Wi-Fi Routers - The Differences for Each Region? 46
Wi-Fi Wonderer asks: "I've been wondering what the difference is between the different regions that can be set on a Wi-Fi router? I know the region determines which channels are available, but I can't find any concrete information on anything else. Do regional settings also determine power output, bandwidth, and/or encryption mechanisms? If you are in a Wi-Fi dense area does it make sense (legal ramifications aside) to choose a different regional setting so as to avoid interference? Will one region give a greater broadcast range than another? Is there any documented information on exactly what configuration settings go with each region?"
It's hardly a secret (Score:5, Informative)
Google is your friend.
you spoiled it (Score:3, Funny)
Re:you spoiled it (Score:2)
Re:you spoiled it (Score:1, Troll)
Re:you spoiled it (Score:2)
Re:It's hardly a secret (Score:1, Informative)
--sf
Re:It's hardly a secret (Score:3, Informative)
That says it all. (Score:2)
Yup. That pretty much says it all. Sorry for the redundancy, and all. Does this kill the thread?
Re:That says it all. (Score:1)
Re:It's hardly a secret (Score:2)
No, but 14 would be far enough from 11.
I operate mine on ch 9 since most people around me are using 6.
Re:It's hardly a secret (Score:5, Informative)
You're overlapping, then. Channels are 22MHz wide -- 11MHz on either side of the channel's frequency. Channel 1 is centered on 2.412GHz, channel 6 on 2.437 GHz, and channel 11 at 2.462GHz. Notice that the high end of channel 6 is 2.448GHz, and the low end of channel 11 is 2.451GHz -- a mere 3MHz apart, and subject to some overlap because the 22MHz spread isn't perfect, and bleedover is common.
Now, in your case (channel 9), you're operating 11MHz left and right of 2.452GHz. Your bottom range (2.441GHz) is just above the middle of channel 6 and your top range (2.463GHz) is actually above the center of channel 11. In addition, channel 9 is also right about the frequency used by microwave ovens, according to Joshua Wright (whose name you'll see on plenty of wireless security tools), and many inexpensive microwave ovens leak enough radiation to poison connections.
This is all on top of the change coming with 802.11n, which uses 40MHz ranges, many of which may default to channel 6 out of habit, though 3 and 9 will be better selections based on legal bandwidth, and their use of channel 9 will probably swamp your little 11g unit.
Basically, you're using possibly the worst frequency set you can possibly select.
Re:It's hardly a secret (Score:2)
This is all on top of the change coming with 802.11n, which uses 40MHz ranges, many of which may default to channel 6 out of habit, though 3 and 9 will be better selections based on legal bandwidth, and their use of channel 9 will probably swamp your little 11g unit.
That is not the way I read it. 802.11n uses a 20MHz channel twice, banking on phase differences and multipath reflections to sort out which part of the signal came from which transmitter. This is that "solution to spectrum scarcity" that c
Re:It's hardly a secret (Score:2)
Re:It's hardly a secret (Score:2)
One data point in support of that: microwave.jpg [speakeasy.net]. This is a long-term max-hold plot; most of the trace in channel 6 is my WiFi connection, about eight feet away from the analyzer's antenna. *All* of the crap near channel 11 is leakage from the microwave in t
Re:FCC vs Other Areas (Score:5, Informative)
Re:FCC vs Other Areas (Score:2)
Unlicensed means there is no one who pays a license for exclusive use of the space. That is not the same as restricted, wherein the unlicensed use must conform to certain specifications.
Close, and probably close enough for the most part.
In the interest of being complete, though, let me point out that it is possible to acquire a licence for channels 1-6 in the US that comes with extra priviliges and some extra restrictions. This is because the band used by 802.11 overlaps one of the amateur radio band
Re:FCC vs Other Areas (Score:2)
Re:FCC vs Other Areas (Score:2)
Now that's just neat. Scary, but neat. I wasn't aware of people doing this.
I don't think I'll try it myself.... I seem to have the most fun operating in the 10m and 2m bands. :-)
73 DE KC2IDF
Re:FCC vs Other Areas (Score:2)
A quick Google search says: [wi-fiplanet.com]
The 802.11b standard defines a total of 14 frequency channels. The FCC allows channels 1 through 11 within the U.S.; whereas, most of Europe can use channels 1 through 13. In Japan, you have only one choice: channel 14.
