US bans all new imported routers

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Uncle Sam wants the box transmitting your wi-fi named after an obscure anime to be made in the US. The Federal Communications Commission said it’ll stop approving new foreign internet routers this week, citing their role in cyberattacks by China-affiliated hackers. Most routers are made in China, with router brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear—which account for ~60% of the US market—manufactured abroad. But don’t rush to whip out an Ethernet cable: The ban only applies to new router models. Foreign-made models with existing government authorization that are currently in Americans’ homes and sold in stores are still allowed. New foreign models will also be able to get an exemption from the Defense Department through a process that includes devising a stateside manufacturing plan. Are router-makers in trouble? Not necessarily. The China-founded TP-Link said it’s planning to set up US manufacturing and welcomed the industry-wide decision, which comes after the government reportedly considered a targeted ban on its products. Meanwhile, Netgear’s stock jumped this week—possibly because it’s a US company and its routers are made outside of China, so investors likely expect the ban to give it a competitive edge. Shares of Asus, which has been shifting its supply chain out of China, held steady. Are US-made routers safer? Experts say that a router’s vulnerability to attacks depends less on where it’s produced and more on its cybersecurity protocols.