cross-posted from: https://lemmy.bestiver.se/post/1049400
The FCC just saved Netgear from its router ban for no obvious reason
https://www.theverge.com/tech/911888/netgear-router-ban-conditional-approval
https://www.theverge.com/tech/911888/netgear-router-ban-conditional-approval
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.bestiver.se/post/1049400
77 Comments
Ledivin@lemmy.world · 207 pts · 141d
Sounds like netgear routers are now 100% confirmed to be compromised with backdoors instead of just being probable
floofloof@lemmy.ca · 68 pts · 141d
Time to flash the old Netgear router with some open source firmware.
RadicalRebel@sh.itjust.works · 37 pts · 141d
Yep, but unfortunately it's not always as straight forward as it may sound. Plus, with routers becoming more difficult to acquire, it'll only get harder and harder to pull off. But there's OpenWRT and dd-WRT that work with a pretty decent range of routers as well as ASUS Merlin for many ASUS routers. Then, if you want to get nerdy with it and build your own router from an old computer, there's OPNsense and pfSense. Eventually it'll come down to these two if the ban is longterm and you want any semblance of obfuscation online...
whaleross@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 141d
GL.iNet are flashable and come with their fork of OpenWRT out of the box. I run the latest regular OpenWRT on mine.
maccentric@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 141d
What about regular do you find preferable to than their fork of WRT?
whaleross@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 141d
Just that it is FOSS without any black box binary blobs. It is stable and works great so why not.
Edit: I don't have anything against the custom fork.
Edit 2: That it is supported in the mainline OpenWRT means it will be updated with security and features even if the custom fork is abandoned.
floofloof@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 141d
Yes, OPNsense is excellent if you have a spare computer to run it. Then you can repurpose your consumer router as a WiFi access point. I still feel safer flashing the old WiFi router with open firmware before using it even as a WAP.
partofthevoice@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 141d
I tried getting into the nerdy side. I have an old PC with only one NIC, but apparently it needs two in order to bridge to a WiFi AP? That makes sense, but I don’t have an old PC with two NICs. Also, my NIC doesn’t support as much bandwidth as I have supplied anyhow. Sad times.
Edit: the desktop is old enough that the mobo doesn’t have the slots I need. Effectively, I have to get a new old burner PC. It’s an old ThinkCentre with a dvd player built in.
floofloof@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 141d
If it's a desktop PC you can buy a PCIe card with multiple Ethernet ports pretty cheap, especially if you buy used.
RadicalRebel@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 141d
Well ya, you need at least two NICs to properly setup a firewall. Additionally, since NICs are the most crucial piece of hardware for routers and firewalls, it'll only be as good as the hardware it runs on. Older NICs lead to regular crashes and/or slow network speeds. So swapping the original NIC out and adding another is VERY typical when repurposing old PCs as a router. The most common options for NICs I've seen are the Intel I350-T2 and I350-T4. Ironically, they cost about as much as a decent router, but going this route actually puts you in control of your home network!
dan@upvote.au · 6 pts · 141d
I'm not sure I'd recommend it, but two (or more) VLANs on a single NIC would work fine too. This setup is usually referred to as "router on a stick"
I'm not sure about other OSes or Linux distros, but it's easy to add multiple VLANs on Debian. You load the
8021qkernel module, then add interfaces suffixed with the VLAN ID (e.g. if your NIC isens3, you'd addens3.10to /etc/network/interfaces for VLAN 10). You'd also need to make sure the switch port is configured to allow VLAN10.but the ones you're suggesting (I350-T2 and -T4) are 12 years old.
claymore@pawb.social · 5 pts · 141d
USB network cards are even cheaper than PCIE if you don't mind lower performance (if you don't have USB3 ports you're limited to theoretical 480Mbit)
the_crotch@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 141d
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 141d
A iot lightbulb can be a router.
MML@sh.itjust.works · -5 pts · 141d
Great, now I just need everyone else to do this, I can have the greatest most rebust setup imaginable, what am I gonna use it for? To talk to the other two people with similar setups?
