router

Asus has apparently avoided a US restriction affecting routers, but the company has declined to explain how. The Verge reports that Asus will not say what steps it took, raising questions about whether it shifted manufacturing or lobbied for an exemption. The silence has prompted discussion about transparency in US trade and tech policy.

The diagnostic app Network-Doctor offers guided A/B tests comparing WiFi against mobile connections, and against usage right next to the router, to show whether slow internet stems from the home network, the provider, or coverage. Users discuss whether connection problems lie with their ISP or their own WiFi setup.

German networking firm AVM has released FRITZ!OS 8.50, a major software update for its FRITZ! router line. The company says the update makes devices smarter, more secure and faster, bringing new features and improvements to home network users. The release is drawing attention among German tech users tracking router updates.

Engadget is highlighting practical ways to repurpose an old Wi-Fi router rather than throwing it away. Suggested second lives include turning the device into a range extender, a wired access point, or a guest network, with recycling or donation as options for hardware too old to be useful. The piece fits a wider interest in reusing household electronics instead of adding to e-waste.

A new vulnerability entry, EUVD-2026-89331, documents a stack-based buffer overflow in the web management interface of TOTOLINK N150RT (NTR150) routers running firmware V3.4.0-B20201030. The flaw is reachable through the /boafrm/formFilter route, which handles access-control and URL filter functions. No severity score has been assigned yet. Security teams are being urged to check whether their devices run the affected firmware.

The iOS app Network-Doctor reads out the sync rates of home routers and compares them with actual Wi-Fi throughput, supporting FRITZ!Box, Speedport, Vodafone Station, EasyBox, O2 HomeBox and UPnP routers without requiring access credentials. Each finding comes with measured values, helping users see whether slow Wi-Fi stems from the router connection or the wireless link itself.

A common home-network problem is drawing attention: the router reports a full 100 Mbit sync rate, yet devices on Wi-Fi only receive around 30 Mbit. The advice circulating is simple – test with a LAN cable plugged directly into the router. If the full speed arrives there, the line and provider are fine, and the bottleneck is the Wi-Fi or a repeater rather than the internet connection itself.

The United States moved this spring to bar future foreign-made consumer routers from the market unless manufacturers satisfy two conditions: convincing the US government they pose no national security threat, and submitting a detailed, time-bound plan for establishing domestic or trusted production. The policy effectively covers nearly all future consumer routers, since most are made abroad, and signals a tightening US stance on network hardware security.

TechRadar is looking at whether home routers are limiting fiber internet performance. The piece explains how to check whether your router is a bottleneck and what to do about it, including making sure your hardware can match the speeds your provider delivers. The takeaway for readers: if fast broadband plans feel slow, the router, not the connection, may be to blame.