this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2026
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FCC Updates Covered List to Include Foreign-Made Consumer Routers, Prohibiting Approval of New Models - "the FCC updated its Covered List to include all consumer-grade routers" (docs.fcc.gov)
submitted 1 day ago by digicat@infosec.pub to c/blueteamsec@infosec.pub
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[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Their update only applies to routers. It does not apply to Amateur Radios.

The 13cm Amateur Radio band overlaps the 2.4GHz wifi band. Every wifi router with 2.4GHz capability can be configured to operate under Amateur Radio rules. If they are flashed with certain default parameters, they can continue to be sold as Ham Radios:

  1. Turn off 5GHz (and any band other than 2.4GHz)
  2. Restrict to certain channels. The upper part of the 13cm amateur band is from 2390MHz to 2450MHz. Wifi normally operates from 2400 to 2500MHz. Translating these to the usual wifi channels, Amateurs can use two channels below the Wifi band (Channels 0, and -1), but cannot use anything above Channel 5.
  3. Instruct users (In the "quick start guide" in the box) that they need a valid Amateur License and comply with all Amateur Radio regulations to use this device.
  4. Instruct users to set the AP's SSID to their callsign, and their device's MAC address to the ASCII-encoded equivalent of their callsign (A 48-bit MAC address can encode a 6-character callsign).

Now the device is a ham radio, and can continue to be imported and sold as such.

You need a license to operate a ham radio. You don't need a license to buy a ham radio. Once it's in the hands of the end-user, there is nothing stopping them from "re-converting" it to a normal, consumer-grade router.