Asus locking down routers to comply with new FCC rules

[dlandiss]

CBers do not use broadcast frequencies.

The second harmonic from a distorting CB power amp clobbers TV Channel 2. Successive harmonics hit other channels.

 

[philmiami]

this is why when the time comes
I will go to commercial routers and wireless AP's
See, those, are not sold at Best Buy
They don't fall under the same rules as a all-n-one router for the basic home user.
And if someone says it will happen to them also I am going to say,"You drank too much of the Jim Jones kool aid"

 

[KGB7]

this is why when the time comes
I will go to commercial routers and wireless AP's
See, those, are not sold at Best Buy
They don't fall under the same rules as a all-n-one router for the basic home user.
And if someone says it will happen to them also I am going to say,"You drank too much of the Jim Jones kool aid"

If FCC is serious about new rules, then Everyone will have to join the party boat. If that happens, you'll have to get an older commercial product that was made before FCC brought down the hammer. Simply because residential products can be used in commercial aplications and vise versa can be used in each environment. And many people live next to commercial properties. A 8 story apartment building attached to an office building, that is very common in large cities such as NY city.
If I was FCC, then everyone would get thrown under the bus as it makes sence in the long run.

 

[KevTech]

this is why when the time comes
I will go to commercial routers and wireless AP's
See, those, are not sold at Best Buy
They don't fall under the same rules as a all-n-one router for the basic home user.
And if someone says it will happen to them also I am going to say,"You drank too much of the Jim Jones kool aid"

From what I read it will apply to all wifi devices.

Read the two attachments on the link below.

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/kdb/forms/FTSSearchResultPage.cfm?id=39498&switch=P

 

[DrTeeth]

Done.

(The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.)

I did that too and got fobbed off by being told to contact UK tech support. I assume the locking of the routers and their localisation is a decision taken at head office and not at local level.

 

[Builder71]

I did that too and got fobbed off by being told to contact UK tech support. I assume the locking of the routers and their localisation is a decision taken at head office and not at local level.

Sad, if they do any better on my e-mail I'll post it here.

 

[mostou]

I have now upgraded to Asuswrt-Merlin 376.45 and is wondering about the Tx power adjustment setting. I have read through most of the threads in this forum about the new settings in connection with Asus trying to comply with new FCC rules. But one thing I haven't been able to find an answer to is - what is 100% in mW??

A setting in % does not make any sense unless you know what it is of. 100% of what? I don't want to break any regulations - I just want to know what 100% is. I am living in EU and my AC68U is correctly localized to EU via the CFE bootloader. I am allowed to use 100mW on 2.4GHz band and 200mW on 5GHz band - but I don't know if 100% on 2.4GHz is 100mW and 100% on the 5GHz band is 200mW or if it is setting 100% to other values. My previous settings were 80mW on the 2,4GHz band and 150mW on the 5GHz band.

Does anyone know how to find out what 100% is in mW with the new firmware (376 based)?

 

[Deleted member 22229]

100% = 80 mw

 

[mostou]

Thanks for the answer Kel-L. Is this the case for both bands? And is this the case for both US and EU regions? And from where do you have this information?

I am trying to find out how I can verify what 100% is in mW. I have tried:
nvram get wl0_TxPower (does no longer work)
And:
nvram get wl0_txpower (Returning the % setting)

 

[Deleted member 22229]

I read that info somewhere here in the forums but I can't seem to locate the thread. As far as region I believe Asus has the region locked on USA for all routers using the new firmware. If I am wrong I'm sure someone will be happy to correct me.

 

[mostou]

As far as I understand the region is read from the CFE bootloader. You can confirm the current flashed CFE version via:

strings /dev/mtd0 | grep ccode

So if you are located in the EU with EU correctly flashed in CFE, the Tx power adjustment setting should apply to EU regulations and not to FCC rules. But it is impossible to know if this is the case, when the Tx power adjustment setting is in % and not in mW.

 

[philmiami]

I use Merlin 374.43_2
I won't change my firmware to make my router a puny shadow of itself
just so Asus can comply with FCC rules written by someone who sits behind a desk and calls a IT person to come to their house to fix their home network.

 

[DeVasher]

Is this still a problem?

 

[philmiami]

I would still think so

 

[RMerlin]

This isn't going to change. The new rules are in place, and will be gradually enforced by the FCC, with June 2016 being the final deadline for ALL marketed devices to comply to the new rules, or face a sales ban.

 

[DeVasher]

Thanks Guys,

I would assume then that the manufacturer will start producing two different versions one for US and another one for the rest of the world? Or is that just me dreaming?

It feels a little odd for us non US citiziens to have to comply to this standard.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I would assume then that the manufacturer will start producing two different versions one for US and another one for the rest of the world? Or is that just me dreaming?

Well in the first post Merlin said "Starting with firmware versions 376_xxxx, Asus is locking down channel and power output to what`s in the bootloader, due to FCC requirements."

So presumably if you have an EU router with an EU bootloader you will get EU wireless settings. So there's no need to produce a "rest of the world version". Or am I misunderstanding things?

(Yes, yes, I know there's no such region as EU but that's another argument)

 

[philmiami]

just buy something from alibaba.com from China
it doesn't go by the FCC rules
I think people put too much into the bs that they read from Washington,D.C. which is by all reasoning of a sane person, a different country for the 1%
I live in reality
I want my wi-fi to destroy the neighbors who try to get on MY CHANNEL
A lot of people on the forums don't live in a large (>3 million people) city with high rises/condos, etc. etc.
do what YOU think is right, not what someone else in a different country thinks is right.
The old saying about one man's trash is another man's treasure, that applies to the laws coming from Washington.
What is one man's law might be another man's nightmare.....and I don't like to have bad dreams....

 

[L&LD]

How old are you?

You do know we have to share the wireless spectrum, right?

Your line of thinking was fine when every Nth person had a wireless router, but this situation is drastically different today. Not to mention that interfering on gov't controlled wavelengths is not exactly the way to start each morning.

Complying with the rules as they change will benefit everyone in the long term.

Ranting and raving about 'destroying' your neighbors who try to get on 'your' channel sounds kind of childish.

We don't each have a channel. Learn to share.

just buy something from alibaba.com from China
it doesn't go by the FCC rules
I think people put too much into the bs that they read from Washington,D.C. which is by all reasoning of a sane person, a different country for the 1%
I live in reality
I want my wi-fi to destroy the neighbors who try to get on MY CHANNEL
A lot of people on the forums don't live in a large (>3 million people) city with high rises/condos, etc. etc.
do what YOU think is right, not what someone else in a different country thinks is right.
The old saying about one man's trash is another man's treasure, that applies to the laws coming from Washington.
What is one man's law might be another man's nightmare.....and I don't like to have bad dreams....

 

[Deepcuts]

I read only 5 pages but correct me if I am wrong:
this whole discussion is about WiFi power (limited by FCC rules) in newer firmwares?
Because this is what I understand and still cannot get why the whole fuss.