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291 lines
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<version>4</version> |
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<head> |
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<title>Router Freedom</title> |
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</head> |
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<body class="article" microformats="h-entry"> |
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<h1 class="p-name">Router Freedom</h1> |
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<div class="e-content"> |
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<div id="introduction"> |
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<p>It should go without saying that in our society we should be able to |
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freely choose technical devices for use in our homes like we are free |
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to choose what mobile phone we buy. But some Internet service providers |
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in Europe dishonor this principle by dictating which device their |
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customers have to use in order to connect to the internet, or they |
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discriminate against the owners of alternative devices. This |
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undermining of our basic freedom of choice is strongly opposed by the |
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Free Software Foundation Europe and many other organisations, projects, |
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and individuals. Router Freedom is not merely a topic for experts. It |
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affects all of us.</p> |
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</div> |
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<h2>What are routers and modems?</h2> |
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<p>Routers and modems are equipment (or terminals, according to |
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European regulations) that our devices (like computers, smartphones, |
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TV, etc) use to connect with the Internet Service Provider (ISP). While |
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the modem brings the information in, the router distributes (or |
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“routes”) it to different devices. Routers share information between |
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computers, and connect to the internet through a modem. Sometimes a |
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router and modem are offered by ISP in a same device. However, a router |
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has no access to the internet without a modem. Routers can handle other |
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functions too, for instance WiFi, Voice over IP (VoIP), and TV |
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streaming, and also technical details such as port forwarding, dynamic |
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DNS, or VPN tunneling. Normally, all internet-based communication |
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passes through routers.</p> |
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<figure class="max-width-75 no-border"> |
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<img |
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src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/big/6c235f839777a7bc0f663d6b528225dd.jpg" |
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alt="Routers"/> |
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<figcaption> |
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Copyright and license notice: Tmthetom - CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
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</figcaption> |
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</figure> |
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<p>Most ISPs in Europe offer a recommended router with the contract for |
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their clients. In principle that is not bad because then users do not |
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need to search for a suitable device themselves. However, if consumers |
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are forced to use this device, this practice can make them totally |
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dependent and vulnerable to technical and contract changes, which can |
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result in unfair treatment by the ISPs.</p> |
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<h2>Router Freedom and Net Neutrality</h2> |
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<p>Network neutrality, or net neutrality for short, is the principle |
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that ISPs have to treat all internet communications equally, and not |
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discriminate or charge differently, for instance based on user, |
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content, website, service, type of equipment, or method of |
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communication. Router Freedom is a fundamental corollary of this idea. |
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In fact, the freedom of choice of our own equipment is already |
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guaranteed on the European regulatory framework. The <a |
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href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/open-internet-net-neutrality">EU's |
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Open Internet Regulation (Net Neutrality Regulation)</a> grants end |
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users right to access and distribute the lawful content and services of |
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their choice via their ISP. The basic rule is: internet traffic shall |
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be treated without discrimination.</p> |
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<figure class="max-width-100 no-border"> |
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<img |
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src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/big/d77d9c6c1dd67bde4691263433e0448a.png" |
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alt="infographic with four reasons that explain why Router Freedom is important"/> |
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</figure> |
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<p>In order to protect this freedom, the <a |
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href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2015.310.01.0001.01.ENG">article |
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3(1) of the Net Neutrality Regulation</a> establishes that the |
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enforcement of the respective open internet rules is task for the |
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National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) of each European country. They |
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must check the application of the Regulation’s rules accordingly to the |
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technical guidelines of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic |
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Communications (BEREC).</p> |
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<p>However, many ISP across Europe do not comply with the regulation |
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yet, imposing their own routers to consumers in a clearly contradiction |
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with the Net Neutrality principle. Their argumentation concerns the |
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location of the network termination point (NTP), an arbitrary |
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definition between the limits of the user’s private and ISP’s network |
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equipment. They introduced a debate to determine whether the NTP would |
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be located inside the end-user domain, so they can use their own modem |
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and router, or the NTP would be part of the domain of the network |
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operator, so end-users cannot use their own router with a private |
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modem. In this case, the users should use the ISP's router.</p> |
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<figure> |
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<img |
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src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/big/6d6922a13499024cacf5c0872f0a65df.png" |
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alt="Network Termination Point"/> |
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<figcaption> |
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Representation of the Network Termination Point |
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</figcaption> |
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</figure> |
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<h2>Router Freedom in Europe</h2> |
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<p>During the years 2013 and 2016, the FSFE and 9 other civil |
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organisations conducted a successful <a |
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href="/activities/routers/timeline.html">campaign</a> for Router |
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Freedom in Germany that resulted in the adoption of a law obliging all |
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German ISPs to enable new clients to use alternative modems and routers |
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to connect to the internet. The FSFE is still <a |
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href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/CompulsoryRouters/Implementation/Germany">monitoring</a> |
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the implementation, has sent out testing devices to volunteers for them |
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to check whether their ISPs obey the law, and collected the |
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results.</p> |
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<p>However, the awareness for such fundamental topic is still <a |
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href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/CompulsoryRouters/#Router_Freedom_in_Europe">very |
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low</a> across Europe. Users are not being consciously informed about |
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the risks of not having the freedom to choose their own equipment. It |
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is unacceptable to limit Router Freedom on the basis of a arbitrary |
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definition that only benefits ISPs and subjugates users to a very |
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unfair and submissive situation.</p> |
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<p>The map below tracks the implementation of the Network Termination |
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Point (NTP) of all the EU member states. The location of the NTP |
