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TP-Link Begins Lockdown of Firmware In Response To FCC
An anonymous reader writes: In response to an FCC rule that requires manufacturers to lock down computing devices (routers, PCs, phones) to prevent modification if they have a "modular wireless radio," TP-Link has begun locking down its routers to prevent firmware not signed by TP-Link from being installed. This essentially prevents open source OSs (OpenWRT, for example) from being used on routers. TP-Link may not be a prestige brand, exactly, but the company makes a lot of routers suitable for installing third-party firmware, precisely the sort of thing being locked down makes difficult if not impossible.
The FCC didn't claim this would happen, and it still happened. Congrats, FCC!
Frankly, the easiest way to comply is just to lock everything down. It doesn't really matter how much the FCC bends over backwards to accommodate third party open source firmware. The ruling made it harder to make a business case for letting the end user change the firmware. Someone was bound to comply this way, probably a lot of someones.
Does you no good if the bootloader on the soc wont run anything not signed.
No sir I dont like it.
If it can't run OpenWRT without soldering, it's not useful for me. Same goes for any other router that doesn't run a variant of OpenWRT, RouterOS or IOS-*.
Guess I'll be shadowing the OpenWRT forum for my next purchase.
TP-Link is about to see their sales decline. Their cheap shit was eagerly consumed by DIY types putting openWRT on it and frankly you could do some interesting things with it. But, this makes them into just another cheap-shit proprietary Chinese junk network equipment vendor.
I'll pass, thanks.
P.S. Isn't it great how well the FCC listened to all those comments that they solicited? Don;t you feel like your voice matters? That you're part of the system? That your government works for you and takes your concerns into consideration?
Nothing in the regulations prevent use of open source, put the blame where it lies.
With TPlink not having a reason to specifically accommodate open source.
At least the FCC does have a reason to regulate the relevant spectrum.
What's there to be "conflicted" about? In all of these cases, the "security" is "security AGAINST THE OWNER OF THE DEVICE," a.k.a. tyranny. It is unambiguously bad!
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Isn't this a GPL violation? If any of the software they use is GPL v3 then they can't tivoize it in this way.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Another side is that, like an immunization, you are protecting the herd by making your system harder to crack
No, stock firmware on consumer-grade hardware is unambiguously lowest-bidder buggy trash. Open-source replacement firmware is remarkably more secure. Secure bootloading insecure crap is just putting lipstick on the pig.
Besides, the FCC said this wasn't their intent. We thought they were lying, so either they still are or now TPLink is. A shame, since I've been buying their gear lately for OpenWRT deployments, despite their annoying VLAN assignments. I can't see why they'd want to chase away customers, so I'll guess it's the FCC that's still lying.
Open source gives the people too much power for a totalitarian regime to tolerate. Open source crypto is being attacked in parallel - neither can be allowed to exist without a regime change.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
My initial reaction is to mourn the loss of another freedom, but it is in the name of security.
Isn't that always the excuse^h^h^h^h^h^h^h reason?
People who want to install open firmware aren't going to randomly purchase a router and hope it's compatible. They're going to go to the DD-WRT site and purchase a router from the compatibility list. I don't see a problem.
I can't see why they'd want to chase away customers, so I'll guess it's the FCC that's still lying.
That's an incorrect presumption. It's not that they want to chase away customers, it's that to hit that checkmark to be able to sell hardware, they need to lock down the radio. Easiest cheapest way for them to do so? Lock the entire item down, or source a more expensive separate radio controller. I guess we know which way they went.
The cesspool just got a check and balance.
security against your neighbor modifying the firmware in their wireless device in such a way that it negatively affects the performance of your wireless device
No.... that's just a possible explanation for a reasoning behind the rule, BUT it does a lot more collateral damage, AND it does not actually provide that security.
Your neighbor can still do the simplest possible thing imaginable, which is to attach an amplifier to their wireless device, and boost the signal power over the FCC PEP limits for unlicensed WiFi.
Your neighbor can also run their microwave or cell phone which legitimately uses the frequency and can trash your WiFi performance.