[Commotion-discuss] Chilling effect, TP-Link locking their routers against 3rd party firmware

[Ben West]

Presently, Commotion is being built for TP-Link WDR3600 and WDR4300, among
others.
https://commotionwireless.net/docs/guides-howtos/recommended-hardware/
https://commotionwireless.net/download/routers/

Please be advised people have confirmed these very TP-Link products and
plenty others are now appearing in the field with 3rd-party firmware
upgrade locked out.  I.e. Commotion's install instructions will no longer
work.

The particular conversation with the TP-Link support rep quoted below also
mentions 2.4GHz products being locked too, with FCC rulemaking cited as
(incorrect) reason.

http://ml.ninux.org/pipermail/battlemesh/2016-February/004379.html
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11122966
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/46c0t0/tplink_begins_router_lockdown_due_to_fcc_proposed/
https://www.gofundme.com/save_wifi_round_2 (funding campaign started in
response)

I read some hair-splitting about whether TP-Link started doing this in
response to the FCC proposed rulemaking re: 5.8GHz operation, or whether
they had their own reasons.

Precise details of the lockdown are still sketchy, but it looks like a
serial console is needed to override it.

-- 
Ben West
http://gowasabi.net
ben at gowasabi.net
314-246-9434
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