this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2026
447 points (99.6% liked)
Technology
83906 readers
10 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related news or articles.
- Be excellent to each other!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
- Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.
Approved Bots
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Did anybody ever confirm if standalone wireless access points are subject to this weird FCC ban thing? Because, like, you can make your own router out of an old computer.
I don't think the FCC ban is really effective anyway. I was able to easily order a foreign-made router recently from the same reseller I've used in the past.
Also even if they did police the retailers for router sales, I doubt anybody on eBay is going to give a shit so there will be lots of routers for sale there.
The ban is on giving fcc license approval to new models, so stuff that's out now can still sell
The FCC ruling prohibits the sale of new models of consumer router. It doesn't forbid the continuing use of existing routers or, if I understand it right, the continued sale of models that were already on sale. So you can continue to use existing models as WAPs or routers. But when the tech and the security moves on the FCC wants the USA to be left behind.
I'm curious about standalone WAPs, not existing all-in-ones put into WAP mode. I'm guessing they just don't fall under the "consumer" umbrella even though they are pretty cheap (this netgear is $54 USD on amazon)
This is for devices sold, specifically new devices sold. Not the existence (or making of) and it only affects specifically consumer-grade devices sold explicitly for the consumer market. So it wouldn't affect universities, homelabs, or any corporation.
It is just a shake down for bribes to continue selling routers in the US, that's it.
Yeah, it's that consumer label that confuses me. Like, I doubt too many businesses are buying $54 USD Netgear WAPs, and their language specifically included SoHo stuff iirc.