Wrong country code - practical issues?

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

Hi,

after over a year of only using 2,4GHz on my hAP AX3, which I am using as access point, I’ve somewhere here found that changing the country code makes the hAP AX3 usable.
So I gave it a shot and changed my config via the mobile app. My initial config was very minimal, just bridging the LAN ports and offering two SSIDs for 2,4GHz and 5,0GHz WiFi.
After having added

configuration.country="United States"

to my config for the 5GHz network it is like day and night. The 5GHz network was so bad, I would get 400mbits right next to the device, but only a few meters and I would get like maybe 10mbits, sometimes way less. I haven’t used the 5GHz network because of that for ages, as I don’t really need the fast speeds wireless.
After the change I get like 800+ right next to the device and around 400 where I could get maybe 10 before.
Is that huge change to be expected by changing the country settings? Am I completely fucking over my neighbors by doing that?


The resulting config looks like this:

# 2025-06-12 00:45:11 by RouterOS 7.16.2
# software id = JV3Q-KDY8
#
# model = C53UiG+5HPaxD2HPaxD
# serial number = ***
/interface bridge
add name=local port-cost-mode=short
/interface wifi security
add authentication-types=wpa2-psk connect-priority=0/1 disabled=no name=\
    fbclone wps=disable
/interface wifi configuration
add country=Germany disabled=no name=fbclone24 security=fbclone ssid=\
    myssid24
add channel.skip-dfs-channels=all country=Germany disabled=no name=fbclone50 \
    security=fbclone ssid=myssid50
/interface wifi
set [ find default-name=wifi1 ] configuration=fbclone50 \
    configuration.country="United States" .mode=ap disabled=no mtu=1500
set [ find default-name=wifi2 ] configuration=fbclone24 configuration.mode=ap \
    disabled=no
/ip smb users
set [ find default=yes ] disabled=yes
/interface bridge port
add bridge=local interface=ether2 internal-path-cost=10 path-cost=10
add bridge=local interface=ether3 internal-path-cost=10 path-cost=10
add bridge=local interface=ether4 internal-path-cost=10 path-cost=10
add bridge=local interface=ether5 internal-path-cost=10 path-cost=10
add bridge=local interface=ether1 internal-path-cost=10 path-cost=10
add bridge=local interface=wifi1 internal-path-cost=10 path-cost=10
add bridge=local interface=wifi2 internal-path-cost=10 path-cost=10
/ip firewall connection tracking
set udp-timeout=10s
/ipv6 settings
set max-neighbor-entries=15360
/ip address
add address=192.168.178.210/24 interface=local network=192.168.178.0
/ip dns
set servers=192.168.178.1
/ip ipsec profile
set [ find default=yes ] dpd-interval=2m dpd-maximum-failures=5
/ip route
add dst-address=0.0.0.0/0 gateway=192.168.178.1
/ip smb shares
set [ find default=yes ] directory=/pub
/system clock
set time-zone-name=Europe/Berlin
/system logging
add topics=wireless,debug
/system note
set show-at-login=no
/system ntp client
set enabled=yes
/system ntp client servers
add address=192.168.178.1
2

Maybe not your neighbors but it could be your government has some rules about it.
In some countries violating those rules can result in very heavy fines.

Rule of thumb: use the correct country setting.
But it remains your decision.

3

What I do not understand: a change from country=Germany to country=United States makes a difference of “10mbit or sometimes less” to “400mbit”. There must be something wrong.

4

There is a significant difference in Tx power between Europe and US, the latter number being way more powerful.
Add to that a pretty sucky Wi-Fi implementation on ax3 and you get yourself a 10 mbit.

5

The difference for the ax3 between US and ETSI is about 10dB in TX power. This certainly often gets you a significant and noticeable increase in speed, but what you are reporting is beyond this.

Of course running beyond the limits is - well - not within the limits. Many ISPs distribute routers that they “forgot” to configure the limits on, so they transmit at their max available power. Make of this what you will.

6

I never had a problem getting 700- ish using AX3.
Then again, I am fortunate to be in a relatively interference free environment.