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[HELP] Transmit power restriction for RT-N66U

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JingYou

New Around Here
Hello,

- just bought this awesome router

- RT-N66U updated to merlin firmware 3.0.0.4.266.23b

- bought and is using this router in Singapore (APAC)

- default transmit power 80mw

- want to attain max transmit power 500mw

- but max transmit power 200mw:

"Set the capability for transmission power. The maximum value is 200mW and the real transmission power will be dynamically adjusted to meet regional regulations"

- tried to change the timezone of the router, doesn't work.

- doesn't custom firmware bypass all these restrictions? please help!




Update 22 July 2013:

This is just for those who are INTERESTED to test out 500mw transmit power on their RT-N66U, you may enter commands via GUI at 192.168.1.1 > Tools > CMD or via telnet:

### To CHECK your current region, each line entered will result in the answer.
nvram get pci/1/1/ccode
nvram get pci/2/1/ccode
nvram get wl0_country_code
nvram get wl1_country_code
nvram get regulation_domain
nvram get regulation_domain_5G

### To ALTER to a new region such as US(500mw), or GB(200mw), enter or change the last 2 letters accordingly to each line. Its a good idea to CHECK your current region after each command entered.
nvram set pci/1/1/ccode=US
nvram set pci/2/1/ccode=US
nvram set wl0_country_code=US
nvram set wl1_country_code=US
nvram set regulation_domain=US
nvram set regulation_domain_5G=US

### To CHECK your current transmit power, each line entered will result in answer.
nvram get wl_TxPower
nvram get wl0_TxPower
nvram get wl1_TxPower

### To ALTER to a new transmit power such as 500mw(US) or 200mw(GB), enter or change the last 3 digits accordingly to each line. Its a good idea to CHECK your current transmit power after each command entered.
nvram set wl_TxPower=500
nvram set wl0_TxPower=500
nvram set wl1_TxPower=500
nvram commit


After nvram commit command is entered, you may additionally VERIFY values at the GUI > Wireless > Professional > Tx power adjustment. Take note your router temperature MAY rise by about 2 to 3°C and maintain. I have experienced only a 5% average strength increase from 200mw to 500mw. FYI, firmware using is by Merlin 3.0.0.4.372.30_3. Signal strength check using WiFi Explorer 1.5.1.

:)
 
Last edited:
Somewhere earlier in this forum this question has been abswered but here is the answer to your question :

You can use these commands through telnet if on original firmware or on the cmd page if on RMerlin's.

nvram set pci/1/1/ccode=EU
nvram set pci/2/1/ccode=EU
nvram set wl0_country_code=EU
nvram set wl1_country_code=EU
nvram set regulation_domain=EU
nvram set regulation_domain_5G=EU
nvram commit
reboot

To change back to the US just change all the EU for US.

This would change your wireless regulatory domain to Europe on both radios which has more 2.4GHz channels, less 5GHz channels and also lower TX power output than the US.

weet im gonna try it out.

So just to be sure i have to change :- pci/2/1/, wl1_country and regulation_domain_5G to US and leave the rest as EU?
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nvram get pci/1/1/ccode=EU
nvram get pci/2/1/ccode=US
nvram get wl0_country_code=EU
nvram get wl1_country_code=US
nvram get regulation_domain=EU
nvram get regulation_domain_5G=US
nvram commit
reboot

Hello,

- just bought this awesome router

- RT-N66U updated to merlin firmware 3.0.0.4.266.23b

- bought and is using this router in Singapore (APAC)

- default transmit power 80mw

- want to attain max transmit power 500mw

- but max transmit power 200mw:

"Set the capability for transmission power. The maximum value is 200mW and the real transmission power will be dynamically adjusted to meet regional regulations"

- tried to change the timezone of the router, doesn't work.

