FCC Bans Foreign-Made Consumer Routers: What It Means
Original: What You Need to Know About the Foreign-Made Router Ban in the US
Why This Matters
The ban reshapes the entire consumer networking supply chain, forcing most major brands to seek FCC clearance or restructure manufacturing.
The FCC banned new consumer-grade Wi-Fi routers and mobile hotspots manufactured outside the US, citing national security risks tied to cyberattacks including Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon. Existing routers remain unaffected until January 1, 2029. Major brands like Asus have since received conditional approval.
In March 2026, the FCC added foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List — equipment deemed an unacceptable national security risk. The agency specifically cited the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks on US infrastructure as justification. Any new router not manufactured in the US now requires FCC approval before it can be imported, marketed, or sold — and that includes US-brand devices made overseas, which covers most of the market. Netgear, TP-Link, Asus, Amazon's Eero, Google's Nest, Synology, Linksys, and Ubiquiti all fall under the definition. Crucially, the ban does not require consumers to discard existing routers. Devices already in homes and those currently on sale can continue operating and receiving firmware updates through January 1, 2029. A conditional approval pathway exists, and as of September 2026, several manufacturers — most notably Asus — have been granted exemptions under it. Bitdefender's director of Threat Research, Bogdan Botezatu, called the move a sensible hardening measure, noting that consumer routers 'sit at the edge of every home network, which makes them an attractive target and a strategic risk if compromised at scale.' He acknowledged, however, that proving deliberate intent in IoT vulnerabilities remains difficult.