The US just banned new routers that aren't made in America here's what it means for your Wi-Fi network

Date:
Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:04:32 +0000

Description:
US authorities have turned their attention to routers made outside the US, suggesting they're a national security risk.

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successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter The FCC says foreign-made routers are no longer allowed Your existing home router is safe from the ban Around 60% of US home routers are made in China After putting nation-wide blocks on companies such as Huawei and DJI in recent years , the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has now placed a blanket ban on new routers that aren't made in
America.

The ruling applies to "consumer-grade routers" that are "produced in foreign countries", the FCC says, and approval won't be granted to such devices in
the future though those that are already on sale and in use are safe. As per the FCC, routers made outside the borders of the US represent both a "supply chain vulnerability" and a "severe cybersecurity risk". In other words, there are suspicions that problems in router supply could disrupt the US economy
and infrastructure, and that they could be used by foreign states to spy on the communications of US citizens. Article continues below You may like DJI gets a partial reprieve on US drone ban here's what that means Texas sues TP-Link over suspected China links and concern for security vulnerabilities The best Wi-Fi routers 2026

It's part of a wider movement by the US to reduce its reliance on other countries for hardware and software . The FCC's statement pointed to a series of recent cyberattacks including Volt , Flax, and Salt Typhoon that
involved foreign-made router technology. What does this mean for my Wi-Fi network? The Netgear Orbi 373, not made in the USA (Image credit: Future) Finding a router manufactured in the US isn't all that easy many US
companies who sell routers to consumers, including Google and Netgear , have their products made overseas. Reuters estimates that some 60% of home routers in the US are manufactured in China and imported in.

Companies are going to have to change their manufacturing processes or
abandon the US market it would seem although they can apply for "conditional approval" from the FCC for new routers. At the moment it's not clear how easy that would be to get.

However, it's worth emphasizing that nothing is going to happen to your current router or home Wi-Fi network that will keep working as normal. The FCC ban only applies to new products going forward, not routers that have already been approved or put on sale. Get daily insight, inspiration and
deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

It's possible that router manufacturers based in the US will be treated more favorably than foreign entities in the future TP-Link is one of the
companies that's been accused of having strong connections to the Chinese government but it's going to take a while before we get the full picture of how this decision will play out. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us
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And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. Today's best router deals TP-Link Deco BE63 454.73 View See all prices
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/wi-fi-broadband/the-us-just-banned-new-rou ters-that-arent-made-in-america-heres-what-it-means-for-your-wi-fi-network


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