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#1
What are wireless channels that N900 can handle? And most important what affects to it?

On 1st device I can do
Code:
iwconfig wlan0 channel 13
(channels 1..13 work)

My 2nd device can't do even
Code:
iwconfig wlan0 channel 12
(channels 1..11 work)

Error message is:
Code:
Error for wireless request "Set Frequency" (8B04) :
    SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.
After thinking I realised that device#1 had sim-card and device#2 didn't. I swapped sim-card from #1 to #2 and then device#1 can't use channel 12 and 13, but device#2 can.

What's happening? How I can control this?

---
I tested with old (disabled) sim-card and it didn't give me access to the wlan channel 13.

----
My theory: Channels 12 and 13 (and 14) are illegal at some places (North America?) and I must somehow proof that I'm currently in Europa. And gsm is used for that purpose.
[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels].
 

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#2
Originally Posted by AapoRantalainen View Post
My theory: Channels 12 and 13 (and 14) are illegal at some places (North America?) and I must somehow proof that I'm currently in Europa. And gsm is used for that purpose.
[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels].
Yes, from your testing of it I do believe that is the case. It might even be some other device characteristics are also dependent on the country it thinks is on.
 

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#3
Maybe this will help you WiFi Channel 12 and 13 enabler
 

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#4
Hi.
I have found this thread:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=37001
Regards.
 

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#5
Thanks for all references!

This is command to list all accessible channels:
Code:
iwlist wlan0 freq
This is command to change your 'Regulatory Domain' (run as root)
Code:
iw reg set EU
or
Code:
iw reg set JP
And there are package to handle this automatically on each boot: iw-reg-set-jp. [EDIT] Seems it is not 100% working [/EDIT]

Last edited by AapoRantalainen; 2014-05-31 at 18:28.
 

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#6
Originally Posted by AapoRantalainen View Post
And there are package to handle this automatically on each boot: iw-reg-set-jp. [EDIT] Seems it is not 100% working [/EDIT]
That package makes an upstart script to run at startup and calls "iw reg set JP".
However iw is in /usr/sbin, and /usr is probably not mounted yet.

Considering that "on startup" are the very first scripts that upstart runs, i.e. including rcS, which AFAIK mounts /usr, it means that whoever wrote that package was in a hurry and didn't think much.

Change that to e.g. "start on started hildon-desktop" (dumb-proof) or "start on MOUNTS_OK" (as early as possibly possible) or even better "start on started wlancond" (should be just about right).

Add.: BTW: make sure what you're doing is legal wherever you are.
 

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#7
Originally Posted by AapoRantalainen View Post
My theory: Channels 12 and 13 (and 14) are illegal at some places (North America?) and I must somehow proof that I'm currently in Europa. And gsm is used for that purpose.
BIG thanks for that observation! I was breaking my head over that for months! My regular N900 worked at my workplace but my spare one didn't. Now I know why.
 
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#8
Huh, I thought it's a common knowledge. I ever had no idea, that someone created package for it (always used script started on hildon-desktop start).

Also, if you use any kind of wifi disabler (advanced interface switcher, etc), be sure to modify its scripts, as upper channel won't work after every disable/enable, otherwise. Same apply for things loading bleeding edge drivers (and unloading it again - bleeding edge drivers itself are working on all channels).
 

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#9
Originally Posted by pichlo View Post
BIG thanks for that observation! I was breaking my head over that for months! My regular N900 worked at my workplace but my spare one didn't. Now I know why.
AFAIK without a SIM card the default regulatory domain is "US".

the difference between US and EU is channels 12 and 13. From what I can see EU has exactly the same list as JP, so being in Europe with a SIM card should make it unnecessary to set the domain manually to JP.

If in the US, setting the domain to EU or JP would allow using channels 12 and 13, but then you'd be breaking the law.
 

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#10
Originally Posted by reinob View Post
If in the US, setting the domain to EU or JP would allow using channels 12 and 13, but then you'd be breaking the law.
Slightly o/t: anyone who follows OpenWRT may have encountered the vitriol that this issue raises on occasion.

I wonder why if the sim is providing confirmatory info, Nokia did not auto-enable those channels on that basis.
 

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