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  • Re: Foreign Routers

    From Tim Slattery@3:633/10 to All on Sunday, March 29, 2026 09:50:30
    T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote:

    On 3/25/26 18:29, WatchMan wrote:
    Donald J. Trump, the insane, brain-damaged President of the United
    States,

    TDS is a mental illness.

    The symptoms include thinking that Trump has any sense at all!

    --
    Tim Slattery
    timslattery <at> utexas <dot> edu

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From s|b@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 30, 2026 13:54:49
    On Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:29:33 +0000, WatchMan wrote:

    Donald J. Trump, the insane, brain-damaged President of the United
    States, has banned all foreign-made routers with immediate effect. The
    fact sheet states:

    You think he knows the 'made in US' routers have foreign hardware?

    --
    s|b

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Frank Slootweg@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 30, 2026 15:04:57
    s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:
    On Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:29:33 +0000, WatchMan wrote:

    Donald J. Trump, the insane, brain-damaged President of the United
    States, has banned all foreign-made routers with immediate effect. The fact sheet states:

    You think he knows the 'made in US' routers have foreign hardware?

    A recent CNET article by a long time router specialist mentioned that
    there is no such thing as 'a made in US router', not hardware wise and
    not firmware wise.

    To add insult to injury, they are banning security updates to existing routers. Yes, that's the way to improve/maintain security! NOT!

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From AJL@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 30, 2026 10:04:32
    On 3/30/2026 8:04 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

    A recent CNET article by a long time router specialist mentioned that
    there is no such thing as 'a made in US router', not hardware wise
    and not firmware wise. To add insult to injury, they are banning
    security updates to existing routers. Yes, that's the way to
    improve/maintain security! NOT!

    I use a router supplied by my ISP... :-O



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Frank Slootweg@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 30, 2026 18:54:44
    AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
    On 3/30/2026 8:04 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

    A recent CNET article by a long time router specialist mentioned that
    there is no such thing as 'a made in US router', not hardware wise
    and not firmware wise. To add insult to injury, they are banning
    security updates to existing routers. Yes, that's the way to improve/maintain security! NOT!

    I use a router supplied by my ISP... :-O

    Me too. It's probably also made in China/Korea/<insert_'bad'_country>.

    A little while ago, I found out that my wife's Beelink Mini-PC is
    Chinese and earlier I found out that our 'Japanese' Kenwood SmartRadio
    is for the most essential part also Chinese. So we're doomed! :-)

    OTOH, these days if we have to choose between American and Chinese ...
    :-(

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Paul@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 30, 2026 21:27:33
    On Mon, 3/30/2026 2:54 PM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
    AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
    On 3/30/2026 8:04 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

    A recent CNET article by a long time router specialist mentioned that
    there is no such thing as 'a made in US router', not hardware wise
    and not firmware wise. To add insult to injury, they are banning
    security updates to existing routers. Yes, that's the way to
    improve/maintain security! NOT!

    I use a router supplied by my ISP... :-O

    Me too. It's probably also made in China/Korea/<insert_'bad'_country>.

    A little while ago, I found out that my wife's Beelink Mini-PC is
    Chinese and earlier I found out that our 'Japanese' Kenwood SmartRadio
    is for the most essential part also Chinese. So we're doomed! :-)

    OTOH, these days if we have to choose between American and Chinese ...
    :-(


    You can re-program the routers with open source firmware.
    This does not work for every device, but it you're concerned
    about the lack of intelligence in the world, look for
    a new router with enough RAM and flash so you can reprogram it.

    If the router had a Broadcom SOC, I wouldn't be too concerned.
    We've been using a steady supply of those for a lot of years.
    When you track down the open source firmware for routers,
    there should be some mention of who makes the SOC. The firmware
    has to know the details of the SOC, to run it.

    Paul

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Paul@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 05:35:11
    On Tue, 3/31/2026 2:20 AM, John wrote:
    On 30 Mar 2026 18:54:44 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
    wrote:

    AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
    On 3/30/2026 8:04 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

    A recent CNET article by a long time router specialist mentioned that
    there is no such thing as 'a made in US router', not hardware wise
    and not firmware wise. To add insult to injury, they are banning
    security updates to existing routers. Yes, that's the way to
    improve/maintain security! NOT!

    I use a router supplied by my ISP... :-O

    Me too. It's probably also made in China/Korea/<insert_'bad'_country>.

    Isn't a lot of kit made in Taiwan?


    As far as I know, this ban is on "any foreign country",
    and the ban is on processing the item through the FCC.
    You have to get some sort of approvals for things
    like RF emissions (or emissions in the wrong bands).

