diff --git a/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup b/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup
index 3b1aced8..2ac7e95c 100644
--- a/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup
+++ b/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ wifi_mode = adhoc
 wifi_txpower = 19
 wifi_channel = 1
 wifi_chanbw = 20
-wifi_distance = 100000
+wifi_distance = 0
 wifi_country = 00
 
 dmz_mode = 3
diff --git a/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup.default b/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup.default
index 31dcec0c..031bd9ce 100644
--- a/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup.default
+++ b/files/etc/config.mesh/_setup.default
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ wifi_mode = adhoc
 wifi_txpower = 19
 wifi_channel = 1
 wifi_chanbw = 20
-wifi_distance = 100000
+wifi_distance = 0
 wifi_country = 00
 
 dmz_mode = 3
diff --git a/files/www/cgi-bin/setup b/files/www/cgi-bin/setup
index 55b12f21..11bc6cbb 100755
--- a/files/www/cgi-bin/setup
+++ b/files/www/cgi-bin/setup
@@ -150,24 +150,27 @@ $wifi_distance = 0 if $wifi_distance =~ /\D/;
 $parms{wifi_distance} = $wifi_distance;
 $parms{wifi_txpower} = $wifi_txpower;
 
+@errors = ();
+
 #
 # apply the wifi settings
 #
 
 if($parms{button_apply} or $parms{button_save})
 {
-    my $wifiintf = get_interface("wifi");
-    $cmd = "";
-    $cmd .= "iw phy phy0 set distance $wifi_distance >/dev/null 2>&1;";
-    $cmd .= "iw dev $wifiintf set txpower fixed ${wifi_txpower}00 >/dev/null 2>&1;";
-    system $cmd;
+    if($wifi_distance < 1 or $wifi_distance =~ /\D/)
+    {
+        push (@errors, "invalid distance value");
+    } else {
+        my $wifiintf = get_interface("wifi");
+        $cmd = "";
+        $cmd .= "iw phy phy0 set distance $wifi_distance >/dev/null 2>&1;";
+        $cmd .= "iw dev $wifiintf set txpower fixed ${wifi_txpower}00 >/dev/null 2>&1;";
+        system $cmd;
+    }
 }
 
-
 # validate and save configuration
-
-@errors = ();
-
 if($parms{button_save})
 {
     if($wifi_proto eq "static")
@@ -200,7 +203,7 @@ if($parms{button_save})
         $wifi_chanbw = 20;
     }
 
-    push (@errors, "invalid WiFi distance") if $wifi_distance < 0 or $wifi_distance =~ /\D/;
+    
 
     $wifi_country_validated=0;
     foreach my $testcountry (split(',',"00,HX,AD,AE,AL,AM,AN,AR,AT,AU,AW,AZ,BA,BB,BD,BE,BG,BH,BL,BN,BO,BR,BY,BZ,CA,CH,CL,CN,CO,CR,CY,CZ,DE,DK,DO,DZ,EC,EE,EG,ES,FI,FR,GE,GB,GD,GR,GL,GT,GU,HN,HK,HR,HT,HU,ID,IE,IL,IN,IS,IR,IT,JM,JP,JO,KE,KH,KP,KR,KW,KZ,LB,LI,LK,LT,LU,LV,MC,MA,MO,MK,MT,MY,MX,NL,NO,NP,NZ,OM,PA,PE,PG,PH,PK,PL,PT,PR,QA,RO,RS,RU,RW,SA,SE,SG,SI,SK,SV,SY,TW,TH,TT,TN,TR,UA,US,UY,UZ,VE,VN,YE,ZA,ZW")) {
@@ -373,7 +376,7 @@ function updDist(x) {
     document.getElementsByName('wifi_distance_disp')[0].value = x;
     dist_hidden.value = xc;  
     // if default, then ALERT!
-    if(dist_hidden.value==100000) {
+    if(dist_hidden.value==0) {
         distBox.className = 'dist-alert';
     } else {
         distBox.className = 'dist-norm';
@@ -640,7 +643,7 @@ if($wifi_proto ne "disabled")
     for($i = wifi_maxpower($wifi_channel); $i >= 1; --$i) { selopt($i+$txpoweroffset ." dBm", $i, $wifi_txpower) }
     print "</select>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"/help.html\#power\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"/qmark.png\"></a></td></tr>\n";
 
-    print "<tr id='dist' class='dist-norm'><td>Distance to<br />FARTHEST Node</td>\n";
+    print "<tr id='dist' class='dist-norm'><td>Distance to<br />FARTHEST Neighbor</td>\n";
     $wifi_distance_disp=int($wifi_distance/1000);
 
     print "<td><input readonly type=text size=8 name='wifi_distance_disp' value='$wifi_distance_disp' title='Distance to the farthest neighbor'>&nbsp;<span id='distance_unit_text'>kilometers</span><br />";