As you may be aware, the feds have banned the importation of new models of routers into the us. Routers that are already here may continued to be imported for now.

I am wondering if a manufacturer could possibly import routers without firmware and then install their own firmware produced here.

I guess I'll be buying my next router in Canada

The wording is totally unrealistic. Almost 100% of consumer routers are foreign made. Even the American brands manufacture in Asia, so a blanket ban basically just freezes the whole market.

If I install OPNsense on a mini PC manufactured in Tawain, am I breaking the law?

TAMU-93 said:

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The wording is totally unrealistic. Almost 100% of consumer routers are foreign made. Even the American brands manufacture in Asia, so a blanket ban basically just freezes the whole market.

If I install OPNsense on a mini PC manufactured in Tawain, am I breaking the law?

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You're point overall is accurate (what you're TRYING to say), but Ubiquiti (ui.com) is American and American produced and has over a 30% market share on consumer devices.

TAMU-93 said:

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The ban targets foreign made consumer routers specifically. While Ubiquiti is an American company, their products are almost entirely made in Vietnam, which makes them foreign made by this definition. It is currently unclear if their small office and prosumer gear falls under these rules or if it will be classified as exempt enterprise equipment.

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Interesting, I didn't know that part about Vietnam.

Netgear has received conditional approval from the FCC for consumer routers.

Came here to post this. I'm still a fan of Ubiquiti but it's good for less technical consumers to have a solid and trusted choice in the consumer space.

Quote:

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NETGEAR Receives Conditional Approval from the FCC for Consumer Routers

To our Valued Customers:

We're pleased to share that NETGEAR is the first retail consumer router company to receive conditional approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a trusted consumer router company. We hope this recognition gives you added peace of mind knowing that the network powering your home meets rigorous standards.

For context, in March 2026, the FCC called for stronger safety and security standards for consumer routers based upon a risk assessment issued by the federal government.

This aligns with our security-first approach, and we believe the steps the FCC are taking will help ensure the security of your digital front door and home networking products.

As a U.S. founded and headquartered company, NETGEAR is aligned with the vision for a more secure digital future for our customers. For the last thirty years, we have been, and continue to be, committed to leading the consumer router category for the United States and setting the bar for quality, performance, innovation and security.

Your trust means everything to us, and we remain committed to delivering the excellence that your home network deserves.

More information

To learn more about what this approval means and how we are continuing to take proactive steps to help people upgrade safely and connect with confidence, we invite you to visit our FAQ page. To see our latest products and solutions, please visit NETGEAR product and solutions overview .

Thank you for trusting NETGEAR.

Sincerely,

CJ Prober, NETGEAR CEO

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javajaws said:

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Makes you wonder how much lobbying money they contributed for this.

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Probably about a $100.

I used to love Netgear, but more and more I have little switches failed constantly due to power issues….

If you have any kind of surge in your building or home, and you have little switches/devices, they're almost guaranteed to be the first to blow.

Also, they spammed the crap out of their customer base and me today with their little self congratulatory announcement. Because that's not annoying….

satexas said:

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I used to love Netgear, but more and more I have little switches failed constantly due to power issues….

If you have any kind of surge in your building or home, and you have little switches/devices, they're almost guaranteed to be the first to blow.

Also, they spammed the crap out of their customer base and me today with their little self congratulatory announcement. Because that's not annoying….

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Yeah that email was a little too much for my taste. Not even sure how they even got my email address, and can't recall ever getting an email from them before. But hey - "look at us and our victory over our competitors". How convenient. Maybe if their crappy router I used to have lasted longer than my Asus router they wouldn't need the market help?

satexas said:

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I used to love Netgear, but more and more I have little switches failed constantly due to power issues….

If you have any kind of surge in your building or home, and you have little switches/devices, they're almost guaranteed to be the first to blow.

Also, they spammed the crap out of their customer base and me today with their little self congratulatory announcement. Because that's not annoying….

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We have all our electronics on an UPS for this reason. Not one has failed in the 15 years in our home.