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determines the limits of ISP's and users' networks which has a huge |
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impact on Router Freedom. This map is constantly updated.</p> |
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<figure> |
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<a href="https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/router-freedom-tracker_581123#4/53.12/18.37"> |
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/big/07dc0f987728eae33777eebd53e6cc0e.png" alt="Router Freedom Monitoring Map"/> |
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</a> |
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<figcaption>Check here the status of Router Freedom in your country</figcaption> |
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</figure> |
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<h2>Why is Router Freedom important?</h2> |
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<p>Let's put it this way: your whole internet traffic, encryption, |
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backups, communication, shopping, writings, business interaction, and |
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so on are transferred through your router. If your router is not free, |
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your digital freedom is likely to be compromised.</p> |
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<p>The infringement of the Router Freedom may happen by different |
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restrictions, such as:</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li>The ISP does not allow the client to use another router, i.e. by |
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contract.</li> |
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<li>The ISP does not give the client the connection data like username |
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and password for the PPPoE/VoIP connection (might differ in some |
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countries but the problem remains the same).</li> |
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<li>The ISP uses non-standard techniques to connect its clients to the |
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internet/its infrastructure, i.e. special plugs or proprietary |
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protocols.</li> |
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<li>The ISP requires any router to be registered at their own |
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infrastructure, i.e. by MAC address or other identification. So the |
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client is not able to use her own devices because they won't get an IP |
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address or other necessary data.</li> |
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</ul> |
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<figure class="max-width-100 no-border"> |
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/big/e15021d00f32dc067d894525d6213354.png" |
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alt="Infographic explaining the importance of Free Software for Router Freedom"/> |
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</figure> |
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<p>These situations show the bad consequences of the lack on Router |
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Freedom. The reasons to defend and promote Router Freedom concern |
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ethical and technical elements to our basic needs to internet access, |
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such as:</p> |
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<ul> |
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<li><strong>Freedom of choice</strong>: We have the right to choose our |
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own electronic devices. If customers do not want to use the |
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ISP-recommended device for any reason, the ISP must respect this |
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without repercussions for the user.</li> |
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<li><strong>Privacy and Data Protection</strong>: The lack of Router |
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Freedom compromises our privacy and the security of our most sensitive |
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personal data.</li> |
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<li><strong>Compatibility</strong>: Some ISPs impose to users specific |
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models, forcing them to acquire only compatible hardware. From the |
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consumer’s and the environment’s point of view this is unfavorable due |
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to the build up of electronic waste even though the devices would still |
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work.</li> |
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<li><strong>Free Competition and Technological Progress</strong>: Users |
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profit from the free competition that guarantees free choice and steady |
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improvement of products. The lack of competition would, eventually, |
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come at the cost of the user because (security) features would be |
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continually reduced and the user-friendliness would drop. This goes |
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even further: If a user is forced to use a router, the ISP is only one |
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step apart from supporting only one SIP provider, one cloud storage, |
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one DynamicDNS provider, or one media streaming platform. The user |
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cannot use their phones, their trusted online storage or their |
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hardware, because it is not supported.</li> |
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<li><strong>Security</strong>: The lack of Router Freedom increases the |
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probability that large parts of the router market is dominated by only |
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one or a few product families or manufacturers. Then, if major problems |
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or security holes appear, an enormous number of users will affected at |
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once. Most ISPs only use a few router models and thus endanger the |
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security of their customers. That is particularly problematic when |
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manufacturers and providers are very slow in the delivery of critical |
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updates and users are not allowed to perform updates themselves.</li> |
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</ul> |
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<p> You can read more in depth in the <a |
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href="https://download.fsfe.org/routers/fsfe-router-freedom-activity-summary.pdf">Activity |
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Summary</a> that we have prepared to offer everyone the necessary |
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information to raise awareness on the importance of protecting Router |
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Freedom. </p> |
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<figure> |
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<a href="https://download.fsfe.org/routers/fsfe-router-freedom-activity-summary.pdf"> |
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/small/e5653ba6fd84d2db16ce6b81fda774e0.jpg" |
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alt="Cover of the Router Freedom Activity Summary"/> |
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</a> |
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<figcaption>Get your Activity Summary right now!</figcaption> |
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</figure> |
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<h2>Get active</h2> |
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<p>ISPs across Europe are imposing their own routers to consumers, |
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threatening our freedom of choice towards the equipment we use for |
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Internet connection. ISPs are leveraging the debate on the European |
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level using questionable definitions about the Network Termination |
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Point. You can take part in this fundamental campaign to defend our |
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freedom.</p> |
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<p>We already won in Germany and other countries are following the |
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path. We have learned valuable lessons in the process and compiled them |
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in a <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/CompulsoryRouters/">wiki |
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page</a>, where you can find all necessary information to fight against |
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the disruption of Router Freedom, and raise the problem within your |
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community and to your political representatives.</p> |
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<p>In order to understand the end-users' experience with their Internet |
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Service Provider regarding Router Freedom, we have create this <a |
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href="https://survey.fsfe.org/index.php/628449?lang=en">survey</a> that |
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will help us follow the status of this right in the European Union. |
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Your opinion is very important for us, it will take only few |
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minutes!</p> |
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</div><!--/e-content--> |
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<related-feed tag="routers"/> |
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</body> |
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<sidebar promo="our-work"> |
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<h2>More about Router Freedom</h2> |
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<ul> |
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<li><a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/CompulsoryRouters/">How to defend Router Freedom</a></li> |
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</ul> |
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<h2>External pages about Router Freedom</h2> |
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<ul> |
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<li><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/open-internet-net-neutrality">European Commission Open Internet webpage</a></li> |
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<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> |
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</ul> |
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</sidebar> |
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</html> |
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