Short answer: Florida, Iowa, Montana and Nebraska sued TP-Link on October 6, 2026, joining a Texas suit from February. The states allege it misled consumers about router security and its ties to China; TP-Link denies the claims, and no court has ruled. Owning or using a TP-Link router remains legal. Check that yours still gets firmware updates.

Four more US states sued router maker TP-Link on October 6, 2026, bringing the number of state lawsuits to five. Florida, Iowa, Montana and Nebraska accuse the company of misleading consumers about how secure its routers are and about its ties to China, following a similar Texas suit filed in February. TP-Link denies the claims, and no court has ruled on them.

If you own a TP-Link router, nothing about the lawsuits requires you to stop using it. What matters for your network today is the same as for any router: whether it still receives security updates. This is a news report based on the attorneys general’s announcements, TP-Link’s response and FCC documents. We have not read the full court filings.

What happened?

Iowa’s suit is brought under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The attorneys general announced the other suits as consumer-protection cases. We have not confirmed the court or statute for each one.

What do the states allege?

The announcements we read make overlapping claims. In summary, the states allege that TP-Link:

• Marketed its routers as secure while, according to Texas, its products were used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers in cyberattacks against the United States.
• Misled consumers about where its products are made. Iowa says that despite TP-Link’s statements that its routers are made in Vietnam, much of its research, development and manufacturing is in China and nearly all parts come from or through China.
• Hid its ties to China. Texas says those ties subject the company to Chinese laws that require support for intelligence services. Iowa’s announcement goes further and says TP-Link firmware gives the Chinese government access to users’ devices and data.

These are claims in lawsuits, not findings. Courts have not decided any of them, and TP-Link disputes them.

What does TP-Link say?

In a statement dated October 6, 2026, TP-Link’s corporate affairs officer Steve Kovsky called the lawsuits “built on false premises” and claims of foreign access “baseless.” The company describes itself as “an independent, U.S. company that is not owned or controlled by any foreign government,” says its devices sold in the US are made in Vietnam, and says it will not share customer network data with foreign governments. It says it looks forward to “refuting these baseless allegations in court.”

Is it still legal to own or buy a TP-Link router?

Yes to owning one. The lawsuits are actions against the company. They don’t create rules for people who own its products.

Buying is shaped by a separate federal rule. On March 23, 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced routers from every manufacturer to its Covered List. Under that rule, new models need a Conditional Approval to be authorized for sale. The FCC’s FAQ, updated May 12, 2026, says consumers using these routers “do not need to do anything,” and that consumers “will continue to be able to purchase previously authorized routers.”

The FCC’s list of routers with Conditional Approval, updated October 9, 2026, includes Netgear, ASUS and eero, among others. TP-Link is not on it.

On October 7, a Nebraska-led group of 21 state attorneys general wrote to the FCC about TP-Link’s pending request for that approval. Their announcement says their security concerns “must be addressed before a decision is made.” The same announcement claims TP-Link controls at least 60 percent of the US retail market for Wi-Fi systems and small office and home routers. That figure is the attorneys general’s claim; we have not verified it independently.

For more on how the rule affects which new routers reach US stores, see our Wi-Fi 8 availability report.

What should TP-Link owners do now?

The lawsuits don’t change your router’s security from one day to the next. These steps apply to any router, and they are the ones that make a practical difference:

1. Update the firmware. Check the TP-Link app or admin page for an update, and turn on automatic updates if your model offers them.
2. Check whether your model is still supported. A router that no longer receives security updates is a reason to replace it, whoever made it.
3. If your internet provider supplied it, ask the provider. TP-Link’s advisory on its Aginet equipment, the line it makes for internet providers to supply and manage, covers five flaws, CVE-2025-30237 to CVE-2025-30241. TP-Link says fixes reach those devices “via ISP-managed update mechanisms” and that firmware for provider versions may not be available for direct download. If no update appears, contact your provider.
4. Lock down the basics. Change the admin password, turn off remote management and WPS, and keep smart home devices on a separate network. See our router hardening checklist, WPS and UPnP guide and guest network guide.

If you decide to replace your router anyway, our guide to buying your own router vs. using your provider’s covers what to check first.

What happens next?

The cases will proceed in state courts, and TP-Link has said it will contest them. Separately, the FCC has not announced a decision on TP-Link’s request to sell new router models. We’ll update this article when either changes.

Fact-check notes

Bottom line

Five states now accuse TP-Link of misleading customers, and TP-Link says the cases have no merit. None of that changes whether you can use the router in your home. Make sure it’s updated and still supported, ask your provider about any provider-supplied TP-Link equipment, and follow the FCC’s decision on new models if you are shopping.

