I have a question about RT-AC1900P

[Odkrys]

Latest AC68 series, BB exclusive version RT-AC1900P has 1.4Ghz dual core cpu like AC88U and AC3100.
It seems very attractive under 200$ for home.

but AC1900P info is too few :O
Has it solved USB 3.0 speed like AC68P ?
Has it shielding on USB port ?

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...-band-wireless-ac1900-gigabit-router-reviewed

 

[SoCalReviews]

The 1900P is a hardware upgraded version of the 68P. It should have the same USB 3.0 features (shielding, USB 3.0 operation, etc.) as the 68P. We won't have more details until someone does thorough performance testing (for USB 3.0 throughput, etc.) and then opens one up to see what design differences it has. I can tell you that the 1900P is missing the Tx radio power control adjustment in the firmware which the 68P does have. Other than that to my knowledge they seem to have the same exact features.

 

[BigDLondon]

The 1900P is a hardware upgraded version of the 68P. It should have the same USB 3.0 features (shielding, USB 3.0 operation, etc.) as the 68P. We won't have more details until someone does thorough performance testing (for USB 3.0 throughput, etc.) and then opens one up to see what design differences it has. I can tell you that the 1900P is missing the Tx radio power control adjustment in the firmware which the 68P does have. Other than that to my knowledge they seem to have the same exact features.

My RT-AC1900p still has Tx radio control adjustment.

 

[SoCalReviews]

My RT-AC1900p still has Tx radio control adjustment.

Maybe because your region is Canada or outside the U.S.. It could be that only the U.S. region has disabled/missing Tx power adjustment controls. What version is your 1900P... V1 or V3 ?

 

[BigDLondon]

Maybe because your region is Canada or outside the U.S.. It could be that only the U.S. region has disabled/missing Tx power adjustment controls. What version is your 1900P... V1 or V3 ?

My box says V3.

 

[SoCalReviews]

My box says V3.

Same as mine V3. The Tx power adjustment must be country/region based.

 

[baddog]

Bought mine in US, V3, no TX power adjustment.

 

[SoCalReviews]

Bought mine in US, V3, no TX power adjustment.

Ya... It's got to be a U.S. regional thing. If you are in the U.S. you don't get a Tx power adjustment.

 

[RMerlin]

Same as mine V3. The Tx power adjustment must be country/region based.

Yes it is. As I mentionned in a previous post, the setting gets removed if your bootloader's region is set to US.

 

[SoCalReviews]

Yes it is. As I mentionned in a previous post, the setting gets removed if your bootloader's region is set to US.

I knew that my 1900p didn't have the Tx power adjustment option in the firmware. You correctly noted that the U.S. region information was in the firmware code. The issue is that Asus support (who I assumed was not in the U.S. and they seemed to confirm that to me) told me that their 1900P hardware didn't have the Tx power option either and that led me to the conclusion that the Tx power option didn't exist for the 1900p at all in any region.

Now we are finding out that Tx power adjustment only is supposedly for U.S. region routers. However my 68p routers with the latest firmware all still have Tx power adjustment so the firmware regional change obviously doesn't apply to the 68p in the U.S. region.

In conclusion... The 1900p in the U.S. is effected with no Tx power adjust option. Asus support's 1900p's not located in the U.S. seem to be effected. Other 1900p routers such as Canada and possibly other countries are NOT effected. The 68p routers in any region.... U.S. or not U.S. are NOT effected.... and from what someone in the U.S. posted recently about their 3100/88u they are NOT effected because they still have the Tx power option available with the latest firmware despite what you mentioned about firmware changes being made to about routers for the U.S region.

I realize this may not be a big deal to most people. I just want to know what is going on with the Tx power adjustment feature and why it still exists on some routers and not others. Meanwhile we've heard nothing but crickets from Asus U.S. about this.

 

[RMerlin]

I realize this may not be a big deal to most people. I just want to know what is going on with the Tx power adjustment feature and why it still exists on some routers and not others. Meanwhile we've heard nothing but crickets from Asus U.S. about this.

There's no big mystery there. As I keep saying, all the recent firmware versions will remove the setting if your router's bootloader is set for the US region. This is not model-specific, the Javascript code that checks this only checks for the region code. And this also matches what Asus's R&D told me when they made that change a few weeks ago.

This is not model-specific. This is region-specific. If you had a router that still had the slider, then it's because the bootloader was not set for US, or you were running an older firmware that predates the change. The router model had nothing to do with it.

Canadian-bought routers are encoded for the US region, so we share the same limitations.

 

[SoCalReviews]

There's no big mystery there. As I keep saying, all the recent firmware versions will remove the setting if your router's bootloader is set for the US region. This is not model-specific, the Javascript code that checks this only checks for the region code. And this also matches what Asus's R&D told me when they made that change a few weeks ago.