- doesn't custom firmware bypass all these restrictions? please help!
 
hello,

- i've telnet and login into rt-n66u ip address

- input following commands:

nvram set pci/1/1/ccode=US
nvram set pci/2/1/ccode=US
nvram set wl0_country_code=US
nvram set wl1_country_code=US
nvram set regulation_domain=US
nvram set regulation_domain_5G=US

result: yields no confirmation, just next line after enter

-input following commands:

nvram commit

result: slight delay before next line

- input follow command:

reboot

result: it rebooted.


overall result:

still the same;


"Set the capability for transmission power. The maximum value is 200mW and the real transmission power will be dynamically adjusted to meet regional regulations"


must be something obvious that i'm not catching, please help!!
 
does anybody know that command for setting value of transmit power using telnet instead of adjusting it using webgui ?
 
In the web-gui you should have other max values on TX Power settings on both bands.


hello,

- i've telnet and login into rt-n66u ip address

- input following commands:

nvram set pci/1/1/ccode=US
nvram set pci/2/1/ccode=US
nvram set wl0_country_code=US
nvram set wl1_country_code=US
nvram set regulation_domain=US
nvram set regulation_domain_5G=US

result: yields no confirmation, just next line after enter

-input following commands:

nvram commit

result: slight delay before next line

- input follow command:

reboot

result: it rebooted.


overall result:

still the same;


"Set the capability for transmission power. The maximum value is 200mW and the real transmission power will be dynamically adjusted to meet regional regulations"


must be something obvious that i'm not catching, please help!!
 
Broken , I used it on Merlins f/w .23B without problems , so please clarify what f/w version that this is broken in.

Well, I used inSSIDer on build 22, and tried dozens of values, on both bands, and rebooted the router after each change, and noted no change at all.

The only thing that made any difference to the power output was changing the routers region from US to EU, and it was a change for the worse.

I have yet to try 23b
 
Well, I used inSSIDer on build 22, and tried dozens of values, on both bands, and rebooted the router after each change, and noted no change at all.

The only thing that made any difference to the power output was changing the routers region from US to EU, and it was a change for the worse.

I have yet to try 23b

Hi,

Operation Mode:Wireless router
Firmware Version:3.0.0.4.266.23 (Merlin build)

For my CASE, it doesn't allow me to input value greater than 200, if i do input any value above 200mw, there will be a small window prompting me to: "Please enter a value between 1 to 200".

Under "Tx Power adjustment"

"Set the capability for transmission power. The maximum value is 200mW and the real transmission power will be dynamically adjusted to meet regional regulations"

What is the telnet command to set tx transmit power? the webgui just ain't working!
 
Hi,

Operation Mode:Wireless router
Firmware Version:3.0.0.4.266.23 (Merlin build)

For my CASE, it doesn't allow me to input value greater than 200, if i do input any value above 200mw, there will be a small window prompting me to: "Please enter a value between 1 to 200".

Under "Tx Power adjustment"

"Set the capability for transmission power. The maximum value is 200mW and the real transmission power will be dynamically adjusted to meet regional regulations"

What is the telnet command to set tx transmit power? the webgui just ain't working!

I'm pretty sure those values quoted in the GUI are hard limits, but I guess it's going to need trial and error once the Telnet commands are known.
 
The transmit power of a modern router is largely out of the hands of the end user. The modern routers radios and drivers dynamically adjust themselves by use of a power output table that is tied to the routers country. I do not know why Asus bothers putting the mW number in the professional tab. The number does not represent the real output in mW. In the USA if you sent the 2.4 GHZ tab to 200 mW the real output is 24 dBm or 251 mW. Setting the 5 GHZ professional tab to 200 mW gets you a power output of 20.50 dBm or 141.25 mW. Your country location will effect this max mW power output as it is coded into the CFE. Asus has built in these constraints because of communication interference laws and an attempt to avoid interference between neighboring routers.
 
I'm still interested in finding a method to bypass regional restriction of 200mw for 500mw.

Does updating the bootloader CFE from 1.0.1.2 to 1.0.1.3, enable the router to bypass regional restriction after inputing the "nvram set" country commands?

i saw afew threads, stating that the N66u determines its purchased location by the CFE...
 
