The FCC Router Ban Explained: What It Means for Your Home Network and What to Buy Instead
On March 23, 2026, the FCC banned the import of all new foreign-made consumer routers into the United States. Not just TP-Link. Not just Chinese brands. Every new router model not designed and manufactured in the US is now off the table — Netgear, ASUS, Eero, Google Nest, Linksys, Ubiquiti, Synology. All of them. This guide covers FCC router ban in depth.
If you’re looking to buy a new router right now, your options just got complicated. Here’s what the FCC router ban actually covers, what it doesn’t, and what to do about it.
What the FCC Router Ban Actually Covers
The FCC order adds all consumer-grade foreign-made routers to the agency’s Covered List — equipment deemed a national security risk. The rule was driven by a White House-convened security review that concluded imported routers pose “a severe cybersecurity risk that could be leveraged to immediately and severely disrupt US critical infrastructure.”
The language is broad on purpose. The ban covers routers that are:
- Designed outside the US, even if assembled domestically
- Manufactured by companies not entirely US-owned and operated
- Consumer-grade — the rule specifically targets home and small-business networking gear
That last part is doing a lot of work. China controls an estimated 60% of the US home router market. TP-Link alone is the best-selling router brand on Amazon. But the FCC router ban doesn’t stop at Chinese brands — it sweeps in Taiwanese manufacturers (ASUS, Synology), American companies with overseas manufacturing (Netgear, Eero, Google), and essentially every major consumer router brand currently on shelves.
The Volt and Salt Typhoon hacks — both of which used compromised consumer routers as entry points for attacks on US infrastructure — are cited explicitly in the order.
What the Ban Does NOT Cover
This is the part most headlines are getting wrong.
Your current router is fine. The FCC order bans new imports. If you have an ASUS, TP-Link, or Netgear router sitting in your house right now, you can keep using it. There is no recall. No forced removal. The government is not coming for your AX6000.
Existing models already in the US supply chain can still be sold — for now. If a retailer has stock of a router that was imported before the ban, they can sell it. This creates a window where you can still buy existing models.
Pentagon exemptions exist. The order allows the Defense Department to grant exemptions for specific models that don’t pose unacceptable risks. Whether that creates a practical path for major brands to get approved is unclear — the exemption process hasn’t been tested yet.
Business and enterprise gear may get separate treatment. The ban targets “consumer-grade” routers. Enterprise equipment like rack-mounted switches, high-end firewalls, and carrier-grade hardware falls under different regulatory frameworks and is not covered by this order.
Why This Happened Now
This didn’t come out of nowhere. The TP-Link investigation started in 2024 when the Commerce, Defense, and Justice departments began probing the company’s ties to the Chinese government. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TP-Link in early 2026, alleging it allowed the Chinese Communist Party access to American consumers’ devices.
But the Trump administration initially put the TP-Link sales ban on hold — reportedly to use as a trade negotiating chip. What happened on March 23rd was broader and more decisive: instead of a targeted TP-Link action, the FCC extended the Covered List to all foreign-made consumer routers.
The political logic is simple. Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon showed that compromised home routers are a real attack vector for infrastructure hacks. Blaming Chinese hardware is politically clean. Banning all foreign routers avoids the appearance of singling out one country while China dominates the market anyway.
Who Still Makes Routers in the US?
Realistically: almost nobody at the consumer level.
Router manufacturing moved offshore decades ago. There is currently no major consumer router brand that designs, manufactures, and is entirely US-owned. The order has effectively banned the entire consumer router market as it exists today.
The realistic options break into three categories:
Open-Source Firewall Hardware (Most Practical)
The most viable path for US-compliant home networking right now is small-form-factor firewall appliances running open-source firmware like OPNsense or pfSense. Several manufacturers sell x86 mini PCs with multiple Intel NICs that function as routers — and some are US-assembled from domestic components.
- Protectli Vault — assembled in the US, Intel NICs, fanless design, runs OPNsense or pfSense out of the box. The FW4B (4-port) is $230–$280 and handles gigabit easily. The FW6 handles multi-gig. Protectli’s site explicitly markets US assembly.
- Deciso DEC series — Dutch-made (not US, but not subject to the ban’s China-focus origins), supports OPNsense natively.
The trade-off: these require more setup than a consumer router. You need to install OPNsense, configure WAN/LAN interfaces, and manage updates yourself. For most people, this is a one-time 2-hour project. For others, it’s a dealbreaker.
Wi-Fi Access Points (Separate Approach)
The FCC ban targets routers — devices that route traffic between WAN and LAN. It does not (yet) explicitly cover standalone Wi-Fi access points. If you pair a US-compliant firewall/router with a separate access point, you may be able to use existing foreign-made APs until new rules arrive.
Ubiquiti’s UniFi line is worth watching here — the company is working to move manufacturing. Their access points paired with a Protectli-based router gives you a genuinely capable home network setup.
Wait for Exemptions
The Defense Department exemption process is untested but real. It’s plausible that brands like Eero (Amazon) or Netgear will push hard for approved-list status. Amazon has significant lobbying resources. If you’re not in a hurry, waiting 3–6 months to see which models get exemptions may be the lowest-effort path.
