I wonder how much we pay in excess on hardware for the space to be available for all the different surveillances that get built into them in manufacture or in transit. Even the Power transformers they found with the communication devices in then had to offset the hardware cost somewhere in the supply chain. I would love to see real education be put out into the world and general populations actually listen that movies arent real, but neither is digital safety. I operate under the assumption that every device I interact with is hijacked or will be hijacked. I laugh at security guys who present as if theyre anything more than a nuisance, like a mosquito, to bad actors
On Fri, Mar 27, 2026 at 9:14 AM Adam Moffett <[email protected]> wrote: > I can't prove any specific manufacturer *doesn't* put intentional > unpublished exploits into equipment. > On the other hand, I don't see why any company would take the risk. If > such a thing were discovered their business would be ruined. > > On the other other hand, the NSA has apparently intercepted shipments of > equipment headed overseas to modify the hardware or firmware to include > surveillance tools. So maybe Foxconn or Huawei doesn't install a backdoor, > but that doesn't mean the PRC's intelligence agencies don't install one > after the fact. > > On the other other other hand, I don't picture those state level actions > being targeted at consumer routers. You'd target something strategically > useful, like the router being shipped to a Telco CO in Washington DC. > > So that leaves me with this being an economic/trade policy implemented > under the guise of national security. Whether it's right, wrong, or > indifferent that's what it has to be. > > -Adam > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* AF <[email protected]> on behalf of Ken Hohhof < > [email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, March 26, 2026 6:15 PM > *To:* 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] FCC Router Ban > > I keep seeing statements that firmware updates will be allowed until > 2027. Are they seriously suggesting they would ban firmware updates to old > routers? How does that help security? Are they thinking some nation state > could send out malicious firmware updates? It strikes me as just the > opposite of what you want. > > > > They keep citing Salt Typhoon as justification. If I look up Salt Typhoon > in Wikipedia, I see this: > > > > “In late 2024 U.S. officials announced that hackers affiliated with Salt > Typhoon had accessed the computer systems of nine U.S. telecommunications > companies, later acknowledged to include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Spectrum, > Lumen, Consolidated Communications, and Windstream. The attack targeted > U.S. broadband networks, particularly core network components, including > routers manufactured by Cisco, which route large portions of the Internet. > In October 2024, U.S. officials revealed that the group had compromised > internet service provider (ISP) systems used to fulfill CALEA requests used > by U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct > court-authorized wiretapping.” > > > > So telephone company infrastructure not residential, Cisco routers, and if > I remember right they hacked into the infrastructure required by the US > govt for court ordered wiretaps. Other examples they cite as justifying > this order involve end-of-support routers no longer getting firmware > updates. > > > > *From:* AF <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Steve Jones > *Sent:* Thursday, March 26, 2026 4:59 PM > *To:* AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] FCC Router Ban > > > > This isnt really a big deal. every existing certified device can still be > manufactured and sold. TP-Link is already building US manufacturing. They > will dominate for a while on the consumer market. > The waivers will be applied to companies that arent actually chinese. they > skirted rules by manufacturing in partner nations, now thats banned and > will force silicon changes to non chinese > > > > On Tue, Mar 24, 2026 at 3:03 PM Josh Luthman <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Legally? Michigan. > > > > > https://www.calix.com/press-release/2024/07/calix-announces-bead-compliant-broadband-platform.html#:~:text=The%20vast%20portfolio%20of%20Calix,broadband%20experiences%20for%20their%20communities > . > > Reality? Just like everything else...Taiwan/Vietnam. > > > > IDK where you're getting memory if not for one of the big three. > > > > On Tue, Mar 24, 2026 at 3:49 PM David Hannum via AF <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Josh, you're a Calix shop. Where are Calix routers made? > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 24, 2026 at 3:37 PM Josh Luthman <[email protected]> > wrote: > > It's blacklisted by default. > > > Then there are exemptions that whitelist. > > > > On Tue, Mar 24, 2026 at 2:46 PM Ken Hohhof <[email protected]> wrote: > > You can apply for an exemption. (wink, wink) > > > > The determination included an exemption for routers that the Department of > War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have granted > “Conditional Approval” after finding that such device or devices do not > pose such unacceptable risks. Producers of consumer-grade routers are > encouraged to submit an application for Conditional Approval using the > guidance attached to the determination. Applications should be submitted to > [email protected]. > > > > *From:* AF <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Jason McKemie > *Sent:* Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:30 PM > *To:* AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected]> > *Subject:* [AFMUG] FCC Router Ban > > > > I haven't read the full order, but this looks to include a significant > number of manufactures (including Mikrotik). I can't think of any consumer > routers that are manufactured domestically. Am I missing something? > > -- > AF mailing list > [email protected] > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com > > -- > AF mailing list > [email protected] > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com > > -- > AF mailing list > [email protected] > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com > > -- > AF mailing list > [email protected] > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com > > -- > AF mailing list > [email protected] > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >
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