Netgear R8000 region selection

[Aeschylus]

Hello....

I currently own the Netgear R8000, and it seems really good mostly...USB3 speeds are not I find, but my main issue is the channels, I am based in the UK and the region is defaulted to Europe. My first 5ghz band is on channels 35 to 48, the second 5ghz band is channels 100 to 109 these also have DFS....

the range is ok on band 1, but only my laptop can see band 2, I have a ipad air 2, Fire TV x 3 and none of them can see the 2nd 5ghz band...

roll this forward to last night, I thought I would just have a play, so I changed the region to Asia...... and bam! suddenly every device can see both bands and the range is amazing, I am getting a 5ghz connection in my garden (yard for you USA folks) where on the EU region it would drop out at the back end of my kitchen, but on the 5ghz band 1 the channels are the same as EU, but range is better, on 5ghz band 2 the channels have changed fully from 100-109 (DFS) to 149(P) + 153 + 157 + 161 with no DFS

I am going to presume that I have done something bad here? and by circumventing (even though you are allowed to choose) the EU channels I am causing issues? but I also don't understand why I get better range on the Asia region setting when it is using the same channels?

any ideas welcomed

 

[hggomes]

ASIA region sets higher txpower levels thats why.

 

[Aeschylus]

ASIA region sets higher txpower levels thats why.

Thankyou, I wont be messing up any of my neighbours with this setting will I? I run insider and I am the only 5GHZ band, but lots of 2.4GHZ

 

[sfx2000]

What country are you in?

Changing the Region Codes outside of your regulatory domain is not a good idea as it can cause issues with other networks, both licensed and unlicensed, and depending on channels used, can interfere significantly with aircraft and weather radars in the 5GHz space - that's why we have DFS/TPC in some of the 5GHz channels.

 

[Aeschylus]

What country are you in?

Changing the Region Codes outside of your regulatory domain is not a good idea as it can cause issues with other networks, both licensed and unlicensed, and depending on channels used, can interfere significantly with aircraft and weather radars in the 5GHz space - that's why we have DFS/TPC in some of the 5GHz channels.

I am in the UK.... so I am in a dilemma now then, change back to EU get only one 5GHZ band discoverable and not as good range, or stay in Asia region and get both bands and great signal....

how come Netgear allow you to change region, as don't Asus lock it down now?

 

[sfx2000]

I am in the UK.... so I am in a dilemma now then, change back to EU get only one 5GHZ band discoverable and not as good range, or stay in Asia region and get both bands and great signal....

how come Netgear allow you to change region, as don't Asus lock it down now?

It's a hard question, I know... it's like DVD's and region locking there, or console games...

At the end of the day, WiFi vendors have to sell products on a global basis - it would be awesome if we had harmonized requirements in both the 2.4GHz b/g/n band as well as the 5GHz band - but unfortunately we don't, so we do have some regional channel allocations and Tx/Rx requirements.

5GHz is a bit of a problem, as it works very well for WiFi, but it also works really well for Radars, which is why we have DFS/TPC - the Router/AP radios have a requirement to listen first before ever even transmitting, and an ongoing requirement to monitor just in case... In some regions, esp. in the 5GHz band, you've got licensed spectrum for commercial activities, so some regions must block those channels out for unlicensed use.

So... I'd recommend putting the region back to where one lives - worst case is that you might be seen as an RF jammer, and someone might stop by to politely (or not) ask you to stop...

At least in the UK, they're likely to be polite rather then sending out a tactical SWAT team to do a no-knock door bashing, shooting your dog and putting your partner and kids on the curb with handcuffs while they seize all of your electronics...

Not much different than the BBC trucks running around neighborhoods looking to ensure that everyone has paid their TV license, eh?