What to Do Right Now
If your current router is working fine: do nothing. Keep using it. The ban doesn’t touch existing hardware.
If you need to buy a new router now:
- Buy existing stock of a proven model before it sells out. ASUS AX/BE routers already imported are still available. Stock won’t last forever. The ASUS RT-BE86U and ASUS ZenWiFi Pro ET12 are strong options while they’re available.
- Go the Protectli + UniFi AP route if you want a future-proof setup that isn’t waiting on exemptions.
- Don’t panic-buy. Supply chains take time to drain. You have weeks, not hours.
If you’re building a new home network from scratch, this is actually a good time to consider a proper router/AP separation. A Protectli box running OPNsense and a couple of UniFi APs is objectively a better home network than any consumer mesh system — it’s just slightly more work to set up.
If you want to go deeper on any of these options, we’ve covered them here on wiredhaus:
- Best Wi-Fi Routers for 2026 — our current top picks, updated to reflect availability post-ban
- Best Mesh Wi-Fi Systems — existing stock options still worth buying
- How to Set Up a Guest Wi-Fi Network — useful for segmenting IoT devices while you decide on a long-term router strategy
- Best 2.5G Switches for Home Network — if you’re moving to a Protectli + AP setup, a 2.5G switch ties it all together
Will This Actually Improve Security?
The reality: maybe, eventually, but not immediately.
The security concern here is real. Volt and Salt Typhoon demonstrated that consumer routers are the soft underbelly of US network infrastructure. Devices with weak update cadences, manufacturer backdoors, and no patch accountability are a genuine problem.
But the ban as written doesn’t mandate that US-made or approved routers actually meet specific security standards. An exempted router with terrible firmware update practices is still a security risk. The FCC has created a procurement restriction; it hasn’t created a security standard.
The longer-term impact depends on whether this forces the development of a US-based or properly certified router supply chain with higher security bars, or whether it just reshuffles which brands get exemption letters. Watch the exemption list. The security quality of what gets approved will tell you whether this was about security or just trade policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the FCC router ban mean I have to replace my current router?
No. The ban covers new imports only. Existing hardware already in the US — whether in your home or in retailer warehouses — is not affected. You don’t have to do anything if your current router is working. The rule is forward-looking: it restricts what can enter the US market going forward, not what’s already here.
Can I still buy a TP-Link router after the FCC router ban?
For now, yes — existing TP-Link stock already imported into the US can still be sold. But once that stock runs out, no new TP-Link models will be importable. Buy existing models now if you want one.
What happens when my router dies and I need a replacement?
If the ban stands and no exemptions are granted for major brands, your options will be: US-assembled firewall hardware (Protectli + OPNsense), whatever gets onto the Pentagon exemption list, or waiting to see what new US-made consumer hardware emerges. At this point, the exemption list is the most likely path for most consumers.
Does the ban cover Wi-Fi mesh systems like Eero and Google Nest?
Yes. Eero (Amazon) and Google Nest WiFi are covered by the ban since they’re not US-manufactured. Existing models can still be sold from current stock. New model imports are banned.
Is Ubiquiti affected by the FCC router ban?
Ubiquiti is a US company, but like most networking hardware brands, it manufactures overseas. Whether it qualifies for exemptions under the current order is unclear. Ubiquiti has signaled interest in moving manufacturing to comply with US requirements.
Should I buy a router now before stock runs out?
Only if you actually need one. Retail stock of popular models like the ASUS RT-BE86U will take weeks or months to fully drain — you have time to decide. Don’t buy a router you don’t need just because of the ban.
Router Pricing and Supply Chain Impact: What to Expect
The FCC router ban creates an immediate supply squeeze followed by a longer-term pricing and availability shift. Understanding the timeline helps you decide when and what to buy.
Near-term (first 3–6 months): Retail stock of popular models — ASUS RT-BE86U, TP-Link Deco BE33, Netgear RS700S — will sell down from existing inventory. Prices will likely rise as stock depletes, not drop. Amazon and Best Buy inventories are finite. The most popular budget models will run out first; less popular SKUs may sit on shelves longer.
Medium-term (6–18 months): The exemption process will determine which brands can continue selling in the US. Amazon (Eero) and Google have the lobbying resources and infrastructure relationships to push for exemptions. Netgear has a longer history of US government procurement. TP-Link, ASUS, and most other brands face a harder path. Expect a tiered outcome where a few brands get exemptions while most don’t.
Long-term (18 months+): One of two things happens. Either US manufacturing capacity for consumer networking hardware develops — which requires significant capital investment and takes years — or the exemption list becomes the de facto standard and the market continues with approved foreign-made hardware under stricter security requirements. The second outcome is more likely in the near term.
What this means for prices: Consumer routers will cost more regardless of which path plays out. US-assembled hardware (Protectli) is already 2–3x the price of equivalent consumer gear. Exemption-approved foreign hardware will likely come with compliance costs that get passed to consumers. Budget $50–100 more per device for quality networking hardware going forward than you would have spent in 2024.
The FCC router ban’s primary short-term effect for most home users is: buy what you need now from existing stock, at current prices, before supply tightens. If your current router is working, there’s no rush — but if you’re planning an upgrade this year, act sooner rather than later.
