The Router The FCC
Didn't Touch
In March 2026 the rules on routers changed. Most of the market is now on a clock. The Island Router — designed, assembled, and loaded in the US — is one of the few that isn't.
Routers are the one piece of your network nobody thinks about until it fails — or until the government changes the rules underneath them. That's exactly what happened this year, and it's worth understanding, because it quietly reshaped what a responsible router purchase looks like.
On March 23, 2026, the FCC banned all new foreign-made consumer routers. And existing foreign-made routers lose security-update eligibility by March 2027. If your network runs your security system, your cameras, and everything else in the house, "the router stops getting security updates" is not a footnote — it's a problem with a deadline.
Who Makes It
Built By Network Engineers, In America
The Island Router is built by PerfTech — a company with 40-plus years in carrier and enterprise networking and 65-plus US patents. This isn't a consumer-electronics brand that added a router to its lineup; it's the kind of engineering pedigree that helped build the plumbing of the early internet.
And it's genuinely American-made, in a way that matters for exactly the security reason above:
- Hardware assembled in Dallas, Texas.
- Enclosure manufactured in Arizona.
- Firmware written and loaded in-house in the US — so supply-chain tampering is engineered out, not hoped against.
That domestic chain is the whole reason the FCC ruling doesn't touch it — and the reason we're comfortable making it the foundation of the networks we build.
Why It Performs
You Get The Speed You Pay Your ISP For
Here's a number most people never see: a typical consumer router delivers only 29–61% of your ISP-rated speed under real load. You pay for a gigabit and get a fraction of it when the network is busy. The Island Router's no-queue packet engine delivers about 97% of ISP-rated throughput under load — essentially all of what you're paying for, even with a full house of devices hammering it.
It also runs a next-generation firewall with every protection on from boot, and — refreshingly — no subscription and no cloud dependency, ever. Management is local and private. Nothing to unlock, no monthly fee, no phoning home.
The Two Models
Island Router vs. Island Pro
Island Router — $499
1 Gbps, up to 5,000 devices, desktop form factor. The right fit for the typical smart home — cameras, Control4, streaming, and dozens of devices — without breaking a sweat.
Island Pro — $1,499
10 Gbps, up to 10,000 devices, 1U rack-mount. What we specify for multi-gig service and full Control4 installs with cameras and NVRs under heavy continuous load.
Both are US-made, subscription-free, and run identical software — the difference is purely hardware capacity and form factor. Most homes are perfectly served by the standard Island Router; the Pro is for multi-gig service or the heaviest full-system loads.
Getting It Running
Out Of The Box, Or Dialed In
Both models work on factory defaults right out of the box. If you want it tuned to your network — VLANs, firewall rules, DNS over HTTPS, device segmentation — remote setup support is $195/hour, one-hour minimum, no site visit required. In the South Sound, we also design and install it as part of a complete network — routing, access points, and cabling as one architecture.
The router is only half the network, of course. It pairs naturally with Alta Labs access points for the WiFi side — routing and wireless designed together.
The Options
What It Costs
- Island Router — $499. 1 Gbps, 5,000 devices, desktop. The right fit for most homes.
- Island Router Pro — $1,499. 10 Gbps, 10,000 devices, rack-mount.
- Remote Setup Support — $195/hr. VLANs, firewall, segmentation, configured with you.
Want the full, benchmark-by-benchmark breakdown? Read our long-form Island Router review — real numbers, real installs, and whether it's worth it for a smart home.
Keep Reading
Related Guides
- Alta Labs review — the managed WiFi that sits on the Island backbone
- PoE vs Wi-Fi cameras — building the camera side of the network
Want The Foundation
Done Right?
The router is what everything else in your home depends on. Tell us about your network — the devices, the service, the system it carries — and we'll spec the Island Router that fits, and the network around it.