What's new
  • SNBForums Code of Conduct

    SNBForums is a community for everyone, no matter what their level of experience.

    Please be tolerant and patient of others, especially newcomers. We are all here to share and learn!

    The rules are simple: Be patient, be nice, be helpful or be gone!

RT-N66U enable higher 5GHz channels in EU?

SvenH

New Around Here
Hi there,

Just got my new RT-N66U here in Netherlands, EU. How do I enable the 100+ channels with more power on 5GHz?

It came preloaded with 3.0.0.4.376 (HW ver B1) and I am now running Merlin Fork 374.43_2-14E1j9527. Did a factory reset afterwards.

Here is potentially useful ssh output...

# nvram show | grep ccode
pci/2/1/ccode=EU
size: 40540 bytes (24996 left)
pci/1/1/ccode=EU

# nvram show | grep reg
size: 40540 bytes (24996 left)
wl0_mcast_regen_bss_enable=1
ddns_regular_check=0
wl_mcast_regen_bss_enable=1
wl1_mcast_regen_bss_enable=1
lan_wps_reg=enabled
ddns_regular_period=60
wl_wps_reg=enabled
wl0_reg_mode=off
wl1_reg_mode=off
wl0_wps_reg=enabled
lan1_wps_reg=enabled
wl1_wps_reg=enabled
regulation_domain=EU
pci/1/1/regrev=5
regulation_domain_5G=EU
pci/2/1/regrev=3
wl_reg_mode=off

# strings /dev/mtd0ro | grep bl_ver
bl_version=1.0.1.9
 
5 GHz DFS channels are available for Europe (and in my case the Netherlands) since stock firmware 3.0.0.4.376.3602.
The latest stock firmware is 3.0.0.4.378.9313.

upload_2015-11-11_17-42-6.png


Some channels out of the total allowed list are missing.
I guess it is related to the complex DFS requirements with different power and wait time settings and Asus may go for a one-fit-all approach.
DFS as far as my experience goes does not real good due to possible wait time as required (resulting in 5 GHz appearing to stop), I still suggest to stay with the non-DFS channels 36, 40, 44 and 48.
I don't know how Merlin deals with those DFS channels, I assume it should be equal to stock firmware.

[EDIT]
The channels shown in the picture, of my European/Netherlands router, do comply with the applicable European ETSI standard.
The "missing" channels 120, 124 and 128 are those used by weather radars and require a wait time of 10 minutes, while the other channels require a wait time of "only" 1 minute.
Many router manufacturers like Asus (or chip maker Broadcom?) decided to completely skip the weather radar channels 120, 124 and 128.
It is unknown to me what the output power at 5 GHz is for the RT-N66U, the ETSI standard is one, but on top of that are regulations per European country that are not the same. I suppose that also here Asus uses a one-fit-all approach.
 
Last edited:

Latest threads

Support SNBForums w/ Amazon

If you'd like to support SNBForums, just use this link and buy anything on Amazon. Thanks!

Sign Up For SNBForums Daily Digest

Get an update of what's new every day delivered to your mailbox. Sign up here!
Back
Top