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Which router has conflicting country codes?

Using the Wireless Diagnostic tool in 10.8.4 tells me that:


"Conflicting Country Codes


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 re-joining a previously joined Wi-Fi network.


Certain wireless routers have the ability to identify the country they are designed to work in, this is called the Country Code. Wireless routers should only be used in the country they were originally obtained from. Failure to do so can result in performance and reliability issues for nearby wireless clients."


There are typically between 6 and 8 wireless routers other than my own that my iMac detects, some of them with good signals. How can I tell which is the offending router and is there anything I can do about it? My own wireless router (a BT Homehub3) does not appear to have a country code (or if it does, it is not obvious or can be changed). Most of the other routers detected are also BT devices.

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Jun 13, 2013 4:07 AM

Reply
17 replies

Oct 31, 2013 3:01 PM in response to bratman91

after searching the internet with these words, I find myself here.... not with answers but the same question!!... Dear Apple, why give us a Wireless Diagnostic tool which DOES NOT provide answers but instead, gives us a problem??!!!! *** is going on?... I have a Time Capsule and an Airport Express on my home network, and both of them say they are configured for Australia... which is where I am... so, what's the problem? 😠


I'm continually thinking, Mac products are becoming more like Windows everyday.... a computer is supposed to help me solve problems.... not give them to me...

Nov 2, 2013 1:18 AM in response to bratman91

I've upgraded to Mavericks on 2 MacBook Airs, and am now having WiFi issues. I ran the Wi-Fi Scan tool in the Wireless Diagnostics program (Window -> Utilities). The results of that program show that my router has the country code AT (Austria), which is where I live. However, there's another router nearby with the country code (GB). Could this be what Apple means with their "Conflicting Country Codes" message? If so, do I have to go find which neighbor of mine has a rogue router and ask him/her to change the settings? Apple?

Nov 2, 2013 7:49 AM in response to Lexiepex

Setting the country of my computer is done in the Language & Region preference pane, I assume. In that case, mine is set to Austria, as is my router.


But here's where the confusion lies: The message that the "Wireless Diagnostics" program gives me regarding Conflicting Country Codes says:



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 re-joining a previously joined Wi-Fi network.


This message insinuates that when another network (not my own) has a different country code than that of my computer, then it could affect the ability of my computer to reconnect with the router it normally connects with, which is set to the correct country.


If I am understanding the situation correctly (Apple input, please), then what action can I take to correct the problem?

Nov 2, 2013 9:18 AM in response to XDreX

You are not understanding the situation correctly. You can still connect to your router. You may not connect to the router with the incorrect code but I doubt it. You should still be able to connect to the router with the incorrect code. I travel all over the world and never have problems connecting to hotel and other routers regardless of country and router settings.

Nov 2, 2013 5:01 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

"Is this the room for an argument?"..... I guess it is.... the 'problem' isn't that much of a problem I agree Bob The Fisherman..... yes, my router works 'fine'..... the problem is.... Apple provide a Wireless Diagnostic Tool.... and when you run that tool... just because you can.... and am curious about how your Wi-Fi is performing.... you get an 'error' message.....


User uploaded file


I'm the network owner.... all of my devices seem to be configured for Australia... my computer, my Time Capsule and my router.... so, "what's the problem?"...... it seems that all the other networks in my area.... maybe one of them is configured incorrectly?.... so, big deal?... is that in fact a problem? It seems that Apple thinks it is?.... I dunno..... I just don't like seeing error messages I can't explain or fix!!!!

Nov 4, 2013 4:56 AM in response to Lexiepex

In the interests of brevity, I did not say that my reasons for running the diagnostics tool in the first place were because my computer kept losing its wifi connection. An analogy to the "so what" question is that if a car warning light comes on saying that an engine problem has been detected, it would be folly to ignore this simply because the car was running well at the time.

Nov 4, 2013 8:15 AM in response to bratman91

But if the warning was saying there might be a car two streets over with an engine light on then you would ignore the warning.


I have never seen such a warning as yours and I often connect to wifi in many countries without changing my computer's settings prior to doing so. Provide more detail about your equipment and settings. Perhaps someone else who has experienced this message will chime in.

Nov 5, 2013 8:40 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

This is nothing to do with the settings of my computer or router (I have resolved my wifi problem by changing my router to a channel that was not being used by any other routers in my vicinity - OK, someone will say that this would not have fixed the problem so it may have been pure coincidence). But, while investigating what the problem was, I ran the Wireless Diagnostics Tool (Press ALT while clicking on the wifi icon in the tool bar). This gave the warning about a router in the vicinity (not my router) having a conflicting country code. In his post above, BangerT shows such a warning and I am with him, i don't like error messages that I can't explain or fix. I bet that if you run this tool while you are abroad, you will get a similar message - you may even get it when at your home.

Which router has conflicting country codes?

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