That is actually a very good question, and after testing multiple firmware versions on the GL-MT6000, I also became curious whether the newer wireless behavior is related to regulatory compliance changes.
From what I observed:
- v4.8.3 behaved much less restrictive,
- v4.8.4 became significantly more conservative,
- and v4.9 beta appears more optimized again, although still capped around 20 dBm reporting.
What makes this interesting is that official firmware stays limited even when using:
- US region,
- Channel 149,
- channels where FCC regulatory database itself allows much higher limits.
Meanwhile OpenWrt builds on the same hardware were able to report much higher TX values.
So it does raise the question whether:
- newer firmware introduced stricter MediaTek regulatory enforcement,
- thermal/stability protections,
- or additional compliance-related changes.
If these changes were indeed related to FCC/CE compliance concerns, I think many users would simply appreciate transparency from GL.iNet explaining:
- what exactly changed,
- why it changed,
- and whether the older firmware behavior was considered non-compliant or simply less conservative.
Because from a user perspective, the difference between 4.8.3 and 4.8.4 was noticeable enough that many people downgraded firmware specifically because of Wi-Fi performance and coverage concerns.
I think most advanced users understand the need to comply with regulations — the main request is simply:
- clear explanation,
- consistency,
- and the best possible wireless performance within legal limits.