Hi,

I believe the 5 GHz country-info frequencies for New Zealand are wrong and contain frequencies *not* allocated for WiFi.

I leave my 802.11ac 2x2 router on auto frequency selection and often I'll find my 5 GHz SSID is missing completely from Windows and Android. I believe this is because the allocated frequency is outside the New Zealand regulatory domain.

If I set channel width to '20/40/80MHz eeeC' RouterOS will quite happily choose the frequency '5850/20-eeeC/ac'

According to Radio Spectrum Management NZ (page 2) this is satellite earth transmit allocation (assuming 5250MHz is centre of 20MHz width channel):
https://www.rsm.govt.nz/consumers/pdf-a ... 20Band.pdf

I believe the 5760-5870 MHz range needs to be deleted from New Zealand country-info.

RouterOS shows country-info "new zealand":
ranges: 5170-5250/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(23dBm)/indoor
5250-5330/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(27dBm)/dfs,passive
5490-5730/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(27dBm)/dfs,passive
5735-5835/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(30dBm)/outdoor
5760-5870/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(36dBm)/outdoor

Linux regulatory database lacks the last frequency range for example:
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/ke ... ree/db.txt
country NZ: DFS-ETSI
(5170 - 5250 @ 80), (17), AUTO-BW
(5250 - 5330 @ 80), (24), DFS, AUTO-BW
(5490 - 5730 @ 160), (24), DFS
(5735 - 5835 @ 80), (30)

Regards,
James Grant.

It is better to mail this to support@mikrotik.com instead of trying via the forum.
This is mostly a user-to-user support forum.

Did you update the software to the latest version? Lots of regulatory updates have been done in the latest release.

There's something rotten in New Zealand ... even in ROS 6.44rc1:
The line @jamesg complained about is still there. In addition it largely overlaps the previous one, the difference is that frequency range is somehow shifted (by 25MHz towards higher frequencies on the lower end and 35MHz on the higher end) and allowed higher Tx power (by 6dB). Other ranges are non-overlapping ...

My apologies for the error in the country profile. We removed the info from the profile with the following range "5760-5870 MHz" and the changes will be included in the upcoming RouterOS releases.

Hi Viesturs,

5735-5835/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(30dBm)/outdoor

For this remaining profile could the EIRP please be increased to 36dBm. As per:

https://www.rsm.govt.nz/about-rsm/spect ... ge-devices
https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2017-go4089

dhoulbrooke -

If I'm reading that government gazette notice correctly then the frequency range up to 5870 MHz in existing RouterOS is actually legal?

That PDF I linked to from the government was produced in 2015. Have the frequency allocations recently been extended and it's actually everyone else that needs to update their regulatory databases?

One of the MikroTik distributors is listing the wider frequency allocation on their site too: https://www.gowifi.co.nz/wireless-basics.html

Hey jamesg,

If I'm reading that government gazette notice correctly then the frequency range up to 5870 MHz in existing RouterOS is actually legal?

That PDF I linked to from the government was produced in 2015. Have the frequency allocations recently been extended and it's actually everyone else that needs to update their regulatory databases?

Yes that's correct. The range does extend to 5875. You'll notice at the bottom of the 5GHz Info PDF that it does reflect this:


However at the top they have the channels 169 & 173 marked in red which would seem a bit contradictory. I'm not sure why this is. One day when I've got nothing better to do I might email RSM and ask the question. My guess is they probably don't want people using the channels close to the edge of the band.

The main issue with that particular range (that's to be deleted - thanks Viesturs!) was the default scan list associated with it would select non standard frequencies and as you found clients wouldn't see them. I did log this with Mikrotik support last year but didn't quite get the message across.

OK - I e-mailed RSM just before I read your post. I'll post here what I hear back from them.

Maybe if up to 5875 MHz is actually legal the default scan list should be smaller than allowed range for the country (if RouterOS can do that).

Linux WiFi regulatory database seems to be getting extended to 5875 MHz for some other countries recently - France, Portugal, Hungary etc. :
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/ke ... log/db.txt

OK - I e-mailed RSM just before I read your post. I'll post here what I hear back from them.

Ah cool. Yeah I'll be curious to hear what they say.

Maybe if up to 5875 MHz is actually legal the default scan list should be smaller than allowed range for the country (if RouterOS can do that).

Yeah that would be the ideal in my mind.

You can always reduce the frequencies that RouterOS uses by setting up your own "/interface wireless channels" table and
assigning it to the interface. This can be used as a workaround for problems like this, and to avoid channels that you know
to have RADAR so they do not have to be tried.

Hi Viesturs,

5735-5835/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(30dBm)/outdoor

For this remaining profile could the EIRP please be increased to 36dBm. As per:

https://www.rsm.govt.nz/about-rsm/spect ... ge-devices
https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2017-go4089

Hello dhoulbrooke,

According to the Radiocommunications Regulations changes which were presented on 21 April 2015 we create a new country profile for P2P links which as stated allows 23dBw which converted is 53dBm, please see info with the country profile below and the link to the regulation changes:
/interface wireless info country-info "new zealand 5.8 fixed p-p"
ranges: 5735-5835/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(53dBm)/outdoor

https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2015-go2276

Response from RSM to my e-mail arrived - doesn't really say anything we didn't know:


Greetings James,

The brochure linked shows the WLAN short-range device General User Licence extending to 5875MHz which is in line with gazetted information and international standards.

