this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2026
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This only applies to routers.
It's not widely known outside the ham radio community, but part of the 2.4GHz wifi band overlaps the 13cm amateur radio band. If you turn off 5GHz wifi and lock the 2.4GHz AP to Channel 1, it qualifies as a ham radio, and can be sold as a ham radio instead of an AP/Router. You do need a ham radio license to operate it as a Ham AP, but you do not need a license to buy a Ham AP.
If the end user wants to turn on 5GHz after the fact, there is not a damn thing the FCC can do about it.
But you can't run encryption on it. So that means no WEP, no WPA, no SSL, TLS, VPN, etc.
So yes, while you could run your own wireless access point, it doesn't solve the main requirement for most people which is privacy.
You aren't understanding my point.
My point is that you can continue to import and sell the exact same physical device, just with a little change in marketing, and possibly software.
My point is this: Once you have acquired the device, there is fuck all the FCC can do about you converting your "ham radio" back into a consumer-grade router.
This is technically not true, the FCC can and does enforce spectrum usage rules. Whether they will expend resources chasing down your router or your unlicensed GMRS is another matter.