The article about the new FCC rules that may prevent installing OpenWRT, DD-WRT or other third party firmware on Wi-Fi routers and access-point generated quite a buzz at the end of the last month. The “OpenWRT vs. FCC – Forced firmware lockdown?” presentation that started that discussion took place yesterday during BattleMesh V8 event, and the video has now been uploaded to YouTube.
Sound quality could be better, and the slides are not shown on the video, but you can download the PDF slides to have an easier time following the presentation.
Some keys points include:
- The requirement to lock firmware are likely to affect all users, not only those living in countries following the FCC regulations.
- Not only WiFI access points would be affected, but also phones, tablets with CyanogenMod, and more.
- Vendors will have to “describe in detail how the device is protected from “flashing” and the installation of third-party firmware such as DD-WRT”
- Goal of the new rules: preventing users from using illegal channels on the 2.4 GHz band, using too high transmission power, using DFS channels in 5.3 – 5.7GHz band without having DFS functionality, and avoiding interfering with (airport) terminal-area doppler weather radars.
- June 1, 2016 is the cut off date when devices certified with the old rules can’t be marketed anymore.
- Comments on the rules @ http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding/view?name=15-170 are accepted until August 16, 2015.
You can also read the Etherpad notes for more links.
Thanks to Zoobab again.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
All i see is chinese companies getting very very very very rich+famous!
Nice move and thanks for getting me pay taxes on my new and shiny china router
This doesn’t have to be a big problem for future generation chipsets because the manufacturer can enforce restrictions at the radio layer through protected memory or signature verification without applying additional restrictions on other layers. The problems will be that the manufacturer will be cheap/lazy and just lock down the overall device instead. And this will pose a problem for current chipsets because the rules are being implemented too quickly. Really they should just have additional labeling requirements like every other potentially harmful good. “Warning: any modification of … Which causes violation of … Is punishible by …”. But I guess they don’t have a strong enough lobby.
Other URL to comment on:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/08/06/2015-18402/equipment-authorization-and-electronic-labeling-for-wireless-devices
OK everybody: Send them comments that this is the WORST IDEA EVER.
Bad idea…….
Big Gubment Take Care of You – You Pay Big Gubment All Your Money As TAX for Say Thank You! Be Sure Vote for Big Gubment Again Next Time 🙂
I support this nuff said.
Hi every body,
Is there any update on this issue? Currently, I cannot flash OpenWRT on TP-Link Archer C7 Version 2
@David
There was an update specific to some TP-Link routers last year: http://www.cnx-software.com/2016/02/21/tp-link-wifi-router-firmware-locked-down-due-to-new-fcc-rules/
But I don’t the status in 2017.