team shitstain bans new… home network routers?

I haven’t seen as much coverage as this as I’d’ve expected, but the MAGA FCC dropped a ban on new imported consumer-grade network routers late Monday by adding them as a class of device to the “supply chain risk” list. Maybe Ubiquiti? But they’re mostly business focused, and I can’t find where they’re made anyway.

You know your wifi box? That’s a router. If you have wired networking, you probably know that you have a router already.

I’m pretty sure banning new models of imported consumer-grade routers means banning all new models, since I don’t think anybody produces consumer-grade kit domestically.

Existing already-approved models can still be imported, as well as sold, according to the fact sheet. So it’s not that all routers are going to vanish off shelves tonight. But new models will need special approval.

It’s that feeling when you hope this is just a shakedown for more payoffs, right? When that’s the good option? That’s where we fucking are.

I guess somebody looked around and said “GPUs are impossibly expensive, memory’s impossibly expensive, storage is through the roof – but networking’s still cheap. LET’S FIX THAT”

jesus hopping christ can we have one day not completely trainwrecked by these goddamn clowns

Here, have the FCC statements. Honestly I don’t know what else to add. In any other situation, I’d just say this is some sort of trade bargaining chip, and in this situation I’m just hoping it’s a shakedown. But given that the shitstain’s role model, Vladimir Putin, has been pushing hard against internet functionality in general in Russia, I’m honestly wondering if this is groundwork for some sort of slow-build network communications shutdown.

And if you missed Putin’s actions in Russia – the west is mostly reporting it as actions against individual apps like Telegram, but it’s much more broad than that, and has included anti-Internet propaganda, complete with Sovietesque children’s musical numbers on television, singing about how “we don’t need the Internet.”

Fascist regimes always want control of communications, and, well, MAGA are fascist, so… is this part of that push? I have no way of knowing. But while I’m not saying definitely buy some spare equipment, you could definitely consider buying some spare equipment.

It might come in handy.

WHAT'D WE LEARN TODAY, SOLARBIRD?

1: We're getting a lot of tree interference on the best midday collection area we've got, and way earlier than I expected. That sucks.

It may clear up at least some when leaves fall. One block won't - it's cedars and doug fir. But a second block will, it's cherry and, uh, whatever that other tree is. It'll drop leaves.

2: In winter, mornings are going to be the main solar opportunity, particularly the upper balcony collection point. I have some ideas for expanding this, but it'll take more kit.

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#solar #murknet

WHAT'D WE LEARN LAST NIGHT, SOLARBIRD?

The measured UPS parasitic drain is real, accurate, and recovered by moving everything off individual UPSes and to the solar generator in a blackout/emergency situation. This means moving servers off their UPSes and directly to the PECRON in outage situation is _definitely_ worth the time.

It is, however, _physically_ awkward, and slower than it needs to be. This is addressable, but needs addressing.

Moving directly to the PECRON at all times is not preferred, since it can't talk to the individual servers to report battery levels for clean shutdowns, and double-stacking isn't useful since that's +50W to parasitic load and that sucks.

NAS UPS needs checking.

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#solar #murknet

this would be our primary server rack plus a few other things running entirely on solar ^_^

#solar #murknet #HeyLocals