Short answer: As of October 3, 2026, no Wi-Fi 8 router has a confirmed US price or on-sale date. TP-Link's Archer 8 Ultra is on pre-order in the UK, Germany, Australia and Canada, and TP-Link is not on the FCC's list of router makers cleared to get new models authorized. ASUS is on that list and says US launch details will follow. Wi-Fi 8 is still a draft standard aimed at reliability, not higher top speed, so most US households lose nothing by waiting.

Two companies now sell Wi-Fi 8 routers, and neither sells one in the United States yet. TP-Link opened pre-orders for its Archer 8 Ultra on September 30, 2026 in the UK, Germany, Australia and Canada. ASUS put its ROG Rapture GT-BN98 on sale in Canada on September 4, 2026. As of October 3, 2026, neither company has announced a US on-sale date or a US price.

For US buyers there are two separate questions. The first is regulatory: which companies are allowed to bring a new router model to the US at all. The second is practical: whether a router built on a draft standard is worth buying when it does arrive.

This article is research-based. WiFi Weekly has not tested any Wi-Fi 8 router. Specifications and performance figures below are manufacturer claims and are labeled as such.

What has been announced so far?

Sources: TP-Link press release (September 30, 2026), ASUS press release (September 4, 2026), FCC Covered List page (updated October 2, 2026).

The speed figures add up the maximum link rate of every band. No single phone or laptop connects at that rate. TP-Link’s own footnote says its figures are maximum “up to” values from internal testing under controlled conditions and that actual performance varies.

Neither press release lists a price. TechRadar reported a UK pre-order price of £669.99 on September 30, 2026, which it said would later rise to £899.99, and an Australian price of AU$1,499.99. UK and Australian shelf prices normally include sales tax, so they don’t convert directly into a US price.

Why can’t US buyers order one?

On March 23, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added “routers produced in a foreign country” to its Covered List. The Covered List is the FCC’s list of equipment considered a national security risk. Equipment on it cannot receive FCC equipment authorization, and most electronic devices need that authorization before they can be imported or sold in the US.

The FCC’s own guidance spells out what that means:

• New models of foreign-produced consumer routers cannot be authorized, so they cannot be imported or sold in the US, unless they have a Conditional Approval.
• Models authorized before the rule can still be imported, sold and used.
• Routers you already own are unaffected. The FCC says consumers “do not need to do anything.”

“Produced in a foreign country” is broad. The FCC says it covers any major stage of production, including manufacturing, assembly, design and development, and that the nationality of the company does not matter. A router designed in the US and built overseas is covered.

A Conditional Approval is the exemption. It comes from the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security, and the FCC publishes each one. The FCC’s list was last updated on October 2, 2026. For the brands most US shoppers know, it shows:

Source: FCC Covered List page, Conditional Approvals tab, updated October 2, 2026. The full list has more than 20 router entries, most of them equipment supplied through internet providers.

Two limits on what this table tells you:

1. A Conditional Approval is not a product launch. It lets a company apply for FCC equipment authorization for new models during the window. ASUS’s approval names the ROG GT and ZenWiFi Mesh series, and its announced Wi-Fi 8 models (ROG Rapture GT-BN98, ZenWiFi BN12) carry those family names. ASUS has not announced a US date.
2. TP-Link’s absence from the list is the only thing the FCC record shows. It does not say whether TP-Link has applied or what the status of any application is. TP-Link has not given a reason for the missing US date in its press releases.

The same FCC list also shows Wi-Fi 8 equipment from companies that mainly supply internet providers: a Nokia Wi-Fi 8 router (approved May 15, 2026) and two Askey Wi-Fi 8 gateways (approved July 24, 2026). So the first Wi-Fi 8 box in some US homes may come from an ISP, not a store shelf. No ISP launch date is given in the FCC record.

We covered the rule’s effect on current models in our large-house router guide.

Can I just import one?

The FCC’s guidance addresses this directly. For covered routers that have not received FCC equipment authorization, it says “the general answer is ’no’” to using them in the US. Routers that already carry an FCC ID are not restricted, wherever you bought them.

There are practical problems too. A router sold for another country is set up for that country’s radio rules, and you would be relying on overseas warranty support. We don’t recommend it.

What does Wi-Fi 8 change?

Wi-Fi 8 is the marketing name for IEEE 802.11bn, a standard still being written by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The project’s formal title is “Enhancements for Ultra High Reliability,” and that is the point of it.

The IEEE project document sets three targets, each compared with Wi-Fi 7. The standard must include at least one mode that can:

• increase throughput by 25%,
• reduce latency by 25% at the 95th percentile, meaning the slow moments, not the average,
• reduce lost data packets by 25%.

These are design targets under conditions the project defines. They are not promised results in your house.

What Wi-Fi 8 does not do is raise the top speed. According to MediaTek figures reported by PCWorld in December 2024, Wi-Fi 8 keeps the same maximum channel width (320 MHz), the same modulation and the same three bands (2.4, 5 and 6 GHz) as Wi-Fi 7, for the same theoretical peak rate. Those figures describe a draft and could change before the standard is final.

