FCC hardware lockdown chilling effect

It seems that manufacturers such as TPlink have started to lockdown their hardware in order to comply with US/EU EU 2014/53 & FCC regulations... to date it seems that the following hardware has been affected and firmware modified in such a way as to prevent flashing with third party firmware like openwrt.

Models known to be affected AKA #FCCASTRATION beware any upgrade of firmware of the following devices will prevent any third party firmware flashing.

Archer C7 V2
Archer C1900 V1
Touch P5 V1
Archer C2600 V1
Archer C3200 V1
Archer C2 V1
Archer C5 V2
Archer C8 V1
Archer C9 V1
TL-WR841N V11
TL-WDR3500 V1
TL-WR940N V3.0
TL-WR1043ND V3.0
TL-WR710N(USA)
TL-WR841N V9.0
Wdr3600

Please inform on any other devices known to be affected

New AC APs with lockdown from Ubiquiti:

[lists.prplfoundation.org]

original tip from elektra

In German

[m.heise.de]

Hey!
Many thanks to keep us up to date!

I read the news today, but have no time to post about it, beside repositing on twitter.

Crap

I guess some versions, like the 842ND will be affected too, which mostly differ in having an USB Port compared to 841ND

We need to add a information on our page, about that!

Thanks
Matthias

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This is only my signature.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2016 07:05PM by Matthias.

Yep it sucks

But it's not surprising Wifi is the modern times CB (Citizen Band) on steroids, if used creatively it empowers people to by pass censorship and elude "big brother" tracking by providing some kind of anonymity, providing potentially an off net haven for free speech and free sharing of information.

Of course they, our controllers will not permit this so the first step is to make modified devices illegal to sell and stun creative ideas like the piratebox, eventually it will be illegal to provide information to modify devices altogether.

I think its time to react ... things to do IMHO

-set up a repo on the onion
-speed up development by crowdfunding features
-crowdfund hardware (2usb, ext antenna, internal battery, weather proof, 2 ethernet, protection against brownouts etc (see [goo.gl]))
-mesh using batman adv /ipv6 to share most downloaded files with nodes in range
-encryption on data
-encryption of mesh
-user based passwd login option
-
-
-
I would like to help but I don't know where to start

Anyways keep up the great work Mathias and thanks for what you have done to date

M

Hi,
according to reports from the German TPLink support, only US-Models are affected by this.

..Currently...

I'll update the hardware information page soon.

best regards
Matthias

The impact of this might be horrible. Once you buy a new router and find out there's a bug..
What then? Send it back to the factory?

Plus, where does that leave people who want to build a PirateBox?

The cost of used gear will likely shoot up by a large percentage..

This seemed like a good deal.. A version 1. Mine should be here very soon. Hope it works!
Link to Ebay TL MR3040 Refurb for $17.99 USDs

If I can get it on the air, I might buy some more 3040s..

Cheers,
Rich

well... these are bad news. I agree with all of you people...
I think that in the near future, it is very possible to see a lot of state censorship occuring in all the world... I think that BIG BROTHER is more real than ever...
Now it wants to BAN encryption (see Apple vs FBI) telling that the terrorists are using encryption to do bad things.. But we all know who the real terrorist are (BIG BROTHER, we know it's you!).

Beside the solutions from above, I think that the entire piratebox.cc (site, forums, github snapshot) should be availble for download since, in any moment the establishment can start internet censorship.

I remember that during communism era, in the Eastern Europe it was mandatory to register your typewriter at your local police station (the serial number, make and model and some text samples written with it)... Also people gatherings were forbidden if the groups had more than 3 individuals.

Need some open-hardware router makers.

Some success here:

[www.shadowandy.net]
[forum.openwrt.org]

Just more hard work as a work around!

I have contacted TP-Link, they told me this issue is country specific. So one way around is to buy from a foreign country.

Another idea, not sure if it would work is to downgrade the official firmware first, then openwrt.

> -set up a repo on the onion
> -speed up development by crowdfunding features
> -crowdfund hardware (2usb, ext antenna, internal
> battery, weather proof, 2 ethernet, protection
> against brownouts etc (see [goo.gl]))
> -mesh using batman adv /ipv6 to share most
> downloaded files with nodes in range
> -encryption on data
> -encryption of mesh
> -user based passwd login option


I agree with all this, however remember for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Lets not poke them with a stick until we have to.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2016 07:14AM by damavox.