FCC Grants Netgear, Eero Exemptions From Foreign-Made Router Ban as 60% of US Devices Come From China
Updated
Updated · CNET · May 13
FCC Grants Netgear, Eero Exemptions From Foreign-Made Router Ban as 60% of US Devices Come From China
4 articles · Updated · CNET · May 13
Netgear and Eero are the only router makers so far to win FCC “Conditional Approval,” letting them keep selling new models despite the agency’s ban on newly authorized foreign-made Wi-Fi routers.
The order targets devices with any major manufacturing, assembly, design or development stage outside the US, a broad standard the FCC says responds to cyber threats tied to Volt, Flax and Salt Typhoon attacks.
Existing routers already authorized by the FCC can still be used, and their software and firmware updates are now allowed until at least Jan. 1, 2029, after an earlier cutoff of March 1, 2027.
Nearly every major router brand sold in the US could be affected because supply chains are heavily overseas; CNET says about 60% of US routers are made in China, while TP-Link, Asus and others remain exposed.
The move reaches beyond retail buyers to ISPs, which supply routers to nearly 70% of Americans, but analysts and security experts say consumers do not need to replace current equipment and should wait for the policy to settle.
With foreign routers banned, will your next Wi-Fi upgrade be more expensive and harder to find?
Could the FCC's router ban, meant to boost security, actually make American networks more vulnerable?
FCC Bans Foreign-Made Routers: National Security, Market Disruption, and the 2029 Software Update Deadline
Overview
In March 2026, the FCC introduced a major regulatory shift by banning foreign-made routers, marking a pivotal moment for the consumer networking market. This move caused significant disruption, as it immediately affected the rollout of advanced Wi-Fi technologies and led to higher costs and delays for American consumers. To ease the transition, the FCC began granting temporary conditional approvals to certain manufacturers, such as Eero and Netgear, allowing them to continue operating under specific conditions for a limited time. The situation remains dynamic, with ongoing updates reflecting new approvals and industry responses.