Wireless Advanced Settings · Topic 4 of 6

Country Regulation Settings

Learn how the RouterOS country and frequency mode settings keep wireless links legal, and what regulatory domain, manual txpower and superchannel mean.

4 min

In a nutshell

The country setting selects the legal channels and power limits.
frequency-mode=regulatory-domain applies the country channels and power limit.
manual-txpower keeps the country channels but leaves the power to you.

What it is

Country regulation settings tell the wireless interface which channels and power levels are legal where it is installed.

Radio rules differ between countries. A channel that is allowed in one country can be banned in another, and the power limits differ too.

RouterOS carries a table of these rules. When you choose a country, the interface can follow them for you.

How it works

The country setting picks the rule set, and frequency-mode decides how strictly the interface follows it.

Choosing the country

You set the country on the wireless interface:

/interface wireless set wlan1 country=latvia

The country gives the list of allowed channels, the maximum power and, for some 5 GHz channels, the requirement to detect radar. Use the country where the device is really installed. Some choices cover a group of countries that share the same rules.

Frequency mode

The frequency-mode setting controls how the rules are applied:

/interface wireless set wlan1 frequency-mode=regulatory-domain

Value	Behaviour
`regulatory-domain`	Only the channels of the country are allowed, and power is limited to the legal maximum
`manual-txpower`	Only the channels of the country are allowed, but you set the transmit power yourself
`superchannel`	All the channels that the card supports are allowed, and you are responsible for obeying the rules

regulatory-domain is the safest choice, because RouterOS does the work. In this mode the legal limit takes the antenna gain into account, which is why the antenna-gain setting matters.

manual-txpower leaves the power to you. It is used when you know the limits and want exact control, for example for a link with a known antenna and cable.

superchannel lifts the channel limit. It is meant for places and uses where the rules allow it, such as testing in a screened room, or an authorised licence. Using it on air without permission can break the law.

Watch out

The installer is responsible for legal operation. Never use superchannel on a public link unless you are sure that the rules allow it.

Installation type

The installation setting tells the interface whether the device is used indoors or outdoors:

/interface wireless set wlan1 installation=outdoor

Some rules differ for indoor and outdoor use, so the setting affects which channels and powers are allowed. Choose the value that matches the real installation.

Antenna gain

The legal limit applies to the radiated power, so antenna gain counts. Enter the real value:

/interface wireless set wlan1 antenna-gain=12

In regulatory-domain mode, RouterOS reduces the card power so that the total stays inside the limit. If the gain is entered wrongly, the limit is calculated wrongly.

Radar detection

Some 5 GHz channels are shared with radar systems in many countries. A device that uses them must watch for radar and move away if it finds some.

RouterOS has a setting for this, dfs-mode, which controls radar detection. In regulated modes the interface may wait and listen before it uses such a channel.

What you see

When the country limits the channels, the frequency choices on the interface change. If a channel you expect is missing, check the country and mode before you suspect the card.

/interface wireless print detail where name=wlan1

The output shows the country, frequency mode and installation values that are in force.

Choosing a mode

Situation	Suitable mode
General installation with a known country	`regulatory-domain`
Known limits, exact power control wanted	`manual-txpower`
Authorised testing or special licence	`superchannel`

What to remember for the exam

Six facts cover this topic.

The country setting selects the legal channels and power limits.
frequency-mode=regulatory-domain applies the country channels and power limit.
manual-txpower keeps the country channels but leaves the power to you.
superchannel allows every channel that the card supports and puts the responsibility on you.
installation and antenna-gain affect the legal limit.
Some 5 GHz channels need radar detection.

Exam tip

If a channel is missing from the list, check country and frequency-mode first.

Common mistakes

Four errors are typical.

Choosing the wrong country. The channel and power limits then do not match the real rules.

Using superchannel on air. It removes the safeguards, and the installer is responsible.

Entering the wrong antenna gain. The legal power calculation becomes wrong.

Blaming the card for a missing channel. The country and mode often cause it.

Check yourself

Work through these three questions.

What does frequency-mode=regulatory-domain do?
It allows only the channels of the chosen country and limits the transmit power to the legal maximum. It takes the antenna gain into account.
What is the difference between manual-txpower and superchannel?
manual-txpower keeps the country channels and lets you set the power. superchannel allows every channel the card supports, and you must obey the rules.
Why does antenna-gain matter for regulation?
The legal limit applies to the radiated power, so the antenna gain counts. A wrong value makes the limit calculation wrong.

Topic 4 of 6 in Wireless Advanced Settings

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