Wireless routers have fourteen different WiFi channels. The frequencies of these channels are measured in GHz so it is more than likely that on more than one occasion you have seen 2.4 Ghz WiFi, but there are some of them that are off limits and are illegal in some countries.
WiFi uses radio waves to communicate over short distances, and WiFi networks can operate on different channels to help reduce interference . Each channel has a frequency range so that WiFi networks that are within the same range can operate through different channels so as not to interfere with each other. However, there are in some countries that channels 12 and 13 can only be used in low consumption while channel 14 is prohibited except for Japan.
US restricts WiFi connection to 11 channels
While in the US the 2.3 GHz WiFi connection is restricted to eleven channels, channels 12 to 14 are available in other parts of the world. They could even be activated by changing the router’s settings, but we don’t recommend doing so. Channel 14 is one of the most tempting for users, as it has much less interference, but it is illegal to operate the router on this channel in the US.
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission is in charge of regulating the wireless spectrum, differentiating and reserving the different parts of the wireless spectrum for radio amateurs, satellites, airplanes, military, maritime, FM radio, AM radio and WiFi.
Channels 12 and 13 are not completely illegal
In the United States, any of the eleven channels can be selected on the router and they can be toggled automatically to select an optimal channel with less interference. However, channels 12 and 13 are not completely illegal and are not generally offered as options. Many people have the idea that channels 12 and 13 are illegal in the US but they are not.
A WiFi router can operate on channels 12 and 13 but only in low power mode , as there are strict limits to avoid interference in the adjacent band that is owned by Globalstar and used for satellite phones. For this reason, routers in the US do not offer these channels. It is not illegal to use channels 12 and 13 but it is illegal to use it at full power. This law differs in some countries from the rest of the world. For example, Europe and Japan allow the use of channels 12 and 13 .
Channel 14 is banned
Channel 14 is banned in the US and most of the world with the exception of Japan. Channel 14 is at the higher end of the range and using it can create interference on other channels.
Devices that run on channel 14 generally run at older 802.11b speeds. It is true that it is possible to unblock forbidden channels but once again we do not recommend that you do so. Depending on the router that we have, there is the possibility of accessing channels 12 and 13 at maximum power even to the prohibited channel 14 simply by changing the country in the router configuration. Its software may prevent us from doing so, or a hardware limitation may prevent the router from working. If we have a lot of wireless congestion, it is best to switch to 5 Ghz WiFi to have less interference and not cause wireless interference while committing a serious crime.