PabloSexcrowbar@piefed.social · 2 pts · 141d
I assure you there are multiple people on this thread alone that have this setup. It's not like you somehow can't access the public internet once you've got a homemade router.
MML@sh.itjust.works · -1 pts · 140d
And I know who you are cause I who you aren't.
PabloSexcrowbar@piefed.social · 2 pts · 140d
Sure boss. I'm running pfsense as we speak, so like I said, you can access the public internet just fine with a homemade router.
ouRKaoS@lemmy.today · 138 pts · 141d
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 54 pts · 141d
Except they don't even bother with the table anymore.
Sunny@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 141d
isVeryLoud@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 138d
That's a great stock picture, I'm surprised I've never seen corruption represented visually like this before.
Davel23@fedia.io · 121 pts · 141d
First winner of the Netgear Peace Prize to be announced shortly.
kinther@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 141d
Made me snort with that one
schwim@piefed.zip · 112 pts · 141d
There's a reason and the reason will likely be revealed to be kickbacks and payoffs.
neuracnu@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 15 pts · 141d
Or perhaps other reasons...
deegeese@sopuli.xyz · 83 pts · 141d
Corruption is pretty obvious these days.
Harvey656@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 141d
It may always have been, its just more obvious than before.
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 11 pts · 141d
Yeah this. They're not trying to hide it anymore. Just 10 years ago corruption may have required journalistic effort to uncover, now the admin yokels shout it from the rooftops, hoping to "trigger the libs".
IratePirate@feddit.org · 76 pts · 141d
"Corruption" is the word you were looking for.
hansolo@lemmy.today · 15 pts · 141d
Yes, but that would take work.
This is tech journalism. If evidence connecting something can't be Googled in 30 seconds, it's just an area of speculation.
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 69 pts · 141d
Two possible reasons:
They agreed to installation of American spyware, probably not limited to models sold in the US, or they paid their dues to Trump, and he called the FCC.
ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 141d
More likely one reason... a combination of both.
cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca · 63 pts · 141d
Spyware preinstalled. Has to be.
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works · 16 pts · 141d
Well netgear has a stellar reputation for screwing up their firmware horribly so if they are involved in implementing the implant it absolutely will be noticed.
Aqarius@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 141d
Alternatively, if it suddenly starts working, we know they aren't writing it.
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 141d
Are they better than they were 2 decades ago?
Cause last time I had a netgear router, they screwed up their hardware too.. Fucker got so hot that it literally liquefied its plastic shell.
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 141d
Is feature
tidderuuf@lemmy.world · 57 pts · 141d
Gonna be really funny when it's revealed in 5 years that Netgear routers have a backdoor for the Chinese govt and the US okayed it because of the money the Trump admin got.
It's literally the type of corruption that was claimed China would do for the last 4 decades.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 141d
......now see, you SAY funny. I think we have a difference of opinions on humor. You know what I find funny? You ever see that old video from the 90s of Donald Duck slumped down in his chair, getting a handjob from Daisey duck? And he can't handle it. He's all like "Ooooooweeeeee!!! Oh my gaaawwwwddddddd!!!! Playin wit ma balls! Playin wit ma balls!!!! Oooooooh!!!!!!"
And then he just cums EVERYWHERE, and it's all drippy on Daiseys face. She's just kneeling there, with a shocked look on her face, and Donald says "I'll go get you a towel!"
I found that funny. Not so much national corruption, bribery, and internet security fraud.
notgold@aussie.zone · 0 pts · 141d
https://youtu.be/Y3BDJZpr7H0
frongt@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 141d
I don't think Netgear has any link to China
fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works · 17 pts · 141d
Just where they are manufactured
tidderuuf@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 141d
That we know of... For now...
rozodru@piefed.world · 41 pts · 141d
ah so don't buy a netgear router because the US Government will be listening in/watching. got it.
village604@adultswim.fan · 5 pts · 141d
Do you really think they weren't already?
Hazor@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 141d
Right, do we not remember PRISM? Edward Snowden is still living in exile in Russia.