The new features are about how routers behave when conditions are bad: several access points coordinating so they don’t talk over each other, better performance at the edge of coverage, and smoother handoff as you move between mesh units. That makes Wi-Fi 8 more relevant to mesh systems and crowded apartment buildings than to a single router in a small home.

How finished is the standard?

It is a draft. The IEEE task group’s status page lists the second draft (D2.0) as complete and projects final approval by the IEEE Standards Board in May 2028. That date is a projection, and standards schedules can slip.

Routers shipping now are built to the draft. TP-Link’s September 30 release splits the Archer 8 Ultra’s Wi-Fi 8 features into two groups:

• At launch: UEQM, new MCS rates, 2×LDPC and NPCA (features aimed at steadier links and getting around busy channels).
• Later, by firmware update: DSO, ELR, DRU, Co-TDMA, Co-SR and Co-BF. This group includes the coordination features that most define Wi-Fi 8. TP-Link gives no date for the update.

There is also no certification program yet. The Wi-Fi Alliance, the industry group that tests products for interoperability, has not launched one for Wi-Fi 8. Industry outlet Wi-Fi NOW reported in June 2026 that the program is expected to launch in January 2028. Until then, a “Wi-Fi 8” label is the manufacturer’s own claim.

Should you wait, or buy Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E now?

There is nothing to decide between today in the US, because there is no Wi-Fi 8 router to buy. The useful question is whether to delay a purchase you were already planning.

One more reason not to hurry: a router’s new features only help devices that support them. TechRadar reported on September 30, 2026 that Wi-Fi 8 phones and laptops are not expected until 2027. ASUS says its Wi-Fi 8 router delivers “measurable performance gains” with Wi-Fi 7 devices. That is a manufacturer claim that we have not tested and have not seen independently measured.

If coverage is the real problem, start with whether you need a router or a mesh system, and run through our slow Wi-Fi checklist before spending anything.

Fact-check notes

Update, October 12, 2026

Five US states have now sued TP-Link over its security and China-ties claims, and TP-Link was still not on the FCC’s router Conditional Approval list as of its October 9 update. See TP-Link sued by five states: what it means if you own one.

Bottom line

Wi-Fi 8 routers exist, but not for US shoppers yet. Based on the FCC’s list as of October 2, 2026, ASUS is cleared to seek authorization for new models and TP-Link is not on the list. Even when a US launch comes, you would be buying a draft-standard router whose main features arrive later and whose benefits depend on devices that aren’t on sale. If your network needs help today, fix placement and coverage with current gear. We’ll update this article when a US price and date are announced.

Short answer: As of mid-September 2026, eero, Netgear, and ASUS hold FCC conditional approvals for new models, while TP-Link did not. Routers you already own and models authorized before March 23, 2026 are not banned, so there is no need to replace a working router.

This is a short status update, based on our reporting in our large-house router guide and press reports as of mid-September 2026.

• eero and Netgear were approved in April 2026.
• ASUS was approved in early September.
• TP-Link had not been approved as of mid-September reporting.

What it means for buyers

On March 23, 2026, the FCC added consumer routers produced in foreign countries to its Covered List, which blocks new models from receiving FCC authorization. Models already authorized can still be sold, and routers you own are unaffected. The FCC has waived its firmware-update cutoff for existing models until January 1, 2029.

If you’re buying a mesh system, our mesh guide for large houses notes which models are affected. We’ll update this post when any company’s status changes.

Short answer: A Starlink firmware update lets bypass mode work with a third-party mesh system without the old DHCP-conflict workarounds. Early reports say the problem is gone; we'll update this once we've tested it on our own Starlink connection.

Starlink pushed a firmware update this week that changes how its router handles bypass mode when a third-party mesh system is chained behind it. Previously, users reported intermittent DHCP conflicts that required manual static IP workarounds.

Early reports from users who’ve received the update say the conflict is gone without needing PPPoE bypass tricks. We’ll update this once we’ve tested it directly on our own Starlink connection.

Short answer: The FCC has raised permitted power for standard-power 6 GHz outdoor access points, closing a gap that kept the band mostly indoor-only in the US. It should allow longer-range 6 GHz mesh backhaul, starting with next year's hardware.

The FCC’s order, adopted last week, raises permitted power for standard-power 6GHz outdoor access points, closing a gap that had kept the band mostly indoor-only in the US.

For mesh vendors, this matters because 6GHz backhaul links between outdoor nodes were previously power-limited enough that most manufacturers stuck with 5GHz for anything beyond a single building. Expect the first outdoor-rated 6GHz nodes to show up at CES.

Nothing changes for hardware you already own — this affects new products built to the updated limits, not a firmware unlock for existing routers.