General User Licence for Short Range device shows:

5470.0000 5725.0000 5597.5000 0.0 Special conditions 9 and 18
5725.0000 5875.0000 5800.0000 6.0 Special condition 13

With Special Conditions:
9. Use is limited to wireless LAN.

In the band 5470 – 5725 MHz, the transmitter peak power must not exceed –6 dBW (250 mW). The maximum power is 0 dBW(1 W) e.i.r.p. and the maximum permitted power spectral density is –13 dBW/MHz (50 mW/MHz) e.i.r.p., provided Dynamic Frequency Selection and Transmitter Power Control are implemented. If Transmitter Power Control is not used, then the maximum power (e.i.r.p.) value must be reduced by 3 dB.

Transmitters using e.i.r.p.s greater than 0 dBW (1 W) must employ frequency hopping or digital modulation techniques.

So the key is that you can use the frequencies above 5735MHz but if you want to use more than 1Watt of power then it needs to have DFS enabled (or digital modulation if you’re feeling fancy), the DFS will encounter issues in the upper range where it overlaps with the Licenced Satellite services. Many product suppliers will block the higher frequencies from DFS automatically as they’ll likely get kicked from there anyway leading to an impact in client service, that is their decision for their own equipment and may be more appropriate for them than trying to meet the restrictions. Essentially you can include those channels if you’re using DFS or set it to them if you are under 1 Watt of power otherwise you are in violation of the regulations and any interference caused may result in infringement and/or prosecution.

Other countries may open up some of the DFS restrictions as they free those spectrum bands of licences. New Zealand still has licences in the restricted band and so the above requirements hold true, there are currently no plans to review the restrictions for that band.

This site does a decent job at explaining the issues around DFS and the restricted channels: https://www.networkcomputing.com/wirele ... /438580919.

Thanks for reporting back James.

Transmitters using e.i.r.p.s greater than 0 dBW (1 W) must employ frequency hopping or digital modulation techniques.

So the key is that you can use the frequencies above 5735MHz but if you want to use more than 1Watt of power then it needs to have DFS enabled (or digital modulation if you’re feeling fancy), the DFS will encounter issues in the upper range where it overlaps with the Licenced Satellite services. Many product suppliers will block the higher frequencies from DFS automatically as they’ll likely get kicked from there anyway leading to an impact in client service, that is their decision for their own equipment and may be more appropriate for them than trying to meet the restrictions. Essentially you can include those channels if you’re using DFS or set it to them if you are under 1 Watt of power otherwise you are in violation of the regulations and any interference caused may result in infringement and/or prosecution.

Hmmm.... They seem a little confused here. DFS is for radar avoidance. There's no radar there. Just satellite uplinks. So this shouldn't trigger a DFS event.
Anyway this is a moot point - as 802.11 makes use of digital modulation which meets the requirement of condition 13. Which means you're OK with an e.i.r.p of >1W

That's my interpretation of it anyway. Out of interest there are only 3x licensed sat uplinks to NSS-9 out of Albany AKL.

Hi pe1chl,

You can always reduce the frequencies that RouterOS uses by setting up your own "/interface wireless channels" table and
assigning it to the interface. This can be used as a workaround for problems like this, and to avoid channels that you know
to have RADAR so they do not have to be tried.

Yup! That's how I work around it. But in my mind the default RouterOS scan lists should not be handing out channels that standard clients aren't going to see:


Specifically these guys:


To make it easier for new users that just set their country to New Zealand, and frequency to auto.

Hi viesturs,

According to the Radiocommunications Regulations changes which were presented on 21 April 2015 we create a new country profile for P2P links which as stated allows 23dBw which converted is 53dBm, please see info with the country profile below and the link to the regulation changes:

Yes that's correct (I was the one that requested this originally ). I just figured that if you were making changes you might as well make the country="new zealand" profile match the "Short Range Devices General User License". This license doesn't have the restriction of being P2P only. So could be used in a PtMP situation. ie. So a user could run an e.i.r.p up to 36dBm on the AP.

I know all of this can be worked around by using other methods. But seeing as Mikrotik appear to be trying to clean up the regulatory stuff these days with the new indoor/outdoor options that it would be nice to get it right. Anyway below is what I think the >5725MHz should look like:

5735-5865/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(36dBm)/outdoor

And an associated default scan list of:
5745/20/a,5765/20/a,5785/20/a,5805/20/a,5825/20/a,5845/20/a,5865/20/a

And removal of the overlapping range and non standard scan list items:
5760-5870/a,an20,an40,ac20,ac40,ac80,ac160,ac80+80(36dBm)/outdoor
5770/20/a,5790/20/a,5810/20/a,5830/20/a,5850/20/a