They don't need to tap your router when they already tap the routes.
village604@adultswim.fan · 2 pts · 141d
And likely have hardware backdoors anyway.
AdamBomb@lemmy.world · 39 pts · 141d
It’s obvious: the reason is money
Resplendent606@piefed.social · 37 pts · 141d
This tells me Netgear probably bent the knee and kissed the ring.
TrollTrollrolllol@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 141d
and paid the bribe
FaceDeer@fedia.io · 9 pts · 141d
Or opened its backdoor.
IratePirate@feddit.org · 4 pts · 141d
"Had its backdoor opened" rather. It's the Epstein class we're dealing with here.
TrollTrollrolllol@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 141d
No que por los dos?
giacomo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 141d
paid that troll toll.
HazardousBanjo@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 141d
I get the aching feeling its because Netgear likely agreed to some backdoor shit, or to just funnel all user traffic to ICE
floofloof@lemmy.ca · 12 pts · 141d
If that's how you win Trump's favor, count me out forever.
fletcher_bosom@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 141d
Extortion is one reason.
OpenPassageways@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 141d
Is it because Netgear is a "US" company? Meaning they are on the US stock exchange, have corporate offices in the US, and manufacture everything in Asia?
SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 12 pts · 140d
This whole situation has made me realize that I need to get back on the OpenWRT train.
gukleszl4hs48ughgxhr5xgd@fedia.io · 5 pts · 141d
.
KryptonNerd@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 141d
Who makes good consumer network gear? I feel like the two big names (NetGear and TP-Link) are both awful
badgermurphy@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 140d
kieron115@startrek.website · 4 pts · 141d
Did anybody ever confirm if standalone wireless access points are subject to this weird FCC ban thing? Because, like, you can make your own router out of an old computer.
RaoulDook@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 141d
I don't think the FCC ban is really effective anyway. I was able to easily order a foreign-made router recently from the same reseller I've used in the past.
Also even if they did police the retailers for router sales, I doubt anybody on eBay is going to give a shit so there will be lots of routers for sale there.
Klowner@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 141d
The ban is on giving fcc license approval to new models, so stuff that's out now can still sell
floofloof@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 141d
The FCC ruling prohibits the sale of new models of consumer router. It doesn't forbid the continuing use of existing routers or, if I understand it right, the continued sale of models that were already on sale. So you can continue to use existing models as WAPs or routers. But when the tech and the security moves on the FCC wants the USA to be left behind.
kieron115@startrek.website · 1 pts · 141d
I'm curious about standalone WAPs, not existing all-in-ones put into WAP mode. I'm guessing they just don't fall under the "consumer" umbrella even though they are pretty cheap (this netgear is $54 USD on amazon)
marxismtomorrow@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 141d
kieron115@startrek.website · 2 pts · 141d
Yeah, it's that consumer label that confuses me. Like, I doubt too many businesses are buying $54 USD Netgear WAPs, and their language specifically included SoHo stuff iirc.
AlphaOmega@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 141d
People still read the verge? After the Stefan fiasco I figured no one would ever trust them again.
BigTrout75@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 141d
It's all in who you know
roserose56@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 141d
It's called lobbyist, and if you don't like it, better accept it.
mr_anny@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 141d
paywalled
coalie@piefed.zip · -14 pts · 141d
Zedstrian@sopuli.xyz · 39 pts · 141d
Surely a non-AI slop pile of money illustration could have been used instead?
zikzak025@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 141d
This one even commits the cardinal sin of presenting itself as a transparent image but really just has a checkered background baked in.
coalie@piefed.zip · 9 pts · 141d
Which was the second reason I picked it.
CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 141d
What? Its common knowledge that Humpty Dumpty graces the front of the $0000 bill
coalie@piefed.zip · 2 pts · 141d
Maybe, but I went with the first image that gave me an actual image added w so I did not have to upload it anywhere.
greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo · 1 pts · 141d
Alas, you have been punished by downvotes. Just gotta remember no slop for next time I suppose.