Netgear R8000 radio0 problem, 5GHz channels missing

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

I bought a Netgear R8000 for some tests with tri band, and found radio0 isn't working when I installed OpenWrt.

The problem seems to be related to 5GHz channels, most of them are unavailable checked with the command.
iw phy phy0 channels

My router is sold in Japan and initially region setting on stock firmware was locked to JP and grayed out.
I suspect the region setting causes the problem.
So I changed the region from "JP" to "WW" via telnet from stock firmware.
I confirmed upgrading or resetting on stock firmware don't lock region to "JP" again.
Then flashed OpenWrt.
However it didn't solve the problem.

Below I post log of changing OpenWrt WiFi region and result in channels.

root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg set US
root@OpenWrt:~# iw phy phy0 channels
Band 2:
        * 5170 MHz [34] (disabled)
        * 5180 MHz [36] (disabled)
        * 5190 MHz [38] (disabled)
        * 5200 MHz [40] (disabled)
        * 5210 MHz [42] (disabled)
        * 5220 MHz [44] (disabled)
        * 5230 MHz [46] (disabled)
        * 5240 MHz [48] (disabled)
        * 5260 MHz [52] (disabled)
        * 5280 MHz [56] (disabled)
        * 5300 MHz [60] (disabled)
        * 5320 MHz [64] (disabled)
        * 5500 MHz [100] (disabled)
        * 5520 MHz [104] (disabled)
        * 5540 MHz [108] (disabled)
        * 5560 MHz [112] (disabled)
        * 5580 MHz [116] (disabled)
        * 5600 MHz [120] (disabled)
        * 5620 MHz [124] (disabled)
        * 5640 MHz [128] (disabled)
        * 5660 MHz [132] (disabled)
        * 5680 MHz [136] (disabled)
        * 5700 MHz [140] (disabled)
        * 5720 MHz [144] (disabled)
        * 5745 MHz [149]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40+ VHT80
        * 5765 MHz [153]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
        * 5785 MHz [157]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
        * 5805 MHz [161]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
        * 5825 MHz [165]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- VHT80

root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg set JP
root@OpenWrt:~# iw phy phy0 channels
Band 2:
        * 5170 MHz [34] (disabled)
        * 5180 MHz [36] (disabled)
        * 5190 MHz [38] (disabled)
        * 5200 MHz [40] (disabled)
        * 5210 MHz [42] (disabled)
        * 5220 MHz [44] (disabled)
        * 5230 MHz [46] (disabled)
        * 5240 MHz [48] (disabled)
        * 5260 MHz [52] (disabled)
        * 5280 MHz [56] (disabled)
        * 5300 MHz [60] (disabled)
        * 5320 MHz [64] (disabled)
        * 5500 MHz [100] (disabled)
        * 5520 MHz [104] (disabled)
        * 5540 MHz [108] (disabled)
        * 5560 MHz [112] (disabled)
        * 5580 MHz [116] (disabled)
        * 5600 MHz [120] (disabled)
        * 5620 MHz [124] (disabled)
        * 5640 MHz [128] (disabled)
        * 5660 MHz [132] (disabled)
        * 5680 MHz [136] (disabled)
        * 5700 MHz [140] (disabled)
        * 5720 MHz [144] (disabled)
        * 5745 MHz [149] (disabled)
        * 5765 MHz [153] (disabled)
        * 5785 MHz [157] (disabled)
        * 5805 MHz [161] (disabled)
        * 5825 MHz [165] (disabled)

Ch.34-144 are all dead.
Also, see the result for US, the disabled and enabled is inverted of radio2, except for Ch.34.

root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg set US
root@OpenWrt:~# iw phy phy2 channels
Band 2:
        * 5170 MHz [34] (disabled)
        * 5180 MHz [36]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40+ VHT80
        * 5190 MHz [38]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40+ VHT80
        * 5200 MHz [40]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
        * 5210 MHz [42]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
        * 5220 MHz [44]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
        * 5230 MHz [46]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- VHT80
        * 5240 MHz [48]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
        * 5260 MHz [52]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5280 MHz [56]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5300 MHz [60]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5320 MHz [64]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5500 MHz [100]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5520 MHz [104]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5540 MHz [108]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5560 MHz [112]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5580 MHz [116]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5600 MHz [120]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5620 MHz [124]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5640 MHz [128]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5660 MHz [132]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5680 MHz [136]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5700 MHz [140]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- HT40+ VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5720 MHz [144]
          Maximum TX power: 20.0 dBm
          Radar detection
          Channel widths: 20MHz HT40- VHT80
          DFS state: usable (for 125 sec)
          DFS CAC time: 60000 ms
        * 5745 MHz [149] (disabled)
        * 5765 MHz [153] (disabled)
        * 5785 MHz [157] (disabled)
        * 5805 MHz [161] (disabled)
        * 5825 MHz [165] (disabled)

Does anyone have idea of this?

2

Possibly...

3

I'm not an authority on Broadcom but my understanding is that the R7900P/R8000P are Costco rebrands that are only available in the US and use different wireless radios.

4

Hmm..

I know my hardware is not the R8000P, but R8000 because 5GHz max link speed is 1300Mbps.
And the wifi itself is working, good 500Mbps actual speed confirmed on radio2 and iPad using iperf3.

Also maybe there is no any problem..
Because, US 5GHz channels are 36-165, the exactly same of sum of radio0 and radio2.
It can be considered that the driver developer intentionally separated 5GHz channels into 2 groups to assign to 2 interfaces, so they never use overlapped channels.

However for me, I'm living in Japan and JP 5GHz channels are 36-140.
I guess radio0 is working but no client device in Japan uses channels above 140, so radio0 never does it's job.

Now, what do I need is to find if it is possible to remove channels assignment for radio0/2, let them both have 36-165.

5

@mk24 mentioned the R8000 in the post above.

May have meant R8000P...

However, there are several threads on R8000 WiFi issues, and Broadcom chips have known limited OpenWrt support.

See the R8000 page...

For a proper performance use:

  • radio0 for the higher 5 GHz band (channel 149 or something else, depending on country)
  • radio2 for the lower 5 GHz band (channel 48, or something like that and lower)
6

Thanks.

Yeah, I also checked the Device page before purchase.

For a proper performance use:

  • radio0 for the higher 5 GHz band (channel 149 or something else, depending on country)
  • radio2 for the lower 5 GHz band (channel 48, or something like that and lower)

For this part I didn't even think about Ch.144 or below are "totally unavailable" on radio0.
I'll continue dealing with the problem for a bit but I should give up trying to use R8000's tri band with OpenWrt in Japan. Considering sell it to someone and go to another router.

7

149 and up is not available in Japan.

8

Thats right. The high channels are prohibited to use.
With stock firmware, both 5GHz interfaces can run within 36-140 when region is set to JP.
Distribution of channels between two interfaces changes automatically based on region setting.

I assume driver on OpenWrt is distributing channels based on which for US on stock firmware.
However, the distribution seems to be fixed for just US. No flexibility for other regions like JP.

9

FreshTomato (formerly Tomato) supports the R8000.

https://wiki.freshtomato.org/doku.php/hardware_compatibility

10

Thanks.
I just tested it.

Available channes were below.

wl0(2.4GHz)
1-13

wl1(5GHz1)
100-153

wl2(5GHz2)
36-56

Interestingly it seems more versatile than OpenWrt from the perspective of 5GHz channels for global.

However, unfortunately my purpose is to do experiments of fast roaming or DIY mesh with tri band. Freshtomato doesn't give me more than stock.