PepLink SOHO and access to 5Ghz Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channels

Product Discussion
1

Is anyone in the USA using the middle part of the 5Ghz band, on a PepLink SOHO?

I know the device supports channels 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 149, 153, 157, and 161. The middle channels however are special. There’s a regulatory requirement that if a middle channel is in use, the router must listen for radar signals, and hop to a different channel if so. It’s against the rules to fix a router to a DFS channel.

Does this hopping work on the PepLink SOHO, configured for the USA regulatory domain?

See also List of WLAN channels - Wikipedia
And SmallNetBuilder's Wi-Fi Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) FAQ - SmallNetBuilder

2

I notice a ticket was opened for this. We will follow up with you in the ticket.

Thanks.

3

I got an answer to the question from support, but the answer is probably wrong, as it implies the router can be fixed to a given channel (and that would violate FCC rules, making the device ineligible for sale in the USA)!

4

I can now verify the PepLink SOHO can use all the 5Ghz channels, including 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 149, 153, 157, and 161. Better yet you can click to select which of those to scan among.

Unfortunately you probably don’t want to use 36-144 if you live near an airport. It appears the SOHO is not detecting radar signals and avoiding them, as required for those bands.

5

Bryce,

We have disabled these channels in our next firmware release 7.0.2. You can download the release candidate at https://www.peplink.com/support/downloads/firmware-7-0-2/ and confirm the DFS channels are now removed. The firmware should go GA in 1-2 weeks.

We do not currently have a timeline to detect radar signals and re-enable those channels.

Regards,
Travis

6

This is a pretty big deal, especially for designing coverage for large buildings or lots. Loss of the majority of the 5Ghz band is a strong impact on the utility of the product, but better than contributing to blurry radar and crashed airplanes.

I hope you’re able to work with your chipset vendor and get the radar detection implemented. Lab testing of that feature is traditionally pretty expensive, but it’s getting easier with dedicated DFS test equipment.

Please note this is a global impact: nearly every country now has DFS requirements.

Do other Peplink products have radar detection?

7

It would be great if DFS channel support was re-implemented. I’m in a crowded radio area and was using DFS channels on my UniFi APs. Speeds were terrific! Now I’m stuck on slow, busy channels again because Pepwave chooses not to support DFS.

Is there a feature wish list I can vote on this somewhere?

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