Wifi channels 13 and 14

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Linuxluver

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#99241 15-Mar-2012 08:42

My Android phones used to have a setting in Wifi Settings -> Menu -> Advanced that allowed me to select either US or European wifi channel sets. The European setting allows the use of channels 13 and 14.

Due to wifi congestion at work, the router there is now regularly ranging up to 13 and 14 looking for clear air....and find it. But half the devices in the office then can't see the wifi at all. "Remembered, but out of range".

Neither my HTC Sensation (Telecom NZ-sourced) nor my LG Optimus 3D (Mobicity sourced) have this wifi setting for regions.

My Lenovo K1 10" tablet doesn't have the setting either, but it can see channels 13 and 14 by default.

Looks like I'll have to root the phones and flash new ROMs onto them if I want my wifi to work as it should in NZ.

I'm assuming this is a feature some vendors include and some don't. I'm a little puzzled that Telecom NZ would sell a top-end phone that can't do channels 13 and 14.

The setting used to be in all my phones (HTC Magic, Acer Liquid......though I have to admit they may have been "community" ROMs, like Cyanogen).

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nigelj

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#595460 15-Mar-2012 08:51

Linuxluver: My Android phones used to have a setting in Wifi Settings -> Menu -> Advanced that allowed me to select either US or European wifi channel sets. The European setting allows the use of channels 13 and 14.

Due to wifi congestion at work, the router there is now regularly ranging up to 13 and 14 looking for clear air....and find it. But half the devices in the office then can't see the wifi at all. "Remembered, but out of range".

Neither my HTC Sensation (Telecom NZ-sourced) nor my LG Optimus 3D (Mobicity sourced) have this wifi setting for regions.

My Lenovo K1 10" tablet doesn't have the setting either, but it can see channels 13 and 14 by default.

Looks like I'll have to root the phones and flash new ROMs onto them if I want my wifi to work as it should in NZ.

I'm assuming this is a feature some vendors include and some don't. I'm a little puzzled that Telecom NZ would sell a top-end phone that can't do channels 13 and 14.

The setting used to be in all my phones (HTC Magic, Acer Liquid......though I have to admit they may have been "community" ROMs, like Cyanogen).

It's to do with the Americans really, and also partially to do with Linux's poor-ish handling of handling the databases of allowed frequencies, it got fixed by the creation of the CRDA (http://linuxwireless.org/en/developers/Regulatory/CRDA) however I think/guess most phones still aren't using that properly? Also, there is an odd thing where some devices will ignore a CRDA setting completely because of something to do with America/FCC (typical eh?).

http://smorgasbord.gavagai.nl/2010/09/wifi-regulatory-compliance-and-how-to-fix-it/ may also be worth a read (I ran into the identical issue with a Wireless Router, which was causing odd things to happen.

TheUngeek

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#595891 15-Mar-2012 23:08

I had a similar problem. The app wifi manager lets you choose those extra channels
http://www.appbrain.com/app/wifi-manager/org.kman.WifiManager
Much easier than a custom rom

sbiddle

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#595939 16-Mar-2012 07:43

While the devices are at fault for now allowing easy access to 13 and 14, part of the issue lies with the FCC who put pressure on vendors to make it very difficult for people in the US to bypass their frequency rules. Ubiquiti have even gone as far as producing US and global variants of their hardware to stop people in the US from being able to use 5Ghz WiFi frequencies that are not permitted in the US.

I'd actually put some pressure on the person who sets up your AP's, nobody with a clue about wireless sets a general use AP to allow the use of channel 13 (or 14 which is illegal in NZ anyway) due to the massive compatibility issues you will face with devices that can't connect. In most noisy environments these days an AP set to automatic will favour 13 as it's the least crowded.

Linuxluver

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#596311 16-Mar-2012 22:04

TheUngeek: I had a similar problem. The app wifi manager lets you choose those extra channels
http://www.appbrain.com/app/wifi-manager/org.kman.WifiManager
Much easier than a custom rom

Thanks for this! It will solve most of the problems. Awesome.

..and thanks to Steve Biddle for the background.

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I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....