim that, but every federal republican administration since I have been born has spent more than it brought in, and has a less fiscally conservative record than every administration from the other major party, whom they tarred as fiscally irresponsible the entire time. I am almost 50.
tabular@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
[deleted]MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
But that would be a sensible approch and strengthen the consumer. Not in the interest of the oligarchy.
Codpiece@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
First routers, then foreign operating systems, then cars…
w3ird_sloth@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Use openwrt.
Zedd_Prophecy@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Build your own open WRT router or get one of theirs. It’s the best way to go and you don’t get dragged through the monthly fee wringer for stupid child security or other stuff that is not well designed.
itisileclerk@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
But in fact USA and Israel are the countries that spy on anyone. I am more concern about USA and Israel spying than from India and China. In this point in history USA and Israel are the enemy of the world.
ieGod@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
You can always get your own non-router hardware of significantly higher quality and run PFSense or similar for an end result that blows any consumer grade router out of the water. Unless they start banning all PCs this is the better way to go anyway.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Unintentionally shutting down ai data centers. Lol, we know this will only be selectively enforced!
echodot@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
Does the US really make their own routers pretty much all electronics come from the China.
I suspect what’s going to happen is that the components will come from China and then some white label manufacturer will just put them together in the US, therefore they were “made” in the US so are okay. But it’ll be literally the same chips and circuit board and firmware as before.
KindnessIsPunk@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Manufactured probable cause.
Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Outsourcing of maufactoring work is forbidden now? LOL
apftwb@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
TPLink needed to get their shit in order for years. This is the result.
KulunkelBoom@lemmus.org 2 weeks ago
Thus assuring the American public of using shitty American made junk filled with who knows what spyware, and paying two or three times what the piece of junk is worth.
So… who’s getting the kickbacks out of this deal? Let me guess… does it wear a lot of orange makeup?
sturmblast@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ll just keep building my own
REDACTED@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Isn’t Mikrotik commonly used for servers? Or is that just Europe?
SleeplessCityLights@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I have done a couple similar setups. Fun facts: cell towers have asymmetrical signal and if you are too close, your signal is bad. Those are hard ones to explain to farmers that have towers installed on their properties.
PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Good luck Americans!
Prove_your_argument@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
This is just their way of saying they want state sponsored backdoors into all private home networks.
OwOarchist@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
Or, guess what, the next thing will be that all new domestically produced routers will require ID verification before they’ll connect.
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
every 6 hours.
floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
They don’t want to, they already have it and just don’t want people to be able to avoid it.
en.wikipedia.org/…/Communications_Assistance_for_…