You can always get your own non-router hardware of significantly higher quality and run PFSense or similar for an end result that blows any consumer grade router out of the water. Unless they start banning all PCs this is the better way to go anyway.
this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2026
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Yes. I run OPNsense and it's very good, and all you need is a machine with two or more Ethernet ports. But this option is becoming more expensive with the crazy prices of RAM and storage.
You can run pfsense on a gig of memory if you arent using Snort or pfblocker. I had this on a vps for an email gateway, worked fine. Adding block lists or services gooses memory usage though
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.
That deals with the need for a WiFi access point, but not the main router functionality. Another approach would be a low-power PC running OPNsense or PFsense with a WiFi card repurposed as an access point. Or, if the new policy concerns only routers and not access points, a PC for the router plus a dedicated WiFi access point (some device that is not capable of being a router).
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.
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Lol nice
Thus assuring the American public of using shitty American made junk filled with who knows what spyware, and paying two or three times what the piece of junk is worth.
So... who's getting the kickbacks out of this deal? Let me guess... does it wear a lot of orange makeup?
Only US allowed to spy on it's denizens!!1
People not being sure what their router is actually doing is the issue. Instead of hoping for local manufactoring why not mandate against black box software running on the router? Mandate routers come with schematics like all electronics used to do? Promote computer literacy while you're at it.
But that would be a sensible approch and strengthen the consumer. Not in the interest of the oligarchy.
A nice thought. But the Great Unwashed Masses do not care. They want a Quick Start Guide that just says "Plug it in" and no other steps required. They want the black box because they don't want to learn and understand.
And that attitude is less about the oligarchy and a lot more about all lazy people.
Sorry, are you expecting the government, which is owned and controlled by the ruling class, to make legal changes which would go against their own interests? Haven't you been paying attention?
If you want change, there's only one way for us to get it, and it's through a social revolution.
This is just their way of saying they want state sponsored backdoors into all private home networks.
They don't want to, they already have it and just don't want people to be able to avoid it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Assistance_for_Law_Enforcement_Act
requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have built-in capabilities for targeted surveillance
Or, guess what, the next thing will be that all new domestically produced routers will require ID verification before they'll connect.
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So this may be a good place to ask. With this news in mind does anyone have a good guide to follow to build your own router. I’ve read a little that a mini pc with more than one Ethernet port is the only requirement but I haven’t found any good guides yet, only articles on why you should.
If you search for "install OPNsense" or "install PFsense" you'll find quite a few guides. It's not difficult to get going with these, but you should expect a bit of a learning curve if you're coming from preconfigured home routers. It's worth it though: these are far more powerful systems than regular home router software and give you much more control and advanced features like VLANs and intrusion detection.
Thanks I appreciate it!
Good luck Americans!
… does America even manufacture routers?
It depends on their version the fcc is considering "manufactured". If they mean it in a literal sense, there's pretty much just starlink. If they mean it can be an American company but put together overseas then there's plenty, like Netgear and Linksys.
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We don't lol
Electronics manufacture of any kind has been heavily outsourced since at least 1995.
That only means we're going to take over a country that makes routers.
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Time to dust off the old US Robotics 14.4k sportster.
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First routers, then foreign operating systems, then cars…
The USA is doing an impressive job of sanctioning the USA.
Force consumers into US made, AI-laden, crappy hardware full of backdoors for the regime.
I'll just keep building my own
Awesome. So what used to be a $50 router is about to be a $150 router. Great.
And it’s going to suck BALLS
$150 will get you a mini PC that you can run OPNsense on. Hopefully they don't ban WiFi access points next.
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If foreign made routers pose a severe cybersecurity risk then why would you let the current ones on the market stay? If they were truly a problem you'd remove them from the market, not grandfather them.
But like everything with this capricious administration the real reason they're doing this is probably because someone greased their palms.
doesn't cover ISP or commercial equipment
The foreign backdoors will stay for critical infrastructure
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Conditional approvals - it's a bribe scheme. Companies can ask for exceptions. Sure they wouldn't Grease any palms...
They bulit the bribe into the law: "Producers of consumer-grade routers that receive Conditional Approval from DoW or DHS can continue to receive FCC equipment authorizations. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit applications to conditional-approvals@fcc.gov."
So the application process is "drop us an email and we'll tell you where to deposit the money."
Landom of free!
WHAT
I am really fucking glad I recently bought a high-end router, holy shit
FUUUUUUUUCK