Here’s what the FCC ban on foreign-manufactured routers actually means for consumers

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Last week, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took the drastic step of banning the future import of consumer-grade Wi-Fi routers manufactured overseas. The announcement rang alarm bells, as nearly all consumer routers available are produced outside the U.S., leaving a potentially vast vacuum for anyone who needs to replace their router in the coming months. We reached out to TP-Link, Asus, Netgear, and Linksys for comment to get the deeper story on the ins-and-outs of the new measures.

What’s the purpose of the FCC’s actions?

Now, it's debatable whether a Netgear Orbi 970 mesh router sitting on your bookshelf at home poses a direct threat to national security or the economy at large, but it's clearly on this administration's mind. In last week's announcement, the FCC added that foreign-made routers “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons.”

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“I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign-produced routers, which were found to pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List,” added FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. “Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will continue to do our part in making sure that U.S. cyberspace, critical infrastructure, and supply chains are safe and secure.”

There are a few things to consider with this new directive, however. For starters, it doesn't affect routers that have already been imported into the U.S. and are currently available for sale (or those that have been sold and are currently in the hands of end-users). So, at least for the near-term, your average John or Jane Doe shouldn't notice any changes in availability when shopping for a wireless router from your favorite brick-and-mortar or online retailer.

However, things could change once the existing stock of routers depletes at various retailers, and even then, only if manufacturers haven’t secured a spot on the Conditional Approval list. If manufacturers aren’t able to secure Conditional Approval and consumer routers are banned from sale, we could see a shortage, which in turn would lead to price increases affecting all consumers. We've already seen what the AI craze has done to the supply of memory, which, in turn, has ushered in significant price hikes over the past year. There’s the potential for this type of scenario to play out in the router market if the U.S. becomes overly stringent with approvals.

These actions would also likely affect ISPs, which provide routers to customers when they sign up for new service. All in all, it’s a tricky situation for all involved.

What do Router manufacturers think of this move?

We reached out to several popular router manufacturers, including TP-Link, Asus, Netgear, and Linksys. Netgear and TP-Link provided statements to Tom’s Hardware on their respective positions. Asus posted a statement on its U.S. website. Not surprisingly, TP-Link, which has already been on shaky ground with the U.S. government in recent years for its ties to China, seemed almost upbeat about the announcement.

"This action from the FCC appears to affect virtually all new consumer-grade routers seeking authorization to be sold in the United States," wrote TP-Link in a statement to Tom's Hardware. "Because nearly every manufacturer in this sector produces hardware abroad or relies on a global supply chain, this new requirement will set a bar for the entire industry. Placing all manufacturers and their supply chains under the same scrutiny is a positive step in the direction of making the router industry more secure."

TP-Link has been singled out in the past by both the Biden and Trump administrations, and it has even established its headquarters in Irvine, California, where it employs several hundred people. However, with this new action from the FCC, TP-Link likely feels that it is no longer solely under the microscope, and all of its competitors will have to play by the same rules to curry favor with the U.S. government.

"Because nearly every manufacturer in this sector produces hardware abroad or relies on a global supply chain, this new requirement will set a bar for the entire industry."

TP-Link spokesperson

For its part, TP-Link adds that the majority of the routers sold in the U.S. are not produced in China, but instead in Vietnam. That still doesn't help TP-Link remove the U.S. government’s crosshairs, but the company adds that it "has already been planning to establish U.S.-based manufacturing to complement our existing company-owned facilities in Vietnam. TP-Link is well-positioned — in fact, possibly better positioned than any of its competitors — to succeed under the new guidelines and maintain its position as the leading U.S. vendor of secure network devices."

Netgear also issued a brief, optimistic statement: “We commend the Administration and the FCC for their action toward a safer digital future for Americans. Home routers and mesh systems are critical to national security and consumer protection, and today’s decision is a step forward. As a U.S.-founded and headquartered company with a legacy of American innovation, Netgear has long invested in security‑first design, transparent practices, and adherence to government regulations, and we will continue to do so.”

In addition, Asus struck an upbeat tone, writing, “Asus has proudly served U.S. customers since 1991, with a long-standing commitment to trusted innovation and strong product security. We are confident in the integrity of our supply chain and the security of our networking products. This FCC action has no impact on existing Asus router users, software updates, and customer support.”

FCC action may lead to security headaches for router users

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I mentioned earlier that the ban doesn't affect routers already imported into the U.S. and that no masked individuals will show up at your door to take away your routers. However, the FCC has added another poison pill to the situation.

The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology notes, “All routers authorized for use in the United States may continue to receive software and firmware updates that mitigate harm to U.S. consumers at least until March 1, 2027. These include all software and firmware updates to ensure the continued functionality of the devices, such as those that patch vulnerabilities and facilitate compatibility with different operating systems.”

In other words, if you currently own a router manufactured outside the United States and the company hasn't been added to the FCC "Conditional Approval" list, it would no longer be eligible for firmware updates within a year. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that discontinuing firmware updates would render a huge swath of routers unprotected, leaving them even more vulnerable to DDoS attacks and other serious security vulnerabilities. The very thing that the FCC wants to prevent could become even more problematic with the March 1, 2027, deadline.

What can router manufacturers do?

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The administration is offering somewhat of a lifeline to router manufacturers in the form of a Conditional Approval from the FCC. Companies can submit an application, which will be subject to review by the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security.

Companies are asked to submit a wealth of information, including corporate structure, beneficial owners, foreign government interests, the country of origin for all components used in a router's design, and the location of final assembly (among other requirements).

However, one of the biggest and most costly requirements is for companies to provide an "onshoring plan" to "establish or expand" manufacturing capacity in the U.S. for their routers. Companies must also provide "a description of existing U.S.-based manufacturing and assembly for the router including: percentage of components assembled in the United States and current U.S. headcount and facilities (locations, functions, etc.).”

If granted, Conditional Approvals are in place for a team of up to 18 months.

What does this mean for consumers going forward?

In the short term, we don’t expect that the router market will be affected too harshly if you’re looking to purchase from one of the major players (which have significant resources) in this arena. Given the statements from Asus, Netgear, and TP-Link, they all seem pretty confident that it is a welcome development and that they should continue to provide hardware to customers, likely through Conditional Approvals from the U.S. government. This would likely also extend to other big names like Linksys. All of these companies should also be able to grease the wheels to avoid a ban on software updates for their routers.

Where things could get more problematic is for smaller, foreign-based companies that offer budget networking devices and have little to no existing corporate or manufacturing operations in the U.S. We’re talking companies like Cudy, Reyee, and OKN (among others). It remains to be seen how these companies will be able to appease the FCC not only to secure permission to sell within the U.S., but also to provide firmware updates beyond March 1, 2027.

Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.