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Amazon Eero and Leo routers gain FCC Conditional Approval for US sales — Eero products can skirt router ban for the next 18 months, firm joins Netgear on approval list
Amazon’s Eero is the latest router manufacturer to gain “Conditional Approval” from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to sell its routers in the United States. Netgear was the first to announce that it received the FCC’s blessing last week to bypass the router ban. Router manufacturers have been working around the clock to submit documentation to the FCC and provide assurances regarding the origin of components used in their products and where they're assembled to comply with an increased focus on national security.
In March, the FCC deemed that manufacturers selling routers produced in a foreign country be added to the "Covered List," as they "pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.” Moving from the Covered List to Conditional Approval ensures that manufacturers of the best Wi-Fi routers can continue to sell in the United States for a set period.
"As part of this effort, router manufacturers were asked to submit information allowing the government to assess safety risks associated with their devices," the Eero team wrote in a blog post. "We’re pleased to share that the U.S. government has recognized eero as a trusted and secure provider of routers... We remain committed to delivering innovative, reliable products our customers can depend on."
For customers inquiring what this means for the Eero products that they currently own or wish to purchase in the near future, the Eero team continues, "Your experience remains the same. You can continue to use and buy eero products with the certainty that they meet rigorous standards."
According to FCC documentation, the Conditional Approval applies to Eero, Eero Pro, Eero Max, Eero PoE, Eero Outdoor, and Eero Signal. In other words, every product in the Eero/Leo family can be imported and sold without any further interference.
For the Eero products, the Conditional Approval is guaranteed from April 22, 2026, through October 31, 2027, covering the 18-month FCC exemption period. It also covers all previous and current Eero/Amazon Leo products, as well as certifications for new, unreleased products.
Although Eero did not go into any specific details on what documentation it submitted to the FCC, at least one requirement was to provide a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States" and a “description of committed and planned capital expenditures, financing, or other investments dedicated to U.S.-based manufacturing and assembly over the next 1-5 years, including expected timelines and milestones.” Given the substantial capital investment required to build factories in the United States and the need to support a higher-paid American workforce, this part of the plan submitted to the FCC will be the most interesting detail to learn as these discussions proceed.
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While Netgear and Eero can breathe a sigh of relief (at least for the next 18 months), TP-Link is still waiting for its Conditional Approval. The company submitted its proposal earlier this week as it attempts to convince the U.S. government that it has divested itself of previously concerning Chinese ownership ties. According to its own internal statistics, TP-Link controls 20% of the U.S. consumer retail router market.
Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
I do not understand this at all. Last week I spent 700 bucks on Amazon Prime on the new Eero 7 Pro mesh router with 3 nodes and replaced my 4-year-old Eero Wi-Fi 6 router. It took 5 minutes. I just went on the app, clicked on upgrade eero and the new system kicked in instantly. The key is to not change the network name and then everything (your modem and all your devices) connects to the updated mesh router. The difference was amazing. I'm getting a full gig of Wi-Fi all over the house even with 7 devices running. It is not only faster, it has better coverage, better stability and multi-device capability. It was 700 bucks but worth it.
But what did I buy if it was banned?
I do not understand this at all. Last week I spent 700 bucks on Amazon Prime on the new Eero 7 Pro mesh router with 3 nodes and replaced my 4-year-old Eero Wi-Fi 6 router. It took 5 minutes. I just went on the app, clicked on upgrade eero and the new system kicked in instantly. The key is to not change the network name and then everything (your modem and all your devices) connects to the updated mesh router. The difference was amazing. I'm getting a full gig of Wi-Fi all over the house even with 7 devices running. It is not only faster, it has better coverage, better stability and multi-device capability. It was 700 bucks but worth it.
But what did I buy if it was banned?
Your router was never "Banned." All routers currently on the market with FCC approval will still have FCC approval and are still available to be bought and sold well into the future until the design and internal chips change. But routers approved in their current configuration can still be manufactured outside the U.S. and sold in the U.S.
The problem is we'll see stagnation in new router designs. Router manufacturers will not constantly pump out new designs because of the lengthy approval process. So they'll keep pumping out what's already approved.
It's all new router designs that are "banned" as they require the new approval process. So if they make a change to the pcb board, they'll need new approval.
An excerpt from another security alert this week...
"Ten countries, including those in the Five Eyes alliance, were involved in the second warning of its kind in recent weeks, once again claiming that China was building covert networks, such as recruiting consumer-grade SOHO routers, to launch cyberattacks on adversaries."
