Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#1

Post by kjhughes » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 7:37 PM UTC

Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited
fcc.gov

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#2

Post by rbc » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 10:41 PM UTC

This stuff has teeth. If you get identified by the FCC, they send you a cease and desist order. If you ignore that, they follow it up with a fine, $10,000 being common in some radio services. Marriott had to pay $600,000.

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#3

Post by superuser2 » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:34 PM UTC

Does this make enterprise/university use of rouge AP mitigation mechanisms illegal?

Are Cisco and other AP controller vendors going to remove this option from their software? (If they're shipping a checkbox that is always illegal to enable, why aren't they subject to enforcement action?)

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#4

Post by Selfcommit » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:42 PM UTC

Is this targeted to people who would block residential in home wifi from Comcast and others? That would be disturbing.

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#5

Post by delbel » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:43 PM UTC

Of course stringray is (quasi) legal. Wifi blocking, well son that's a $600,000 fine.

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#6

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:44 PM UTC

Selfcommit wrote: post #4

Is this targeted to people who would block residential in home wifi from Comcast and others? That would be disturbing.

[deleted]

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#7

Post by gramsey » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:49 PM UTC

superuser2 wrote: post #3

Does this make enterprise/university use of rouge AP mitigation mechanisms illegal? Are Cisco and other AP controller vendors going to remove this option from their software? (If they're shipping a checkbox that is always illegal to enable, why aren't they subject to enforcement action?)

I want to know the answer to this question as well; my university purposefully blocks non-authorized networks.

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#8

Post by Shivetya » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:51 PM UTC

Selfcommit wrote: post #4

Is this targeted to people who would block residential in home wifi from Comcast and others? That would be disturbing.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/01/fcc-blocking-wi-f...

Article with some more detail, this was because of Marriot

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#9

Post by gtrubetskoy » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:53 PM UTC

So now you can be fined $600,000 for running your microwave?

Re: Warning: Wi-Fi Blocking Is Prohibited

#10

Post by superuser2 » Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 11:54 PM UTC

gramsey wrote: post #7

superuser2 wrote: post #3

Does this make enterprise/university use of rouge AP mitigation mechanisms illegal? Are Cisco and other AP controller vendors going to remove this option from their software? (If they're shipping a checkbox that is always illegal to enable, why aren't they subject to enforcement action?)

I want to know the answer to this question as well; my university purposefully blocks non-authorized networks.

It is possible/likely that this refers to what Mariott was specifically doing, which is attacking cellular modem/AP combo devices that were not connected to Marott's network in any way, just physically located in/near their hotels.

University Wi-Fi blocking is usually targeted at APs that students have attached to University network drops without permission, which is a completely different thing.

However, the FCC did not appear to draw a distinction, which is interesting.