[Discuss] Fwd: Hey FCC, Don't Lock Down Our Wi-Fi Routers | WIRED

[Bill Bogstad]

On Thu, Oct 1, 2015 at 11:54 PM, Rich Pieri <richard.pieri at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 10/1/2015 11:01 PM, Shirley Márquez Dúlcey wrote:
>>
>> This story is far from nothing. The FCC could enact rules that would
>> lock out the ability to load alternative firmware in a router - say,
>
>
> blah-blah-blah.
>
> The FCC could have enacted rules to do the same thing with smart phones,
> tablets, slates, notebooks, 2.4GHz access points, etc., all of which and
> more are covered under power and frequency regulations just like the
> proposed 5GHz access point power and frequency regulations.
>
> They didn't.
>
> They won't start now.

So what does it mean when the FCC's own documents suggest otherwise?
For example, the document at:

https://apps.fcc.gov/kdb/GetAttachment.html?id=1UiSJRK869RsyQddPi5hpw%3D%3D&desc=594280%20D02%20U-NII%20Device%20Security%20v01r02&tracking_number=39498

which is linked from:

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/kdb/forms/FTSSearchResultPage.cfm?id=39498&switch=P

has the following text on page 2:

"What prevents third parties from loading non-US versions of the
software/firmware on the device?  Describe in detail how the device is protected
from “flashing” and the installation of third-party firmware such as DD-WRT."

When an FCC document explicitly asks the question of manufacturers,
how they are going to prevent installing alternative firmware; it
would seem to me that the FCC has woken up to the possibility that end
users might modify the software that runs their devices and as a
result cause them to violate FCC regulations.   This apparently
bothers them.

Bill Bogstad