Old house + old neighborhood = power fluctuations

dubi said:

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satexas said:

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I used to love Netgear, but more and more I have little switches failed constantly due to power issues….

If you have any kind of surge in your building or home, and you have little switches/devices, they're almost guaranteed to be the first to blow.

Also, they spammed the crap out of their customer base and me today with their little self congratulatory announcement. Because that's not annoying….

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We have all our electronics on an UPS for this reason. Not one has failed in the 15 years in our home.

Old house + old neighborhood = power fluctuations

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FYI - Please note that UPS's are great for brownouts and power outages, but don't actually voltage regulate unless they're higher-end units (automatic voltage regulation).

The 'consumer ones', which is likely what you're referring to, are battery add-on's, and have basic protection like a power strip does.

So if your property gets a lightning strike on or nearby and there's residual surge... it's possible/likely depending on the quality of your unit.

Quote:

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FYI - Please note that UPS's are great for brownouts and power outages, but don't actually voltage regulate unless they're higher-end units (automatic voltage regulation).

The 'consumer ones', which is likely what you're referring to, are battery add-on's, and have basic protection like a power strip does.

So if your property gets a lightning strike on or nearby and there's residual surge... it's possible/likely depending on the quality of your unit.

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I am aware a big surge or lightning strike may take out everything in my house, but I use the $250 - $300 models that do a fine job on outages and brownouts. I buy the nice ones and just order new batteries as they age.

dubi said:

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Quote:

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I am aware a big surge or lightning strike may take out everything in my house, but I use the $250 - $300 models that do a fine job on outages and brownouts. I buy the nice ones and just order new batteries as they age.

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Ok. Just wanted to make sure you understand you have a surge protector + battery, instead of just a surge protector.... but for the purpose of my point about Netgear's being sensitive - the battery aspect (UPS) is moot.

Lots of people think that because they bought a power strip (or UPS in your case) with surge protection that they're golden. While it HELPS, they're not unless they have high end gear with the advanced regulation component... and your UPS's at that price range woudn't.

Glad you have UPS's tho - more people should.... for their cheap battery replacement cost(s) for APC or Cyberpower, they're a no-brainer for stability. Being that home UPS's really haven't evolved much (like car stereo amps in 30 years), those things last decades.

Where does Link-Sys fall out amongst all of this?

It was nice during snowmageddon as we had internet the entire time due to the UPS.

Every one of my UPS have AVR and they are consumer level in the $200-400 range. Your statement is patently false. Further, even whole home surge plus end point surge will not inhibit a lightning strike.

The Sun said:

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Every one of my UPS have AVR and they are consumer level in the $200-400 range. Your statement is patently false. Further, even whole home surge plus end point surge will not inhibit a lightning strike.

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I went back to look at the UPS units I gave purchased in the past few years and they have AVR for the $200-$300 price point.

What "AVR" actually means in this price range

* AVR = Automatic Voltage Regulation
* In consumer UPS units, it's typically:
* Buck (trim): reduces high voltage
* Boost: raises low voltage
* Done via a tap-changing transformer, not continuous regulation



Limitations of consumer AVR

* Discrete steps, not smooth correction
e.g., jumps like 1015%, not fine-tuned output
* Limited correction range
usually handles ~85140V input (for 120V systems)
* Slow-ish response compared to true regulators
milliseconds, not instantaneous conditioning
* Does NOT fix waveform issues
distortion, harmonics, noise still pass through



What it is NOT

A $300 UPS AVR is not:

* A true online (double-conversion) UPS
* A constant voltage regulator (CVT)
* A power conditioner with clean sine regeneration



Typical architecture at this price

Most units are:

* Line-interactive UPS
* Uses AVR transformer during normal operation
* Switches to battery when out-of-range



What "full AVR" would mean (and cost)

If you mean:

* Continuous voltage regulation
* Clean sine wave regeneration
* Zero transfer time

That's:

* Online UPS systems
* Usually $800$2000+ for similar capacity