The FCC router rule is here. Has your family checked their router?
Updated October 8, 2026. First published March 27, 2026, by Alex Park.
The FCC's March 2026 router rule doesn't make anyone's router illegal. It stops new foreign-made models from being approved. The bigger risk for your family is an old router that no longer gets security updates, and a 15-minute check together can find it.
- Nobody has to throw out a router because of the FCC rule.
- Chinese hackers have used ordinary home routers to hide their attacks.
- Your parents probably haven't checked theirs since the day it was plugged in.
- A short call this weekend can tell you whether theirs needs replacing.
What did the FCC router rule actually do?
On March 23, 2026, the FCC added consumer routers produced outside the US to its Covered List.1 New foreign-made models can't get FCC approval unless they win a Conditional Approval from the Department of War or Homeland Security.
It does not touch routers people already own. Stores can keep selling models approved earlier, and those routers can keep getting security updates until at least January 1, 2029.1,2 Our guide to the FCC router rule covers the details.
Why did the government act?
The FCC pointed to three Chinese state-backed hacking campaigns: Volt, Flax and Salt Typhoon.1 Two of them leaned on ordinary home equipment.
- Volt Typhoon hid its attacks on US infrastructure behind hijacked home and small office routers. US agencies found it had stayed inside some victims' networks for at least five years.3
- Flax Typhoon built a botnet out of home routers, cameras and storage drives before the FBI took it down in 2024.4,5
- Salt Typhoon broke into US phone companies and stole call records, according to the FBI and CISA.6
Why check your family's router?
Think about your parents, your siblings, your best friend. Most people buy a router, plug it in and never open its settings again. It blinks green for years, long after its maker stopped sending fixes.
A hijacked router keeps working normally, so nobody notices. You read about this. They probably haven't. That's why the check is worth doing for them.
How to check a loved one's router in 15 minutes
- Find the brand and model. Ask them to read the sticker on the bottom or back, or send you a photo of it.
- Look up its support status. Search the maker's site for that model and look for an "end of life" notice or a firmware update from the last year.
- Change the default passwords. Both the Wi-Fi password and the router's admin password should be long and unique.
- Turn off remote management and WPS in the settings if they don't use them.7
- Look at the list of connected devices. Anything they don't recognize is worth a closer look.
Helping an older parent? Our plain-English Wi-Fi guide for retirees walks through the same checks.
When is it time to replace it?
If the maker has stopped sending security updates, replace it. That's the FBI's advice for end-of-life routers, whatever the brand.7
Rio is one option. It's designed in the USA and manufactured in Taiwan, and its current model (FCC ID H8NEAI2326) was approved before the March 2026 rule. It holds every new device for approval in the app and keeps gadgets in separate SecureRooms. See how it works for older adults.
Your parents' router might have stopped getting fixes years ago. They'd never know.
Rio gives them a router that holds every new device until someone approves it.
See Rio for older adultsFrequently asked questions
Do my parents need to replace their router because of the FCC rule?
No. The March 2026 rule applies to new foreign-made router models. Routers people already own stay legal, and models approved earlier can still be sold and updated. Replace a router if its maker has stopped sending security updates, not because of the rule.
Is Rio exempt from the FCC router rule?
No. Rio is manufactured in Taiwan, so it counts as foreign-produced like most routers sold in the US. Its current model was authorized before March 23, 2026, so it can still be sold. Any new model would need the same Conditional Approval as every other foreign-made router.
How can I tell if a router still gets security updates?
Find the exact model on the router's sticker, then check the maker's support page for that model. Look for an end-of-life notice and the date of the latest firmware update. If the last update was years ago, treat the router as unsupported and plan to replace it.
What if my parent's router came from their internet provider?
Then the provider is the place to start. Ask who made the router, whether it still gets security updates and how those updates are installed. If it's an old model, ask whether they will swap it for a newer one, or replace it with your own router.
Sources
- FCC, Fact Sheet: FCC Updates Covered List to Include Foreign-Made Consumer Routers, March 23, 2026. fcc.gov (PDF)
- FCC, Order DA 26-454 extending update waivers, May 8, 2026. fcc.gov (PDF)
- CISA, NSA, FBI and partners, Advisory AA24-038A on Volt Typhoon, February 7, 2024. cisa.gov
- US Department of Justice, Court-Authorized Operation Disrupts Worldwide Botnet Used by PRC State-Sponsored Hackers, September 18, 2024. justice.gov
- BleepingComputer, Flax Typhoon hackers infect 260,000 routers, IP cameras with botnet malware, September 18, 2024. bleepingcomputer.com
- FBI and CISA, Joint Statement on PRC Targeting of Commercial Telecommunications Infrastructure, November 13, 2024. cisa.gov
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Cyber Criminal Proxy Services Exploiting End of Life Routers, May 7, 2025. ic3.gov
