FCC Introduces Rules Banning WiFi Router Firmware Modification

Welp, if this passes, it looks like our days of modding routers is gone!!!


For years we have been graced by cheap consumer electronics that are able to be upgraded through unofficial means. Your Nintendo DS is able to run unsigned code, your old XBox was a capable server for its time, your Android smartphone can be made better with CyanogenMod, and your wireless router could be expanded far beyond what it was originally designed to do thanks to the efforts of open source firmware creators. Now, this may change. In a proposed rule from the US Federal Communications Commission, devices with radios may be required to prevent modifications to firmware.

SOURCE

Yikes! That's pretty lame. DD-WRT is even specifically called out in the FCC document.

I wonder what the reasoning is behind this? Maybe one of the router companies which already prevents 3rd party firmware, lobbying?

I blame lifehacker

ninjacore said:

Yikes! That's pretty lame. DD-WRT is even specifically called out in the FCC document.

I wonder what the reasoning is behind this? Maybe one of the router companies which already prevents 3rd party firmware, lobbying?

I blame lifehacker

Click to expand...

It's probably just a roundabout way of enforcing existing FCC guidelines, probably backed by router manufacturers. You can't buy a radio off the shelf and roll your own product to transmit on those bands (legally) without filing the paperwork and getting an FCCID. Custom firmware on routers basically bypasses that long standing requirement and gives anyone direct control of the radio.

If anything actually comes of this, it'll take years to implement, and I'm sure even then, there will be ways around it. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

pcgamer4life said:

If anything actually comes of this, it'll take years to implement, and I'm sure even then, there will be ways around it. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Click to expand...

I agree. The FCC doc itself makes it very clear, they aren't even implementing any standard, just some guidelines for a standard. Some router manufacturers seem to be open to 3rd party firmware (Asus?), even advertising DD-WRT compatibility. I would imagine, they could care less how a consumer uses it after they buy it. They'll implement security measures to the letter of the law and the security will be circumvented.

It will move 3rd party firmware developers into more of a dark gray area, however.