is it really "illegal" to set your wifi channel range to a non UK range?

Golf1.6

Golf1.6

Golf1.6

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Some residential properties, especially flats are often flooded with wifi hotspots all competing with the 11 wifi channels.

5GHz is thankfully very quiet (part of it is probably that the range is so bad that it can't interfere with neighbours too far out).

Anyways, I noticed that the router allows me to set the country, and when doing so it opens up a whole host of different channel ranges at 5Ghz.

The router does so that it may be illegal to set the country to something other than one you a currently based at. So if I'm in the UK I should not set the location to USA to use ghz channels that potentially nobody else will ever use.

Of course I have no intention of doing his I'm the only one with a 5ghz network in my area, just interested in knowing for academic purposes
 
I see, in the UK range there are just 4 different channels at 5ghz, in the US range there are 8.

It's perfect right now because hardly anyone else is using it and ISP routers will still push 2.4Ghz because of the range benefits of it (and the fact that 2.4ghz chips are cheap). But what happens when 5Ghz becomes the standard. Won't the limitation of just 4 channels cause interruptions or does 5ghz not be as affected by channel "traffic" as much as 2.4ghz.
 
Feeling the pressure on 2.4GHz here - there are like 16-20 wireless networks broadcasting in range and atleast 4 that I know of that aren't broadcasting and my AP when connected directly to a Linux box with diagnostic tools can detect but not identify 3-4 additional communication beacons (not regular wifi) - not sure if that is bluetooth connections or what.
 
I use 5 GHz on all my WiFi devices now but the relative limited range is definitely noticeable. It reaches the entire (small) flat and down to the garage, but when I used 2.4 GHz I could control my servers no problem half way down the road.
 
Golf1.6 said:
I see, in the UK range there are just 4 different channels at 5ghz, in the US range there are 8.
Click to expand...

That's mostly right. Have a look at my usual reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels

As I understand it you're right, there are only four 5 GHz channels set aside for indoors use: 36, 40, 44, and 48. These are band A (lower).

The next four (52, 56, 60, 64) are the same but you need to have dynamic frequency selection (DFS) on, which means it'll automatically change the channel if it detects it being used for radar!

Similarly the next 10 (100-140) are OK as long as your device uses DFS. These have a higher power limit (1W) and can be used outdoors. This is band B.

Finally there's 149-165 but you need a licence from Ofcom (band C).

See blog posts here and here.
 
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I know of at least one widely used OEM who allows you to set up to chan 13 in the UK on 2.4 without any need to change region etc.
 
Channel 13 is a standard permitted channel. It isn't of much use as it'll overlap and interfere with anyone using the more usual channel 11.

The 'dodgy' channel on 2.4GHz is 14.
 
I've been told in our work environment (retail stores) that we can only use channels 1, 6 and 11 in the UK for 2.4ghz networks. Is that true, why would there be 13 channels in total and only 3 can be used in the UK?
 
Have a look here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels

Basically there 13 available channels but they're quite narrow. A single wireless connection needs four contiguous channels to work.

If everyone uses 1, 6 or 11 as their centre channel then you end-up with three groups of channels that don't overlap and have the necessary separation.

The system falls down when someone thinks they know better and starts picking channels at random.
 
Maybe other people had to move away from 11 due to your interference?

It's the least bad way you can stray from the norm, but it still breaks the cooperative nature of the system.
 
bremen1874 said:
Channel 13 is a standard permitted channel. It isn't of much use as it'll overlap and interfere with anyone using the more usual channel 11.

The 'dodgy' channel on 2.4GHz is 14.
Click to expand...

My bad, I could remember the one on the end being Japan only, I mistook the end to be 13 rather than 14 :)
 
bremen1874 said:
Have a look here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels

Basically there 13 available channels but they're quite narrow. A single wireless connection needs four contiguous channels to work.

If everyone uses 1, 6 or 11 as their centre channel then you end-up with three groups of channels that don't overlap and have the necessary separation.

The system falls down when someone thinks they know better and starts picking channels at random.
Click to expand...

This.

It's against Ofcom regulations to use outside this channel space, yes it may be inconvenient for you but some of the channel space is used for other services which you may be interfering with and some is licensed space which you will get hit hard with if you are found to be using it. Ignorance isn't an easy get out either.

Most all routers these days channel scan for the least congestion locally to them on startup and will choose accordingly.

To echo Bremen, if it's 2.4Ghz then stick to 1,6 or 11.
 
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