Federal Communications The commission banned new consumer Internet routers manufactured outside the US, citing national security concerns. The ban does not affect any routers already in American homes or sold in the US, but all new routers aimed at the consumer market will need to be approved.
Although the topic is that consumer routers made in other countries are banned, manufacturers can apply for an exemption. There’s no need to throw away your router, and you’ll still find plenty of mesh programs on store shelves. But what does this mean for you?
Why Are Foreign Routes Banned?
“Malign actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American homes, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate the theft of intellectual property,” the FCC wrote. “Foreign-made routers were also involved in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks that targeted US critical infrastructure.”
Foreign-made consumer routers have been added to the Covered List, which details devices and services that are “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.”
Bogdan Botezatu, director of Threat Research at cybersecurity firm Bitdefender, says the ban is a step to strengthen cybersecurity preparedness in US households, given the country’s ongoing tensions.
“Consumer routers sit at the edge of every home network, making them an attractive target and strategic risk if scaled back,” he says. Asked if he thinks there is a risk, Botezatu says yes, although there is no easy way to express what he intends. “[Internet of Things] Devices, including routers, are a weak point in the entire Internet.”
Which Routers Are Banned?
The ban only affects the sale of new Wi-Fi routers aimed at consumer homes. The ban does not apply to existing FCC-approved routers sold in the US. Pre-purchased routers already in use in homes across the country are also fine and not part of the ban, according to the FCC’s FAQ. These routers can continue to be sold, used, and updated with new firmware.
Any new router manufactured outside the US now requires FCC approval before it can be imported, marketed, or sold in the US. This includes routers from US companies that are manufactured overseas, which is the majority of the market right now.
What Does It Mean to Work Abroad?
This cut is blurry. The ban pertains to “consumer-grade” routers and would include any designed or manufactured outside the US or manufactured by non-US companies and used entirely. All the major players in the market, including Netgear, TP-Link, Asus, Amazon’s Eero, Google’s Nest, Synology, Linksys, and Ubiquiti, fall under the definition. As do most, if not all, of these routers provided by internet service providers in the US.
Like the recent federal drone ban, the router ban only applies to new routers, but manufacturers can apply for Conditional Approvals from the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Applications must include information about ownership, board membership, and country of origin of components, IP ownership, design, assembly, and firmware, among other things. The last section asks for details of the applicant’s US manufacturing system, so there is a clear push to persuade companies to commit to manufacturing their routers in the US.
“No routers or manufacturers have been granted a Conditional Permit to date, but as the process continues, we expect permits to be granted in a timely manner,” an FCC spokesperson told WIRED.
What About External Parts?
However, the FCC provides some clarification in its FAQ (“covered” here means prohibition):
“Non-covered” equipment is not ‘covered’ simply because it contains a ‘covered’ component, unless the ‘covered’ component is a modular transmission device under the FCC rules,” it said. Therefore, a router manufactured in the United States is not considered a ‘covered’ device solely because it contains one or more foreign-made components.”
Manufacturers who import goods from China but assemble them in the US will probably be fine, although it is far from clear. “Applicants will need to have sufficient evidence that the routers were not manufactured in another country to carry out this certification, but no specific documents or proofs are required,” according to the FCC.
Let’s take a look at the three major US router brands and see how they affect each other.
Will TP-Link Be Banned?
Since all of its routers are made overseas, TP-Link will have to apply for Conditional Approval or spin up manufacturing in the US to sell any new routers. Estimates vary, but TP-Link’s US consumer market share is around 35 percent, with Netgear and Asus accounting for another 25 percent or more.
The Departments of Commerce, Defense and Justice in the US have reportedly been investigating and considering banning TP-Link routers for more than a year due to concerns about the company’s links to China. No ban has been enacted so far, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TP-Link in February, saying the company was allowing the Chinese Communist Party to access services for American consumers. Critics have also criticized the perceived pricing, saying TP-Link has flooded the US market with a wide range of affordable routers to gain dominance.
TP-Link has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and says it has moved away from its Chinese roots and is now based in the US with most of its manufacturing in Vietnam. The founder and CEO of TP-Link, Jeffrey Chao, recently applied for US permanent residency through President Trump’s Gold Card program, according to the Times of India.
“Almost all routers are made outside of the United States, including those manufactured by US-based companies such as TP-Link, which manufactures its products in Vietnam,” a TP-Link spokesperson tells WIRED. “It appears that the entire router industry will be affected by the FCC’s announcement regarding new devices not previously approved by the FCC.”
TP-Link is a private company and is not listed on any stock exchange. Chao and his wife, Hillary, are listed as sole owners of the company.
Will Netgear be banned?
Although it is a US-based and headquartered company, Netgear routers are manufactured abroad, mainly in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan, so they will have to apply for conditional approval. The company has moved from China in recent years. Netgear has been lobbying the government for “cyber security and strategic competition with China.”
“We commend the administration and the FCC for their actions to secure a secure digital future for the American people,” a Netgear spokesperson tells WIRED. “Home routers and mesh systems are critical to national security and consumer protection, and today’s decision is a step forward.”
Netgear is a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq, largely owned by institutional investors, including BlackRock and Vanguard. The company’s shares rose on news of the ban, suggesting many investors believe it won’t be hit too hard.
Will Asus be banned?
Asus primarily makes its routers in Taiwan, although it has manufacturing facilities in China and works with several third-party manufacturers. Recent tax pressures have led the company to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, and the Czech Republic, but most of its routers still come from Taiwan or China. Asus will have to apply for Conditional Approval to sell the new routers. The company did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
Asus is listed on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange and is largely owned by public shareholders. The ban does not appear to have affected its stock price.
Are There Routers Made in the US?
The only routers I know of that are manufactured in the US are some of the Starlink Wi-Fi routers, which are made mainly in Texas. Starlink is part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, but most of the components in these routers come from East Asia.
Botezatu says that more important than geography is the security model behind the product. Companies that invest in “long-term firmware support, vulnerability management, and built-in layers of protection” offer strong security.
How Will Router Bans Affect Common People?
It’s not entirely clear, but it probably won’t have a huge immediate impact. There is already a wide range of Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems on the market that will continue to be sold—they provide speeds well beyond what most people need at home. Whether companies improve production in the US or find other ways to satisfy government agencies that their products are not a security risk, the result is likely to be higher prices for consumers.
“This decision has the potential to significantly disrupt the US consumer market,” Brandon Butler, research manager of Network Infrastructure and Services at IDC tells WIRED. “In the near term, much will depend on how quickly the conditional withdrawal is acted upon. More retailers may follow suit, but any delay could restrict supply and put upward pressure on prices.”
If you haven’t upgraded to the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, now might be a good time to do it. But it’s worth remembering what he buys. Botezatu says consumers should “stick to reputable manufacturers who have a history of releasing updates and maintaining their devices. Check that your router is still supported and running the latest firmware.”
Unanswered Questions
The ban leaves many questions unanswered. Why is it only used in consumer routers? Which routers or manufacturers will be granted Conditional Approval? Why are foreign made routers currently being sold and considered safe in our homes? The FCC did not respond to these questions.
