No TX Power Adjustment for RT-AC66U B1

[Tevibear]

Hey guys/gals. Is there any hope that somebody will create a firmware to give us back the Radio Tx Power Adjustment capability for this router? I just bought it, and I'm pretty disappointed that I can't lower the radio signal power on either the 2.4 or 5Ghz bands. I'm pretty sure that the reason so many ASUS routers are dying after only a year or less is because the radio power is almost full-blast all the time, and it's rough on the internal circuits to be at max output 24-7. I don't need that much broadcast power. My neighbors are going to hate my guts if/when I bring this thing into service. I have had a D-Link Dir 655 Extreme N Router for about 8 years, and it's still running flawlessly using G-Only @ 20Mhz with a 20Mbps ISP. I'm getting Google Fiber soon and thought the RT-866U B1 would do the trick, but now I'm thinking that I might have to give it away or send it back. Is there any AC router as good as this one but has a TX power adjustment for both bands that actually works when you adjust it? Thanks in advance. P.S. I updated the firmware from ASUS for this router and then put the RT-AC68U Merlin Firmware on it, and it has been flawless while I was getting it all set up to deploy. Merlin is the man!

 

[joegreat]

Hey guys/gals. Is there any hope that somebody will create a firmware to give us back the Radio Tx Power Adjustment capability for this router?

Hi Tevibear,

The transmission power settings are gone due to FCC regulation requirements: Asus (and other vendors) overreacted and set the power to the absolute minimum to allow the routers in any region of the world (I assume).

Although some regions allow higher power settings you are not allowed to change it anymore! The limitation in enforced in the closed source part of the firmware and boot ROM CFE)...

With kind regards
Joe

 

[Zirescu]

There is still the slider adjustment for the TX power adjustment on the Wireless Professional tab at the very bottom. There are 5 settings: Power Saving, Fair, Balance, Good and Performance. Likely the Performance setting is set to the maximum allowed by FCC for the channel setting for your region. I've got mine set to Power Saving on both my Router and AP and haven't had any issues with it.

 

[ColinTaylor]

RMerlin said here:

The slider is gone for US models.

 

[TonyH]

RMerlin said here:

What one would expect with TX power adjustment? How about receiving side? Like you can talk loud but if the other end does not hear well or can't talk back as loud? If one understands how RF propagation works , what is the quieting point of signal received, increasing power means increasing RF amp. running temp., increasing noise, etc., etc. Tho.
between two points just increasing power wee bit can make remarkable result in specific case.

 

[Tevibear]

I see this in Wireless Professional tab section(at the buttom) : Tx power adjustment (with a slider )
What is your fw?
With RMerlin on a Rt-Ac68 you can lower it and the Ac66_B1 is using the same fw.
Dont know if it just specific to the Ac66_B1 version that you cant see the adjust slider bar

As stated in another reply to this thread, they took it away. This is the Merlin Firmware that I flashed it with: RT-AC68U_380.64_0

 

[Tevibear]

RMerlin said here:

Thanks for the reply. Going back to a part of my original post, does anyone know of a really good router similar in options to this ASUS router that still has the TX Power Adjustment capability that actually works and is selling on Amazon or E-bay?

 

[Zirescu]

Ah, did not know the US models had it removed. Still available on my Canadian models.

 

[RMerlin]

What one would expect with TX power adjustment? How about receiving side?

Exactly. That setting is half-useless, as long as the clients themselves will keep sending at a (usually much lower) output level.

 

[KevTech]

I am running stock firmware 3.0.0.4.380_4164 on my RT-AC68U and the slider is there. Used to be you could just input the numbers.

Now if you want to be able to input the power in mW then you could install TomatoUSB as it still has that adjustment.

 

[Tevibear]

I am running stock firmware 3.0.0.4.380_4164 on my RT-AC68U and the slider is there. Used to be you could just input the numbers.

View attachment 8119

Now if you want to be able to input the power in mW then you could install TomatoUSB as it still has that adjustment.

View attachment 8120

That's weird. My Hw revision is B1, and it has the USB3.0 port on the front. Is yours somehow different, or did you buy from overseas? Not sure why you have the slider and I don't. However, Mine is a 66U B1 and not a 68U. They must have the same native hardware, or very similar, for the 68U firmware to work on it though.

 

[JoBo]

Mine too.
I live in the US and have the T-Mobile RT-AC68U version with Merlin 380-64 firmware and CFE and also have the power slider. Default setting is "Performance" and I just set it to "Balanced" that's in the center and over 15 minutes with no wi-fi activity the temperature of both radio chips remained the same.

My radio chip themps are
2.4 MHz is 48c
5.0 MHz is 49c

Joe

 

[Tevibear]

Exactly. That setting is half-useless, as long as the clients themselves will keep sending at a (usually much lower) output level.

It's because I want to lower the output of the signal, not increase it. I don't want to get this router into service only to find that it croaks over because the radios are broadcasting at the highest setting all the time. I can't prove it, but I have a gut feeling that these routers are dying because the radio is always on a high output all the time. My D-Link has been on "medium" for years, and it does not even get warm at all. This ASUS router that I just bought was getting warmer than my D-Link, and I was setting the thing up with both radios disabled. How hot is this thing going to get when I turn them on and start streaming video? If the radio power isn't scrapping these ASUS routers, then I should probably just get rid of it and get a more reliable brand. What say ye?