Re:FCC vs Other Areas (Score:2)
I think it depends on where you are in Japan. I've seen indications that 1-13 are allowed in some places, only 14 in others. Some countries, like Mexico, have different power restrictions depending on whether the item is used indoors or outdoors. I have no idea how AP manufacturers possibly manage to untangle all the wacky per-country regulations.
Re:FCC vs Other Areas (Score:2)
Those lucky Japanese. They get 14, and we just get Fox News. I knew I picked the wrong dictatorship to be born into.
don't screw around (Score:4, Informative)
Your access point has limits for a reason. Please respect them. If you start pissing all over someone else's hobby with your computer junk, they're licensed and you're not, you're the one in the wrong.
Re:don't screw around (Score:2)
Re:don't screw around (Score:3, Informative)
Re:don't screw around (Score:2)
Here in the Netherlands, we lost the top (2400-2450) part of 13cm last year, to protect those poor accesspoint owners that were trampled by the hundreds of watts ERP the hams were allowed to transmit there
6cm will probably be next. Some of the 802.11a channels are in the ham band as well.
Re:don't screw around (Score:2)
Re:don't screw around (Score:2)
My "computer junk" actually has some use in the modern world. Ham radio has gone the way of the dodo, and for good reason. Oh, wait, let the protests of "during Katrina, hams did foo, bar, and bat!" begin. Boo hoo. And I can transmit an SOS using sparkgap, but I don't see anyone trying to protect that o
Re:don't screw around (Score:2)
Ham radio in the US is becoming less useful to some extent, but it's still an important form of communications in some repressive areas of the world.
Re:don't screw around (Score:2)
Ham radio in North America is a hobby. Something done for fun, that has no actual practical value. WiFi, on the other hand, is useful. Be it aiding a homeowner in networking computers in different rooms, or sharing data among doctors in a hospital, WiFi actually does something useful. The same can't be said about Ham in the US or Canada.
Besides, it isn't like there aren't alternatives to Ham radios. In the US and Canada, there aren't many p
Re:don't screw around (Score:2)
The FCC normally sends a warning letter first.
Every Time I Scan 12-14... (Score:2)
Re:Every Time I Scan 12-14... (Score:1)
Re:Every Time I Scan 12-14... (Score:1)
Re:Korea (Score:1)
1 and 6 and 11 (Score:2, Informative)
Just use 11a, if you can (Score:5, Informative)
Some differences:
FCC(US) limits average tx power to 27dBm on 1-11
ETSI(Europe) has a limit of 20dBm on 1-13, although individual countries could add further restrictions.
MKK(Japan) 20dBm on 1-14
In 11a, there are greater differences:
FCC - 17dBm on 36,40,44,48, 23dBm on 52,56,60,64, 30dBm on 149,153,157,161,165
ETSI - 20dBm on 36-64 and 27dBm on 100-140
MKK - 23dBm on 34,38,42,46 and possibly 20dBm on 100-140 plus a few other odd lower channels.
The actual rules are too extensive to list and they're constantly changing. If you have an older 11a Access Point, you might only see channels 36, 40, 44, and 48 available. Another big factor to consider is DFS. DFS applies to channels 52-64 and 100-140. It requires the AP to switch channels immediately when it detects a radio signal that might be Radar, and the user is not allowed to return to that channel for 30 minutes. Client devices must passively scan for APs and APs must scan the channel for radar for 1 minute before starting operation on that channel. The US is adding DFS requirements in July 2006. Fortunately they're adding the 100-140 channel range at the same time, so it's not all bad.
You might think that the upper channels (149-165) are ideal for higher power and no DFS, but I think that is the range that get interference from 5.8GHz cordless phones. I'd go with 52-64 pre-DFS rules. 11a has less range, but that also means less neighbor interference. There is less channel overlap. No microwave oven interference. There are no 11b stations to trigger 11b protection modes, or God forbid, a concurrent 11b user on the same AP as you. Most importantly, there are still fewer users of 11a. Where I live, I have neighbors across all of the 11b/g channels, but just a couple on 11a, so I can find an unused channel all to myself. This is much more important than any B.S. Speedburning, RangeMaxing, Super features which have always under-delivered with performance.
Anyway, I think you can see that the U.S. rules are pretty good, so there's not much reason to set the wrong country and violate FCC rules... unless you like that sort of thing.
Re:Just use 11a, if you can (Score:2)
This probably is implementation-dependent. It could be a good thing when the AP attempts to go back to the selected channel after some time, and/or a number of channels
802.11d (Score:2, Informative)
caring for your overseas guests (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:caring for your overseas guests (Score:2)