From: David Collier-Brown <davec-b@rogers.com>
To: bloat@lists.bufferbloat.net
Subject: [Bloat] Another comment re FTC and weather radar from /.
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2015 16:11:57 -0400 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <5616CE0D.1060309@rogers.com> (raw)
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From tlkingan at
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=8141531&cid=50686561
And that's what the FCC really wants The problem the FCC is seeing right
now is the modified firmware allows access to frequencies that aren't
allowed to be used for WiFI in the US. This is more than just channels
12 and 13 on 2.4GHz, but also on the complex 5GHz band.
The FCC has many complaints already from airports and other entities
whose radar is being interfered with by 5GHz WiFi (the band plan is
complex enough that channels are "locked out" because they're used by
higher priority services like radar).
And you really can't blame the open firmware guys either - mostly
because they don't know any better and they only build one binary that
works for all devices worldwide. (the available channels on 5GHz vary
per country - depending on the radar in use).
All the FCC really wants (and they've clarified it in the Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking) is the steps wifi manufacturers are taking to
prevent people from loading on firmware that does not comply with FCC
regulations - i.e., allows transmissions on frequencies they are not
allowed to transmit on.
It can either take place as hardware (filters blocking out the
frequencies), or software that cannot be modified by the open firmware
(e.g., firmware on wifi chip reads a EEPROM or something and locks out
those frequencies).
The thing it cannot be is rely on "goodwill" or firmware that respects
the band plan - i.e., you cannot rely on "blessed" open firmware that
only uses the right frequencies (because anyone can modify it to interfere).
The FCC has all the powers to enforce compliance right now - users of
open firmware who are caught creating interference with higher priority
services can already be fined, equipment seized and all that stuff (and
that would not include just the WiFi router - any WiFi device like PCs
can be seized if they attach to that network). That's the heavy handed
legal approach they have. However, they don't want to do that, because
most users probably don't realize the problem, and the FCC really
doesn't want to destroy all that stuff. So instead, the FCC is working
with manufacturers to fix the issue at the source.
The problem lies in the fact that most manufacturers are cheap and will
not spend a penny more, so instead of locking out the radio from
interfering, they'll lock out the entire firmware.
The FCC mentions DD-WRT and all that by name because their
investigations revealed that when they investigate interference, the
offending routers run that firmware (and which doesn't lock out
frequencies that they aren't supposed to transmit on).
--
David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify
System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest
davecb@spamcop.net | -- Mark Twain
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next reply other threads:[~2015-10-08 20:12 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 12+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2015-10-08 20:11 David Collier-Brown [this message]
2015-10-08 20:20 ` David Collier-Brown
2015-10-08 21:36 ` Rosen Penev
2015-10-08 22:18 ` David Collier-Brown
2015-10-08 22:26 ` David Collier-Brown
2015-10-13 16:09 ` Simon Barber
2015-10-13 17:29 ` Matt Mathis
2015-10-13 18:18 ` Jonathan Morton
2015-10-13 18:19 ` Sebastian Moeller
2015-10-15 19:21 ` [Bloat] The press release is working David Collier-Brown
2015-10-15 19:44 ` Dave Taht
2015-10-18 23:13 ` [Bloat] Another comment re FTC and weather radar from / Sebastian Moeller
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