This is not model-specific. This is region-specific. If you had a router that still had the slider, then it's because the bootloader was not set for US, or you were running an older firmware that predates the change. The router model had nothing to do with it.

Canadian-bought routers are encoded for the US region, so we share the same limitations.

Same limitations? Not according to the Canadian who reported his 1900p v3 has the Tx power option. It might have to do with the bootloader but that doesn't explain the mystery as to why Asus is releasing the same model with used in different regions to yield completely different results... Asus support NOT in the U.S. saying their 1900p doesn't have Tx power option, my 1900p v3 does NOT have the power option, a Canadian saying his 1900p V3 does have the Tx power option.

Ok so maybe it's what the bootloader tells the router what region it is in but then why is Asus releasing 1900p models with U.S. region bootloader in non-U.S. regions? One thing we can say so far is that I have yet to hear of a buyer in the U.S. getting a 1900p with the Tx power option. I have yet to hear of a U.S. bought 68p model that does not have the Tx power option. Apparently outside of the U.S. the 1900p Tx power option is a roll of the dice and every other model of Asus router it seems having Tx power option is highly likely up to this point.

I don't want to seem like I am beating dead horse with this issue but it goes to a much larger question of what other feature restrictions besides the Tx power option are region specific or will be region specific in the future. Since these differences can't be determined by looking at the model name, version number or firmware release then how can the average customer tell whether their new Asus router does or doesn't have neutered firmware features?

 

[RMerlin]

I just analysed Asus's code dealing with this to get to the bottom of it. Here's what I found.

The webui retrieve the territory_code nvram setting, and looks for the presence of "US" in it. If that string is found, then it removes the power slider from the webui.

What I cannot tell however is why some routers do not have that nvram setting properly set, as it's handled within a closed source portion of the firmware. My US-coded RT-AC88U has it, but my US-coded RT-AC68U lacks it - the nvram setting is flat out empty, which means the webui is unable to determine the region. My guess is, Asus's code doesn't always properly set the territory_code nvram setting, in which case the webui is unable to determine the region, and allows these specific routers to still display the power slider. Consider this a bug that will most likely be addressed, because Asus's project manager clearly told me a few weeks ago that they were going to remove the power slider for all US-sold model due to FCC requirements. So if any US-sold model still shows the slider, it's a bug that will eventually be fixed.

So, assume that if your router was purchased in the US, it won't have the power slider. And if it still does, it will be removed eventually once this gets fixed.

I don't want to seem like I am beating dead horse with this issue but it goes to a much larger question of what other feature restrictions besides the Tx power option are region specific or will be region specific in the future.

If you are in the US (or a region sharing the same region code, such as Canada), assume that anything that allows an end-user to potentially bypass any mandatory restriction established by the FCC will be removed, if it hasn't already been.

 

[SoCalReviews]

So, assume that if your router was purchased in the US, it won't have the power slider. And if it still does, it will be removed eventually once this gets fixed.



If you are in the US (or a region sharing the same region code, such as Canada), assume that anything that allows an end-user to potentially bypass any mandatory restriction established by the FCC will be removed, if it hasn't already been.

When Asus gets around to "fix" those pesky U.S. sold routers with that Tx slide controller bug that allows me to decrease my radio power... Finally I can get back to blasting my neighbors with full transmit power on 2.4Ghz whether my neighbors want interference from my wireless router or not. Good job FCC!

 

[SoCalReviews]

I just analysed Asus's code dealing with this to get to the bottom of it. Here's what I found.

...As usual great investigative work and info. Thank you for the explanation Merlin.

 

[Odkrys]

My AC1900P is coming from US.
I will see that it has Tx power adjustment option.
Here is S.Korea.

 

[RMerlin]

Good job FCC!

In this case, I think it's Asus's legal department that's being paranoid. My guess is, the FCC rules that the manufacturer must prevent an end user from changing the output power, but they failed to specify that DECREASING it was fine. Since Asus already had a fair amount of legal issues with the FCC and the FTC these past few years, they are probably playing it overly safe by removing even the option to reduce output power.

 

[Odkrys]

there is no Tx power adjustment in Korea with AC1900P V3 merlin 380.61



And anyone know about BCM43602 chipset?

I saw this before < https://wikidevi.com/wiki/ASUS_RT-AC1900 >

so I guess AC1900P also has BCM43602 instead of BCM4360

but in syslog < kernel: eth1: Broadcom BCM4360 802.11 Wireless Controller 6.37.14.126 (r561982) >

AC1900P isn't equipped 43602 ?

Otherwise, old kernel or firmware support problem?