[wplug] New FCC Rules May Prevent Installing OpenWRT on WiFi Routers

Wed Jul 29 14:49:25 EDT 2015

One of the issues I have with this is that U-NII devices (e.g., 5GHz 
Wi-Fi) have to be locked down to prevent loading any custom firmware at 
all (they specifically mention DD-WRT as something the manufacturers 
have to prevent being loaded).  That is in the other attachment 
(https://apps.fcc.gov/kdb/GetAttachment.html?id=1UiSJRK869RsyQddPi5hpw%3D%3D&desc=594280%20D02%20U-NII%20Device%20Security%20v01r02&tracking_number=39498). 
I may actually file a comment about that, myself.

Aside from that - yeah, what's required is that the manufacturer's 
prevent modifiability that would allow the device to operate outside of 
the authorized frequency ranges and power levels, as a condition of 
their Part 15 certification.  And that's not an unusual requirement.  
The requirement is there because, to be blunt, enough people do it that 
it's a problem.  For instance, I've seen a number of posts of people 
bragging that they have modified their Wi-Fi gear to operate on channel 
14 (e.g., to try to escape interference from other Wi-Fi networks in 
crowded areas), which is prohibited in the US.  In fact, in the US, that 
frequency is allocated to other uses. Channels 12 and 13 have max power 
output levels (because those frequencies are shared with other users), 
that people try to circumvent.  Who cares if you're interfering with an 
authorized user, on a frequency you have no authorization to use, or 
because you're using a power level you're not authorized to use.. 
Regulations like this don't appear out of a vacuum - they happen when 
the FCC sees a problem, and they find that it's much easier to go after 
the manufacturers to deal with it than to find the "needle in a 
haystack" individual users who are causing the problems.

Most of the requirements can be accomplished by splitting out the 
firmware for the OS and the baseband (which is what many cellphones do), 
or by using a radio chipset that has separate firmware where 
modification is prevented.  Whether manufacturers would actually do that 
is open to debate.  Particularly with consumer gear, they're selling 
hardware - the software is not a profit center for them, so they do it 
as quickly and cheaply as they possibly can.

I'm not too concerned about this, myself (aside from the outright 
blanket prohibition on third-party firmware on U-NII devices).  If it's 
really a concern, the solution is to buy a router without a radio (like 
one of the Mikrotik routers) which therefore doesn't need Part 15 
certification, buy a separate radio that will plug into it (that's 
typically sold as something other than a "radio", so it too evades Part 
15 certification), and go to town with DD-WRT.

--Pat.

On 7/29/2015 2:02 PM, Rod Person wrote:
> Read the thing, it only related to frequency range, modulation type 
> and max power.  Would you want you next neighbor modifiy there route 
> so that overpower yours?  Or screwing with frequuencies and blocking 
> your cellphone?
>
> https://apps.fcc.gov/kdb/GetAttachment.html?id=5NjjaXsjV97%2BhlMWvZ1QRw%3D%3D&desc=594280 
> D01 Configuration Control v02r01&tracking_number=39498
>
>
>
>
>
> On 07/29/2015 1:56 PM, Zachary Uram wrote:
>> I concur!!!
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 1:49 PM, Doug Green<diego96 at mac.com>  wrote:
>>
>>> Politics aside, and regardless of "who's watch" this particular
>>> legislation occurred on, it is undeniable that constitutionally 
>>> guaranteed
>>> liberties are under constant attack. Simply put, We do not live in the
>>> country that the Founding Fathers envisioned.
>>>
>>> I'm not a political activist, nor a conspiracy theorist, but it's the
>>> feeling of constant erosion of my constitutional rights 
>>> (particularly 4th
>>> amendment, although "civil forfeiture" is equally disgusting) that 
>>> drove me
>>> Back to using Free Software after a relative hiatus (to the 
>>> "convenience"
>>> of the apple camp).
>>>
>>> IMHO the exposure of these programs represents a Massive Opportunity 
>>> for
>>> Linux to gain a larger footprint in mainstream computing, as more 
>>> people
>>> are being put-off by Big Brother type surveillance programs.
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Jul 29, 2015, at 10:14 AM, Zachary Uram<netrek at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Not surprising this happened on Obama's watch! Everything the man 
>>>> touches
>>>> is a disaster. I'd rather have George W. Bush than Obama or even worse
>>>> Hillary!
>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, Jul 28, 2015 at 9:50 PM, John Lewis<oflameo2 at gmail.com>  
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>> http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/07/27/new-fcc-rules-may-prevent-installing-openwrt-on-wifi-routers/#ixzz3hEkRpVTn 
>>>
>>>>> Bad news for your routerphiles out there that just bought a On 
>>>>> Networks
>>>>> N300 Wireless Router N300R, for it may be the last router you will be
>>>>> able to reflash with your favorite *WRT distribution.
>>>>>
>>>>> The FCC wants to take away your router modification rights for your
>>>>> safety, because they think their regulation is too hard for you 
>>>>> hackers
>>>>> to follow. It is defiantly not because companies lobbied for it so 
>>>>> they
>>>>> can make more money by selling you routers full of badware and
>>>>> anti-features. If you don't believe the FCC is trying to make you 
>>>>> safe
>>>>> by taking away your ability do modify your property, you are probably
>>>>> some kind of conspiracy theorist that thinks they can send files over
>>>>> the radio.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> wplug mailing list
>>>>> wplug at wplug.org
>>>>> http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> http://www.fidei.org
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>>>
>>
>>
>
>