The hardware's design is the key. Linksys says it's been working with both the chip designers at Marvell and the developers of OpenWRT to make this work. The WRT routers separate the RF wireless data from the firmware, preventing you from stepping out of bounds. You theoretically can't hack those limits, even though you have control over most everything else.

This won't please those who think that any restriction on open source firmware is one too many. OpenWRT's Imre Kaloz asks Ars why the FCC didn't just punish infractions instead. However, Linksys' solution shows that there's at least some possibility of compromise between raw flexibility and safety.