 

[KevTech]

This ASUS router that I just bought was getting warmer than my D-Link

Well the processor is a lot faster and has more RAM than the D-Link so of course it will be warmer.

Nothing to be concerned about.

 

[TonyH]

Broadcom chips are known for running hot. If that is your issue and makes you feel uncomfortable, you can provide some extra cooling or switch to routers which use non-Broadcom chips. Nothing is perfect in this world. Always gain some lose some, that's life. Nothing lasts forever either including ourselves.....

 

[SoCalReviews]

It's because I want to lower the output of the signal, not increase it. I don't want to get this router into service only to find that it croaks over because the radios are broadcasting at the highest setting all the time. I can't prove it, but I have a gut feeling that these routers are dying because the radio is always on a high output all the time. My D-Link has been on "medium" for years, and it does not even get warm at all. This ASUS router that I just bought was getting warmer than my D-Link, and I was setting the thing up with both radios disabled. How hot is this thing going to get when I turn them on and start streaming video? If the radio power isn't scrapping these ASUS routers, then I should probably just get rid of it and get a more reliable brand. What say ye?

My 68P router still has the power slider in the firmware admin settings but my 1900P doesn't. They are probably eliminating the power adjust option on most of the recent manufactured North American ASUS models. If you are worried about heat causing radio failure... I don't think you need to worry too much about these radios croaking. From my experience... I own six of thes 68P models... this particular 68/1900 series of ASUS routers seem to be fairly durable and robust.

I do agree though that I want to lower the broadcast power of my radio... especially 2.4Ghz which (whether there is any medical evidence or not) has been reported by some users as having negative effects and reactions relating to their health at higher power and close proximity to the transmitter. This applies to the wireless devices (phones, tablets, etc.) as well. Using 5Ghz is supposed to be a safer choice due to the physics of the higher frequency. Some users also like to limit their wireless radio range for security reasons which makes 5Ghz the better choice for those users who don't need the extra range of 2.4Ghz.

 

[rtcomputersinc]

I am running stock firmware 3.0.0.4.380_4164 on my RT-AC68U and the slider is there. Used to be you could just input the numbers.

View attachment 8119

Now if you want to be able to input the power in mW then you could install TomatoUSB as it still has that adjustment.

View attachment 8120

Is yours a 68u or 68u B1 the B1 is a new model.

 

[TonyH]

My 68P router still has the power slider in the firmware admin settings but my 1900P doesn't. They are probably eliminating the power adjust option on most of the recent manufactured North American ASUS models. If you are worried about heat causing radio failure... I don't think you need to worry too much about these radios croaking. From my experience... I own six of thes 68P models... this particular 68/1900 series of ASUS routers seem to be fairly durable and robust.

I do agree though that I want to lower the broadcast power of my radio... especially 2.4Ghz which (whether there is any medical evidence or not) has been reported by some users as having negative effects and reactions relating to their health at higher power and close proximity to the transmitter. This applies to the wireless devices (phones, tablets, etc.) as well. Using 5Ghz is supposed to be a safer choice due to the physics of the higher frequency. Some users also like to limit their wireless radio range for security reasons which makes 5Ghz the better choice for those users who don't need the extra range of 2.4Ghz.

Should never go near airport, never use cell phone, microwave oven.... list goes on. Our world is full of RF energy(EMF) criss-crossing around us.. I've been a HAM over 55 years, My career was always around RF energy. I am still very well, I'll be 80 in 3 years, LOL!

 

[SoCalReviews]

Should never go near airport, never use cell phone, microwave oven.... list goes on. Our world is full of RF energy(EMF) criss-crossing around us.. I've been a HAM over 55 years, My career was always around RF energy. I am still very well, I'll be 80 in 3 years, LOL!

The physics of the 2.4Ghz frequency means it excites water molecules... of which our bodies made of up to 70 percent. The brain and nervous system is mostly water. 2.4Ghz is also fairly decent at penetrating most materials. Therefore it's only a matter of how much power is emitted and absorbed at that frequency. If you are comfortable with these facts then you have nothing to be concerned about.

However, I choose to have 2.4Ghz Wifi running as low in power as I can get away with no matter what device is emitting it... cell phone, wireless router, laptop, cell tower, etc.. Also... This is not secret information, speculative or debatable information about 2.4Ghz. It's been well known for a very long time and you can read about it in any science related book and all over the internet.

 

[ColinTaylor]

This is not secret information, speculative or debatable information about 2.4Ghz. It's been well known for a very long time and you can read about it in any science related book and all over the internet.

Indeed, and all credible scientific research and the World Health Organisation have so far found no proven connection between Wi-Fi emissions and ill health at the levels given off by consumer equipment. Personally, I'd be more concerned about tangible risks like air pollution from vehicles. And yet I still live in the city and accept those risks.