The state ban on TP-Link routers has been lifted, but Texas continues to fight

TP-Link branded routers are offered to US customers by more than 300 ISPs, making them the most widely used Wi-Fi routers in the country, found in millions of US homes.

So it caused great concern when security researchers at Microsoft discovered that a hacker group based in China was exploiting vulnerabilities in attack machines to launch cyber attacks in the US. It was widely expected that the routers would be banned from sale in the US, but it seems that politics intervened. However, the war is not over yet…

TP-Link router security warning

TP-Link routers account for 65% of the US market. Most people won’t even realize they have one at home because the branded versions usually carry the ISP’s logo.

Security researchers discovered that they were being used by a hacking business based in China. It was thought that the organization was working for the Chinese government.

An analysis from Microsoft published in October found that a Chinese hacking business maintains a large network of compromised network devices that includes thousands of TP-Link routers. The network has been used by many Chinese actors to launch cyber attacks. These actors followed Western targets including research organizations, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and Defense Department suppliers.

It was also suggested at the time that the devices were being sold at a low price to get into US homes.

After three separate investigations were opened at the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Justice, it was widely expected that the devices would be banned from sale in the US. However, the White House reportedly shut down the program ahead of the summit between Trump and China’s Xi Jinping.

Texas continues to fight

Although the federal government may not take action at this time, Texas continues to fight, as Engadget reports.

Texas has sued Wi-Fi router maker TP-Link for misrepresenting the security of its products and allowing Chinese hacker groups to access Americans’ devices, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced. Paxton began looking at TP-Link in October 2025. Texas Governor Greg Abbott later banned state employees from using TP-Link products in January of this year.

TP-Link denies the claims, saying the company is now US-owned and its products are assembled in Vietnam. However, Texas says that because the parts are made in China, suppliers must comply with requests from Chinese intelligence agencies to install firmware that gives the government access to it.

9to5Mac’s Take

Personally, I wouldn’t use a TP-Link router. Even if one is provided by your ISP, you don’t have to use it and you can replace it with a router of your choice, which will have better specifications.