The carl firmware at https://github.com/chunkeey/carl9170fw https://github.com/chunkeey/carl9170fw should put that argument to rest. That is Wifi firmware sourc

The carl firmware at https://github.com/chunkeey/carl9170fw https://github.com/chunkeey/carl9170fw should put that argument to rest. That is Wifi firmware source code for the Wifi I currently use. Easily changed likely means there's a physical knob somewhere that you could accidentially poke as a layperson. Not that you get a three year CS education, figure out how your distribution packages dependencies, install the correct embedded toolchain (good luck), find out exactly which chip is in your device, fetch the proper firmware source code in the right version, build the thing, figure out how to flash the result onto the chip / read the Linux kernel sources to figure out the filename inside /lib/firmware. That's not easy. Even if this entire process was packaged (it is--see <https://packages.debian.org/sid/firmware-linux-free https://packages.debian.org/sid/firmware-linux-free>), it probably still doesn't count (or at least shouldn't count) as "easily" changed.