FSFE
/
fsfe-website


			
							123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118
							<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<html>
  <head>
    <title>Compulsory routers – FSFE</title>
  </head>
  <body id="routers" class="article" microformats="h-entry">
  
<h1 class="p-name">Compulsory routers</h1>

<div class="e-content">

<div id="introduction">

<p>It should go without saying that in our society we should be able to freely 
choose technical devices for use in our homes like we are free to choose what 
mobile phone we buy. But some Internet service providers dishonor this principle 
by dictating which device their customers have to use in order to connect to the internet 
or they discriminate against the owners of alternative devices. This undermining of our 
basic freedom of choice is called “compulsory routers” and is being strongly criticised by the Free Software Foundation Europe and many other organisations, projects and 
individuals. Compulsory routers is not merely a topic for experts. It affects all of us.</p>

</div>


<h2>What are routers, and what sort of compulsion?</h2>

<p>Routers are devices that handle other functions besides connecting to the internet, for 
instance WiFi, Voice over IP (VoIP), and TV streaming, and also technical details such 
as port forwarding, dynamic DNS, or VPN tunneling. Normally, all internet-based communication 
passes through routers.</p>

<p>ISPs such as Telekom, Vodafone, Kabeldeutschland, and many others in Germany, 
often offer a recommended router with the contract. In principle that is not bad because 
then users do not need to go searching for a suitable device themselves. On the other 
hand there must always be the option of deciding for a device oneself without having to be 
dependant on the goodwill of the ISP. Why is this so important? There are several reasons, 
some of a general and others of a technical nature.</p>

<ol>
<li><strong>Trust and Preferences</strong>:
Every person has different preferences when it comes to the selection of electronic devices. 
An ISP should not set itself over this freedom of decision. If customers do not want to use 
the ISP-recommended device for any reason, the ISP must respect this without repercussions 
for the user.</li>

<li><strong>Privacy and Data Protection</strong>:
Dozens of times, standard routers from ISPs have been known to have security flaws 
or be victims of backdoors that allowed intelligence agencies and criminals to access the 
infrastructure behind the device.
Customers thus need the freedom to choose a device or manufacturer that they trust in. 
In opposition to this, compulsory routers destroy the already damaged trust in new 
technologies.</li>

<li><strong>Free Competition and Technological Progress</strong>:
Users profit from the free competition that guarantees free choice and steady 
improvement of products. Should, however, more and more ISPs force the usage of 
compulsory routers, smaller router manufacturers would be at a disadvantage because 
almost no one could use their devices. In this way, small and alternative manufacturers 
would no longer be able to stay on the market. This would, eventually,come at the cost of
the user because (security) features would be be continually reduced and the 
user-friendliness would drop.</li>


<li><strong>Compatibility</strong>: Nowadays, the diversity of technical devices 
is huge. In principle this is a good thing because we can freely choose the products 
which are most appealing. Unfortunately there are, for instance, routers to which only 
certain telephones may be connected. Users need to purchase new hardware solely 
because of the unwillingness of the internet service providers. From the consumer’s 
and the environment’s point of view this is unfavourable due to the build up of electronic 
waste even though the devices would still work..</li>

<li><strong>Security Concerns from Monocultures and Lacking Updates</strong>: 
Security experts are already worried about the growing number of technical monocultures. 
These come about when a large percentage of a technological sector is dominated by only 
one product family or manufacturer. Then, if major problems or security holes appear, an 
enormous number of users are affected at once. Most ISPs only use a few router models 
and thus endanger the security of their customers.

<p>That is particularly problematic when manufacturers and providers are very slow in the delivery 
of critical updates. Often it is not possible for compulsory router customers to perform updates 
themselves, although they may already be available from the router manufacturer. Thus, customers 
are incapacitated with regard to their security.</p></li>

</ol>

</div><!--/e-content-->


  <h2>Related news</h2>

      <fetch-news/>

  </body>

<sidebar promo="our-work">

<h2>More about compulsory routers</h2>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/activities/routers/timeline.html">Timeline of compulsory routers</a></li>
    <li><a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/CompulsoryRouters/Implementation/Germany">Status of the new law's implementation in Germany</a></li>
  </ul>

<h2>External articles about compulsory routers</h2>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="https://blog.mehl.mx/2016/erste-testgeraete-fuer-routerfreiheit-versendet/">First testing devices sent out (German)</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://blog.mehl.mx/2014/why-free-choice-of-routers-is-an-unnegotiable-must/">Why free choice of routers is an unnegotiable must</a></li>
  </ul>

</sidebar>

  <timestamp>$Date$ $Author$</timestamp>
</html>
<!--
Local Variables: ***
mode: xml ***
End: ***
-->