The viral Minion routers can still be sold and used in the US, but a new US ban on foreign routers makes a newer model unlikely to arrive soon.
The Minion-shaped Wi-Fi routers that keep showing up online are real, and they are caught in a US ban on new foreign-made routers. The two existing models stay legal to sell and use. A newer Wi-Fi 7 version is not expected on US shelves anytime soon.
The routers come from Davolink, a South Korean networking company. Kevin, the taller one, went viral after an X post last month called it one of the best Wi-Fi 6E routers money can buy. Amazon's stock, priced at $62.99, was gone by the next day.
On March 23, the FCC added "routers produced in a foreign country" to its Covered List. That followed a national security determination from a White House-convened interagency body three days earlier. Gear on the list cannot get the FCC approval a wireless device needs before sale in the US. Since March, new foreign-made routers cannot get that approval unless the maker has an exemption.
Routers approved before the listing can still be imported, sold and used. The FCC approved Kevin and Bob between November 2023 and February 2024. The catch is updates. The listing also bars changes to approved devices, including software updates.
The FCC has waived that for security patches and compatibility fixes until at least January 1, 2029. Its engineering office says it will recommend writing the waiver into the rules. If that does not happen and the date holds, Davolink would have to stop patching both routers after 2028.
On security, the US government's vulnerability database lists one Davolink product. It is a weak password flaw in a 2018 DVW-3200N router, rated 9.8 out of 10 for severity and fixed with new firmware.
Exemptions are called Conditional Approvals. The Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security grants them, for up to 18 months. Applicants must show where every part and the firmware come from, justify building abroad and commit to a dated plan for US manufacturing. Netgear was approved on April 14, Eero on April 22 and ASUS on September 9.
Davolink has not said publicly whether it has applied. The company has reported operating losses since 2022.
If you own or want a Minion router, it stays legal to use, but updates are only guaranteed through 2028 and a newer model is unlikely to arrive soon.
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