    You cannot get to the approval process, without applying
    for a waiver of some sort (no one will review your gadget
    without a "special" permission). Some units may still be imported
    (eventually) as a result. I don't know if the process can be
    appealed, can go through a court or not. Presumably the people
    who cooked this up, have thought of all of this beforehand.

    Whether a lot of kit is made in Taiwan or Vietnam, likely does
    not matter.

    Since existing routers already have passed through the FCC process,
    they are not pulling those approvals. They are not driving through
    the countryside and gathering up all the existing routers
    and burning them in a bonfire. It just means new models,
    maybe a unit with Wifi 8 won't get past the border (because
    it won't have FCC approval and the FCC won't work on it).

    Once the old models are MD (manufacturer discontinued),
    then things will get interesting.

    Paul


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 19:46:54
    On 3/26/2026 9:29 AM, WatchMan wrote:
    Donald J. Trump, the insane, brain-damaged President of the United
    States, has banned all foreign-made routers with immediate effect. The
    fact sheet states:

    Avoid TP-Link! It's made in China! :)

    --
    @~@ Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
    / v \ May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
    /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^ https://github.com/changmw/changmw

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 19:47:59
    On 3/30/2026 7:54 PM, s|b wrote:
    On Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:29:33 +0000, WatchMan wrote:

    Donald J. Trump, the insane, brain-damaged President of the United
    States, has banned all foreign-made routers with immediate effect. The
    fact sheet states:

    You think he knows the 'made in US' routers have foreign hardware?


    The trick is to flash these US routers with foreign spy firmware using a secured remote connection! :)

    --
    @~@ Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
    / v \ May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
    /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^ https://github.com/changmw/changmw

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From s|b@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 15:06:34
    On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:27:33 -0400, Paul wrote:

    You can re-program the routers with open source firmware.

    Like dd-wrt and OpenWrt?

    --
    s|b

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tim Slattery@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 10:10:50
    Daniel70 <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:


    Isn't Taiwan supposed to be handed back to 'Red' China in 2049 or some
    such??

    No. I think you're confusing it a bit with Hong Kong. Hong Kong was a
    British colony, which the Brits had on a long term lease which ended
    in 1997. (I think that's accurate.) At any rate, the Brits had to hand
    it back to China in 1997, and Beijing has been tightening its grip
    ever since. No such thing applies to Taiwan, but Beijing does consider
    Taiwan to belong to China. The Taiwanese disagree.

    and Taiwan thinks she's the *Real* China, but isn't Taiwan currently
    one of the very, very few "good countries" that USAlia counts as
    friendly?

    The US considers Taiwan an ally, yes.

    --
    Tim Slattery
    timslattery <at> utexas <dot> edu

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Frank Slootweg@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 18:30:34
    John <Man@the.keyboard> wrote:
    On Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:49:26 +1100, Daniel70
    <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> wrote:
    [...]

    What's with this "USAlia" thing?? Are you trying to improve the
    appearance of U.S. of A. by associating it with Australia?? ;-P

    You don't have a name, so I gave you two to choose from:

    USofA and its demonym USofAn

    and

    USAlia and USAlien.

    I prefer the latter because y'all are weird. Lovely at times but
    definitely weird.

    FYI, Daniel70 is an Aussie (Australian), not a US citizen ('seppo' in
    Strine (slang for Australian (the language))).

    [...]

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Frank Slootweg@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 18:30:34
    John <Man@the.keyboard> wrote:
    On 30 Mar 2026 18:54:44 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
    wrote:

    AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
    On 3/30/2026 8:04 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

    A recent CNET article by a long time router specialist mentioned that
    there is no such thing as 'a made in US router', not hardware wise
    and not firmware wise. To add insult to injury, they are banning
    security updates to existing routers. Yes, that's the way to
    improve/maintain security! NOT!

    I use a router supplied by my ISP... :-O

    Me too. It's probably also made in China/Korea/<insert_'bad'_country>.

    Isn't a lot of kit made in Taiwan?

    Yes, but my kit which I mentioned (see quote below) is made in
    'Red'/mainland China.

    I know that "Red" China thinks Taiwan is part of China, and Taiwan
    thinks she's the *Real* China, but isn't Taiwan currently one of the
    very, very few "good countries" that USAlia counts as friendly?

    Sadly these days, it no longer matters who the US considers to be
    friendly countries and vice versa! :-(

    [Left for reference:]
    A little while ago, I found out that my wife's Beelink Mini-PC is
    Chinese and earlier I found out that our 'Japanese' Kenwood SmartRadio
    is for the most essential part also Chinese. So we're doomed! :-)

    Only if we stop trading with "Red" China because Taiwan can't
    possibly supply everyone with everything we need or want.


    OTOH, these days if we have to choose between American and Chinese ...
    :-(

    [...]

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)