Hill acknowledged the regulatory landscape during the unveiling. If Start9 runs into roadblocks with the new FCC requirements, he said the company may offer router kits where users can assemble their own devices with minimum effort as a worst-case scenario. That approach would give customers access to the open source hardware and StartWrt software while navigating the regulatory gray area around what constitutes domestic production.
More from the specs there:
SpacemiT K1 8 core RISC-V -> made in China
AsiaRF AW7915-NP1 -> made in Taiwan
It would surprise me if this were to be okay if Netgear's products aren't. They can (in theory) be replaced with domestically produced components though.
The part nobody's talking about is that this ban traces back to Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA, which already blocked Huawei and ZTE from federal procurement. The FCC is just extending that logic downstream to consumer gear. TP-Link is the new target because they hold something like 65% of the US home router market and they're headquartered in Shenzhen.
For anyone running a Bitcoin or Lightning node at home, this matters more than it looks. TP-Link Archer routers are probably the single most common device sitting between home nodes and the internet. They're cheap, reliable, and the C7/AX series run OpenWrt beautifully. If those get pulled from shelves, the next-cheapest OpenWrt-compatible option jumps from $30 to $80+.
The saving grace is that the ban targets new sales, not existing hardware. Your current router keeps working. And flashing OpenWrt onto it actually helps the security argument since you're replacing the manufacturer firmware that was the concern in the first place. The irony is that open source firmware on "banned" hardware is probably more secure than stock firmware on "approved" hardware, but the ban doesn't distinguish between the two.
I am honestly mind blown that this hasn’t become an issue much earlier. I could have sworn this was part of the “Rip and Replace” law Congress passed in 2020. Esp. with Volt Typhoon (which is still in our systems to this day) and Salt Typhoon I feel like we should have seen this coming from a mile away.
As long as these routers get FCC certification/approval everything will be fine I am just amazed that these companies waited so long to do this. These companies should be able to provide the docs needed to show their devices are safe for the American people to use and vulnerabilities are addressed.
At least those are my two cents. It’s kinda like I want the U.S. government to make sure the food being imported isn’t full of lead and radiation.
Very good question!
From solosatoshi announcement:
More from the specs there:
It would surprise me if this were to be okay if Netgear's products aren't. They can (in theory) be replaced with domestically produced components though.
Good job digging this up. Thanks
Most welcome... is my hobby :-)
don’t use TP Link
The part nobody's talking about is that this ban traces back to Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA, which already blocked Huawei and ZTE from federal procurement. The FCC is just extending that logic downstream to consumer gear. TP-Link is the new target because they hold something like 65% of the US home router market and they're headquartered in Shenzhen.
For anyone running a Bitcoin or Lightning node at home, this matters more than it looks. TP-Link Archer routers are probably the single most common device sitting between home nodes and the internet. They're cheap, reliable, and the C7/AX series run OpenWrt beautifully. If those get pulled from shelves, the next-cheapest OpenWrt-compatible option jumps from $30 to $80+.
The saving grace is that the ban targets new sales, not existing hardware. Your current router keeps working. And flashing OpenWrt onto it actually helps the security argument since you're replacing the manufacturer firmware that was the concern in the first place. The irony is that open source firmware on "banned" hardware is probably more secure than stock firmware on "approved" hardware, but the ban doesn't distinguish between the two.
I am honestly mind blown that this hasn’t become an issue much earlier. I could have sworn this was part of the “Rip and Replace” law Congress passed in 2020. Esp. with Volt Typhoon (which is still in our systems to this day) and Salt Typhoon I feel like we should have seen this coming from a mile away.
As long as these routers get FCC certification/approval everything will be fine I am just amazed that these companies waited so long to do this. These companies should be able to provide the docs needed to show their devices are safe for the American people to use and vulnerabilities are addressed.
At least those are my two cents. It’s kinda like I want the U.S. government to make sure the food being imported isn’t full of lead and radiation.