Orbi - Regionalisation

[doublebars]

The Apple WIreless Diagnostics tool complains about my orbi, pointing out conflicting country codes.  The message reads as follows:-

A nearby wireless router has been detected which is identifying itself as originating from a country which conflicts with your current settings. This may prevent your Mac from automatically rejoining a previously joined wifi network.
...
The following nearby networks conflict with your current country code (GB)

There is then a list of the networks created by my Orbi, showing country code DE (Germany).

I have carefully checked the configuration of the Orbi.  Regionalisation is set by selecting a Country from a dropdown list: the list does not include "UK", and regionalisation is configured to  the only remotely relevant country on the list - "Europe".

Should I assume that my supplier has delivered an item not actually intended for the UK market, or do Netgear not ship a model specifically compatible with the UK?

[CrimpOn]

There was a fascinating discussion back in February about a problem with Macs and country codes.

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-Country-Code/m-p/1705392

This may (or may not) be relevant to your situation.  Apparently, the Orbi described the region as "GE/UK" which means "works in Germany and UK" and the Mac saw only the GE and said, "I am not in Germany!"  The angry person was convinced that Netgear was to blame when his Mac OS got updated and no longer would connect to the Orbi.  Community members were convinced that "Apple changed the OS.  It's Apple's problem." 

Was your Mac OS recently updated?

[doublebars]

Thank you for that.  A very interesting discussion, even if it seemed to generate a little more heat than light!

At this point, I don't think I actually have a problem, as  I do not use wi-fi on my iMac:  I am looking at the family's various MacBooks, which currently seem to work fine.  My concern is that it is possible - and given that the UK intends to leave the EU it is even probable - that at some time in the future the UK will adopt different wi-fi standards from the rest of Europe, which may well give me a problem!

I am a retiree from the a lifetime in the IT industry,  but I wouldn't claim to be any kind of an expert on these things, despite having configured and used quite a lot of wi-fi equipment, both in the course of my business and for my own purposes, pretty much ever since wi-fi became "a thing".

FIrst, I think it worth pointing out that the Orbi is the ONLY wi-fi device I have ever found that could not be configured for UK! 

Second, I don't believe that portraying the situation as some kind of argument between Netgear and Apple is remotely helpful.  The question to be asked is which manufacturer is correctly implementing the standards for wi-fi equipment?  And - assuming it to be possible! - if they both are, then one both of them need to start considering how the situation impacts users.  Reflex finger-pointing helps nobody, least of all the poor  bloody customer!

I am making enquiries elsewhere about the relevant standards, and will come back when I have some answers, but I will be hoping for a more positive response than that shown in the discussion you pointed me to.

[CrimpOn]

Appears that the "802.11d standard" is what to look for.  I have no Mac, so I cannot employ the procedure in this article to diagnose "which router" is the issue.

https://www.howtogeek.com/211993/how-to-fix-conflicting-country-codes-and-improve-your-macs-wi-fi/

[doublebars]

Thanks for the reference - that article is very interesting.  The method described is in fact exactly what I was doing - I ran the wireless diagnostics, and got the "conflicting country codes" error, as described.  One interesting aspect of the article is that it describes how one's own router, if broadcasting the wrong country code, might cause confusion on neighbouring networks, which is something I hadn't considered before,  

The strong implication of the article is that Apple is correctly inplementing the standand, which is what I would have expected, but I'm still looking for further confirmation of this before taking the matter further.  Ultimately I suspect that the only way to fix this is likely to be a firmware update  from Netgear, which seems unlikely to be within the competence of the community!  🙂

[CrimpOn]

Indeed.  I found a person who described a neighbor bringing WiFi from Taiwan and blitzing his connection.

http://www.mikealbano.com/2014/03/80211d-why-you-care.html

I have yet to find an official list of 802.11d country codes.  going in circles.

[doublebars]

I've been poking around and asking in another community, and I've had a look at some of the relevant standards documentation,  So far I've found absolutely nothing to support the idea that "DE" or "DE/GB" would be appropriate or even legal for the UK.  Besides, I've been giving that "DE/GB" some thought.  How wold the Orbi know to put in the "GB" bit?  There is, after all, no way to tell it that its in the UK (see my original post!).  What would happen were I to take the device to Italy, for example?

No, I think those threads we've looked at in here are distinctly suspect - they look like a smokescreen, not liek any real facts.

I contacted Netgear support this afternoon, but First Tier support don't seem to have any answers here, or even knowldege - they will (they say) call me back tomorrow morning ...

[FURRYe38]

@Blanca_O 

[CrimpOn]

---

@doublebars wrote:

I've been poking around and asking in another community, and I've had a look at some of the relevant standards documentation,  So far I've found absolutely nothing to support the idea that "DE" or "DE/GB" would be appropriate or even legal for the UK.  Besides, I've been giving that "DE/GB" some thought.  ..

---

If you ever turn up a list of "official" country codes, please post a link.  The one from Cisco clearly lists "GB" for the United Kingdom.

https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6305/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a00804ddd8a.htm...

Aruba Networks (also GB): https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/InstantWenger_Mobile/Advanced/Content/Instant%20User%20Guide%...

Git Hub (also GB): https://github.com/recalbox/recalbox-os/wiki/Wifi-country-code-(EN)

The most comprehensive list I have found is from OpenWRT (strangely enough, the code that Orbi seems to be based on):

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/sforshee/wireless-regdb.git/tree/db.txt?id=HEAD

Although some seem "obvious", I have not found (so far), an authoritative source for why the codes are worded the way they are.  "US" for  "United States" seems OK, but why "GB" for "United Kingdom"?  Did notice that some products use "JP" for "Japan" and Aruba Networks uses "JP3".  What a confusing situation!

I have yet to find a list from Netgear.

[FURRYe38]

UK = GB (Great Britain)

[doublebars]

My point exactly.

[FURRYe38]

I would make contact with NG support and ask about your unit and region. Possible the retailor got something not supported by mis-take. 

[CrimpOn]

This topic prompted me to take a look at my nearby WiFi AP's using WifiInfoView for Windows.  Aha!  One access point is broadcasting the country code "GB", while all the others either broadcast "US" or nothing at all.  Which neighbor should I go yell at?

Alas, it turns out that when experimenting to see which "smart switches" would connect to Orbi, I purchased an Anker Eufy T1202 Smart Plug Mini.  Even though it was connected to Orbi and working fine, the little bugger was still broadcasting an SSID, including the GB country code.  As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and they is us."  My next step is to dig out all the smart plugs I experimented with and see if they do something similar.

[doublebars]

I have now had 3 separate conversations with Netgear support, twice being promised call-backs that never happened!  However, perseverence and patience seem to have paid off, and I have finally been told that the matter is being escalated to level 2.  I am due a call back tomorrow evening (!), so we shall see what happens then.  I'll report back!  

[FURRYe38]

Wow, thanks for the info. I presume GB should be seen for your region mostly.