5G WLAN: Where are the other channels?

[thulanh]

I just bought a RT-N66U and updated its FW to 270.26.

When I go to the Web GUI and configure a (static) channel to be used in the 5 GHz band, I only see channels 36, 40, 44, and 48. I wonder why the other channels, e.g. > 100, do not appear on the drop-down list.

Any hint for enabling the remaining channels is appreciated.

I'm located in Switzerland, Europe.

 

[Maghook]

For usage of higher channels (e.g. indoor usage: 52, 56, 60, 64) as mentioned above in europe the wireless router/ap needs to have DFS with TPC implemented (dynamic frequency selection with transmit power control). This is to avoid interference with weather-radar and military applications.
(Channels between 36 and 64 are limited to indoor usage only.) Channels above 100 need also DFS /w TPC.

The german c't magazine noted (http://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Gigabit-Funker-1673483.html) back in september 2012 that Broadcom had just integrated DFS /w TPC into their newest driver and it is up to the router/ap vendor to implement it into their device firmware.

So, yes...I'm asking myself too, why ASUS has not implemented this up to now? Maybe they still have to much to do with the current beta .354 and nobody really complains about it?

Edit: concerning DFS with TPC this is also required for the US, Japan, and others.
Edit2: ...or maybe I'm wrong and ASUS already integrated DFS/w TPC, but it's only available if you switch channel selection to automatic?

 

[thulanh]

For usage of higher channels (e.g. indoor usage: 52, 56, 60, 64) as mentioned above in europe the wireless router/ap needs to have DFS with TPC implemented (dynamic frequency selection with transmit power control). This is to avoid interference with weather-radar and military applications.
(Channels between 36 and 64 are limited to indoor usage only.) Channels above 100 need also DFS /w TPC.

The german c't magazine noted (http://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Gigabit-Funker-1673483.html) back in september 2012 that Broadcom had just integrated DFS /w TPC into their newest driver and it is up to the router/ap vendor to implement it into their device firmware.

So, yes...I'm asking myself too, why ASUS has not implemented this up to now? Maybe they still have to much to do with the current beta .354 and nobody really complains about it?

Edit: concerning DFS with TPC this is also required for the US, Japan, and others.
Edit2: ...or maybe I'm wrong and ASUS already integrated DFS/w TPC, but it's only available if you switch channel selection to automatic?

Thanks for the information.

I switched to "auto" but nothing changed, the router kept operating on channel 36. But I must say that there was no other router on the 5G band.

 

[HTMLSpinnr]

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels#5.C2.A0GHz_.28802.11a.2Fh.2Fj.2Fn.29.5B13.5D and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11h-2003

In Europe, an AP set to anything between ch 52-140 (UNII-2 and UNII-2e) requires DFS/TPC management compliant with 802.11h. Additionally, client devices must passively scan on these channels rather than actively probing before association to minimize interference. Some devices may "refuse" to use a DFS channel if the Spectrum Management capability bit is unset in the wireless beacon in order to remain compliant (some industrial handhelds, for example). In short, many standards must be followed in order to use these channels, and compatibility is mixed.

Sadly, Broadcom (and some other vendors) have historically taken the approach within many of their firmwares to simply avoid using DFS channels rather than to comply with 802.11h - unless the OEM specifically requests otherwise and certifies the devices as DFS compliant in the regulatory domains which they intend to operate. Thinking about consumer devices which permit static channel assignments and variable power output (if the end-user can even access that setting), it's probably easier to exclude this channel space than conform to various regulatory specifications.

In Europe, channels in the UNII-3 space (ch149-165) are limited to short range device only at 25mW of transmit power or less. 25mW at 5.8GHz doesn't travel very far. Ironically, in the US, we're permitted to operate on these channels at up to 100mW, and most routers set to "Auto" will prefer them because of the higher power output limits.

It's probably in your best interest to keep the router set to the auto-selected channels between 36-48 (UNII-1). Unless you have neighbors or other APs overlapping in the same space, any one channel vs. another is unlikely to be problematic.

 

[redpants]

I just bought a RT-N66U and updated its FW to 270.26.

When I go to the Web GUI and configure a (static) channel to be used in the 5 GHz band, I only see channels 36, 40, 44, and 48. I wonder why the other channels, e.g. > 100, do not appear on the drop-down list.

Any hint for enabling the remaining channels is appreciated.

I'm located in Switzerland, Europe.

http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?p=48186#post48186

Works like a charm!

 

[crni_panter]

5GHZ channels

Hello,

i am from Germany and trying at the moment to build a good WLAN AC network at home. I have a question regarding the 5 GHZ channels on the Asus AC66U. Hope you can help me with it.

This is my configuration:

- a "Fritzbox 7490" WLAN AC Router with 5GHZ DFS (which allowes in Germany to use the higher 5 GHZ channels 50-140)
- a ASUS AC66U Router as a media bridge to allow my Rasp PI and other devices to connect to the WLAN AC network

Unfortunately in Germany (and Europe in General) the higher 5 GHZ channels are blocked on the ASUS router.
When i setup my fritzbox router (with DFS) to a channel over 48 the ASUS router wont find it.

I installed the RMerlin custom firmware on the AC66U and tried the following command line inputs over cmd:

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
nvram commit
reboot

I tried it a few times. Also with the original firmware (then over telnet), but my router is not acceisble afterwards and i always have to do a factory reset.
What am i doing wrong? My intension is to unlock the 5GHZ channels (50-140) on the ASUS (like it is the case outside the EU) to receive the signals of my fritzbox router.
As i will only receive signals with the Asus and not send them, there is also no security issue with radar stations and weather stations. DFS is working on my primary router.

Can somebody help me?