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Hackaday sounds the alarm and along with ThinkPenguin, the EFF, FSF, Software Freedom Law Center, Software Freedom Conservancy, OpenWRT, LibreCMC, Qualcomm, and others have created the SaveWiFi campaign (archive.is capture, real link is at this overloaded server) , providing instructions on how to submit a formal complaint to the FCC regarding this proposed rule. The comment period is closing on September 8, 2015.
From Hackaday:
Under the rule proposed by the FCC, devices with radios may be required to prevent modifications to firmware. All devices operating in the 5GHz WiFi spectrum will be forced to implement security features to ensure the radios cannot be modified. While prohibiting the modification of transmitters has been a mainstay of FCC regulation for 80 years, the law of unintended consequences will inevitably show up in full force: because of the incredible integration of electronic devices, this proposed regulation may apply to everything from WiFi routers to cell phones. The proposed regulation would specifically ban router firmwares such as DD-WRT, and may go so far as to include custom firmware on your Android smartphone.
A lot is on the line. The freedom to modify devices you own is a concern, but the proposed rules prohibiting new device firmware would do much more damage. The economic impact would be dire, the security implications would be extreme, and emergency preparedness would be greatly hindered by the proposed restrictions on router firmware. The FCC is taking complaints and suggestions until September 8th.
Leave a comment for the FCC via this link to the Federal Register
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Gravis on Thursday September 03 2015, @08:34PM
one of the thing that's pretty obvious here is the issue is that the CPU in a router is directly integrated with the radio. this seems like a situation where some funds could be raised to actually get a RISC V chip made for the CPU of the router. add a simple radio chip that is independently configured or has fixed parameters and some other bits and you could flash the CPU while the radio functionality remained immutable. it could be a nice stepping stone toward getting high-end RISC V chips made that could be used in an open hardware laptop.
(Score: 2) by soylentsandor on Saturday September 05 2015, @08:23AM
I like the basic idea, except I wonder how the licensing would work. Could you get a license for the design and then have anyone build it? Who's to say the thing is identical, especially if it has software radio? Or would every builder need have their device FCC-approved separately?
Another thought: even if the transmitter were not clamped down, as long as the signals it produces are within regulations, would the FCC really feel any need to pay you a visit? They wouldn't know and neither should they care, unless maybe you were to be publicly beating your chest about it.
So that must mean you could have an open-hardware router running DD-WRT or whatever and not run into trouble, even if this rule were passed.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:44AM
So that must mean you could have an open-hardware router running DD-WRT or whatever and not run into trouble, even if this rule were passed.
the problem is that they are going to make it so that you cannot run your own firmware like DD-WRT. it's not a hard thing to do, you just sign the binary and only the person with the key can load new firmware.
(Score: 2) by soylentsandor on Saturday September 05 2015, @10:10AM
Open hardware, dude.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Saturday September 05 2015, @10:21AM
Open hardware, dude.
yes, you would be to legally prohibited from selling hardware that didn't the listed safeguards. now if you think everyone should just build their own... well, you're retarded.
(Score: 1, Troll) by soylentsandor on Saturday September 05 2015, @10:37AM
you're retarded
If that's the argument, I have no more to say. Have a nice day.