USA FCC Import Ban on Foreign Manufactured Routers

FCC Notice

This is a formal notice from the FCC that blocks new consumer router models on national security grounds and forbids software updates to older models starting in 2027. The notice states that exceptions will be made for manufacturers that move some of their production to factories in the USA. It is my understanding that this applies to any product that can run RouterOS and is sold to end users. Other manufacturers are likely in the same situation.

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For example Ubiquiti is manufacturing its products in China and Vietnam, Netgear in Vietnam, Taiwan…and so on. I think these companies will protest against that process.

Probably there is some small product or part that they manufacture in the USA, and being a US company they probably get an exception.

It is interesting that it is the usual Trump MAGA b*llshit: “a supply chain vulnerability that could disrupt the U.S. economy, critical infrastructure, and national defense”, not something about a risk that operating such equipment could cause to national security.

The problem of supply chain vulnerability exists in Europe just as well, and politicians that thing the adverse effects of years of “politics advocating globalism” can still be reversed must be extremely naive.

Even when you could easily setup a factory that assembles devices like routers from parts, it is simply impossible to do that only with locally produced parts. All European parts manufacturers have been closed or sold.

(we used to have Philips, that made everything from small electronics parts and chips to complete devices in any field of electronics, but it has all been split up and sold off)

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Being outside the US, what they decide to do is of little concern to me…

Except…

What if Mikrotik were offered a way back into the US market if they were kind enough to include a back door?

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I agree. Instead of banning and make meaningless rules, there should be set up reasonable processes they fit to the current situation and the possibilities of the country.

This is barmy, utterly barmy

The idea worth TRUMPets (*).

(*)
In Poland the word "trumpet" is used to gently describe stupid people.

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The new era of unregulated smuggled routers.
Fun.

Not really banned:

The determination included an exemption for routers that the Department of War (DoW) or the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have granted “Conditional Approval” after finding that
such device or devices do not pose such unacceptable risks. Producers of consumer-grade routers
are encouraged to submit an application for Conditional Approval using the guidance attached to the
determination.

And becasue of Vault 7 Mikrotik products are automatically in non banned list :sweat_smile:

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Enlighten us…

Money quote:

Qualifies ROS devices for non banned list.

Get it? :slightly_smiling_face:

If you read the follow-ups from Mikrotik, the vulnerability was patched aeons ago

I think you really missed the emoji.

Ban specifically mentions consumer grade routers, Mikrotik is pretty far from being consumer router

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Curses! I’m a consumer and I never knew. What should I do with several working Mikrotik routers?

If router doesn’t have one port labeled as “Internet or WAN” and colorful quick start guide in the box with it, then 99.999 of consumers will return it back to Amazon

Your data source being…?

Please stop with the silly generalisations without meaningful bearing on the topic.

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That’s quite fitting. In my native tongue we have a Tagalog word TRUMPo, aka a spinning top, which is an allegory to a crazy person that’s spiraling out of control.

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I’m staying more on topic than you are​:joy:

The FCC uses NIST Internal Report 8425A to define “routers” as consumer-grade networking devices that are primarily intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer… Mikrotik will certainly not qualify

Your proposition is that this applies only to consumer routers (the Mikrotik hAP series, for example).

This is the relevant definition of scope:

Definitions:

…

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.

The word “include” does not “exclude” In formal documents. It provides examples within scope, in some cases to avoid doubt that something is included. You might want to ask yourself why you think consumer routers must be built in the US “for security reasons” but routers for business and government could, by implication, be made anywhere.

Your proposition is currently without evidence and little better than your Amazon comment.

It is also worth noting that this applies to new products, and that external manufacturers can apply for certification.

(minor edits for clarification)

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