There's really not a lot of point unless your router clients can blast back a similar level of power, because they won't be able to talk back over the same kind of distance/interference.

It's the reason (along with the limited number of frequencies) that cities don't have one massive wi-fi or cell-phone transmitter that covers the whole city, instead of the many little cells that are used.

You can only get away with that kind of thing if it's a transmission only technology (such as television). Breaking the power limits would also make your router transmissions illegal in a lot of countries.
 
According to Asus, going so high would introduce a good amount of distortion in your signal anyway, so it's a bad idea. I forgot what was the "safe" limit they recommended, but I remember it was below 200 mw.

If you really need high power output, best to buy a specialized router that is specifically designed for higher output power.
 
Does updating the bootloader CFE from 1.0.1.2 to 1.0.1.3, enable the router to bypass regional restriction after inputing the "nvram set" country commands?
No, CFE update carries all settings from old CFE to new one.
i saw afew threads, stating that the N66u determines its purchased location by the CFE...
1. A CFE just stores default NVRAM variables which applied only at "Reset to default" command.
2. A default values will be copied from CFE itself to NVRAM area. A firmware (include Wi-Fi driver) works only with this writeable copy.

So all you have to do is to change some NVRAM values to bypass a regional restrictions (which I strongly do not recommend to bypass):
nvram set wl0_country_code=US
nvram set wl_country_code=US
nvram set wl0_country=US
nvram set wl1_country=US
nvram set wl1_country_code=US
nvram set regulation_domain=US
nvram set regulation_domain_5G=US
nvram commit
reboot
It will work until you do "Reset to default" command.

Please keep in mind, to cover a wider range a SNR (singal/noise) parameters is more important then power itself. Higher power leads to higher signal distortions.
 
Well , when I raised the TX power ffom 80 to 90 mW I saw an ncrease of the signal strength in inSSIDer of about 3 dBm.

Well, I used inSSIDer on build 22, and tried dozens of values, on both bands, and rebooted the router after each change, and noted no change at all.

The only thing that made any difference to the power output was changing the routers region from US to EU, and it was a change for the worse.

I have yet to try 23b
 
If I remember correctly Asus recommend not over 120 mW...

According to Asus, going so high would introduce a good amount of distortion in your signal anyway, so it's a bad idea. I forgot what was the "safe" limit they recommended, but I remember it was below 200 mw.

If you really need high power output, best to buy a specialized router that is specifically designed for higher output power.
 
Hi,
Raising TX power from 200mW to 500mw as you wish, how much difference it'll make (in dbm reading, say on inSSIDer)? Not much.
It is a 2 way deal between router and client. Running in max power also will increase noise and may shorten the life of radio chip.
 
Last edited:
Well , when I raised the TX power ffom 80 to 90 mW I saw an ncrease of the signal strength in inSSIDer of about 3 dBm.

That will not happen. To increase your output by 3 dBm it requires a doubling of output power. You would have to go from 80 mW to 160 mW to get a 3 dBm jump. Each 3 dBm increase requires a doubling of output power. So the next 3 dBm you would have increase output from 160 mW to 320 mW. An increase from 80 to 90 mW would not be noticeable. The Asus hardware and software drivers does change output power automatically depending on environmental conditions.
 
So you are talking theoratictly and I am saying what happened when I raises the value 10 mW. Why inSSIDer showed the invrease of 4 dBm after the change in TX settings coould be either because the value was changed or just Asus own firmware doing the change. The environment was the same , the distance the same ...


That will not happen. To increase your output by 3 dBm it requires a doubling of output power. You would have to go from 80 mW to 160 mW to get a 3 dBm jump. Each 3 dBm increase requires a doubling of output power. So the next 3 dBm you would have increase output from 160 mW to 320 mW. An increase from 80 to 90 mW would not be noticeable. The Asus hardware and software drivers does change output power automatically depending on environmental conditions.
 

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