Anyone using OpenWRT? (re Wifi power/channels)

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Aaroona

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#138395 2-Jan-2014 12:02

So Im using OpenWRT at the moment, and it's becoming a little frustrating. It appears that OpenWRT has a bit of a bug where if I set my regulatory domain to NZ it kills my 5Ghz radio.

I have to set it to US or AU, which them limits the power/channels I have access to.

Has anyone found a way around this? any way to enable the NZ settings?

On top of this, despite my settings for 2.4Ghz being set to NZ, Channels 12 and 13 are disabled :|

webwat

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#961595 5-Jan-2014 18:39

I believe channels 12 & 13 are supposed to be disabled for NZ. Could be wrong. Lower power may be an issue with reducing interference while transmitting on 2 radio bands rather than the regulatory limitations. Might be.

Time to find a new industry!

richms

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#961625 5-Jan-2014 20:41

No, its just a mess with openwrt's use of the hopeless linux wifi regulatory stuff.

40MHz channels dont work with openwrt - do with stock.

Many channels become unavailable with openwrt - are fine with stock - its the lack of radar avoidance that makes them unavailable. Dont see anything in the GURL about it needing DFS, just a reduction in max power of 3dB if it isnt supported.

http://www.rsm.govt.nz/cms/licensees/types-of-licence/general-user-licences/short-range-devices/information-on-the-operation-of-wireless-lan-and-related-systems-in-the-2-ghz-and-5-ghz-bands

and

http://www.rsm.govt.nz/cms/licensees/types-of-licence/general-user-licences/short-range-devices

Say what you have to have and the maximum power levels. As openwrt has no idea of what antenna you have on it or if it is inside or outside it should just butt out of making assumptions, but they seem to assume the worst.

Richard rich.ms

sbiddle

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#961626 5-Jan-2014 20:45

CH12 and 13 are legal in NZ.

If you've got devices that support these channels you'll find CH13 is probably the best to use. As a general recommendation however I advise people to always avoid these channels (or set their router to another country to avoid these being auto selected) as it's a complete PITA the number of devices out there that don't support 12/13

Aaroona

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#961627 5-Jan-2014 20:55

Yeah the OpenWRT wifi implementation (and the DD-WRT one following close behind) are crap when it comes to the Regulatory stuff.

I've seen guides on how to modify the regulatory.bin file and the wifi driver to force the Atheros chip to accept my NZ selection, and then I can also modify the frequencies it's allowed etc.

When I've got some time soon, I'll go through and modify it so its compliant with the NZ standards, just gotta' work out what they are now (power in DBm etc.)