A common problem among router users is congestion on Wi‑Fi channels. Many products automatically change channels to find the one with the least interference, but sometimes there is no escape, forcing us to compete with other networks. However, at the top of the spectrum there is a strange channel: 14. It is isolated from the rest, has no overlap with channel 11, and most importantly... nobody uses it. Why?
The Hidden Channels and the Promise of Channel 14
Among the first recommendations every wireless network user should follow to improve the performance of their connection, there is the change of Wi‑Fi channel. In general, the number of available channels reaches 11, but that is no more than an artificial limit. Technically, the 2.4 GHz band for Wi‑Fi connections has three extra channels: 12, 13, and 14. Several European countries allow the use of channels 12 and 13 (although with difficulties), however, channel 14 is almost inaccessible, and I say "almost" because the only country without major restrictions is Japan. An important advantage we must highlight of channel 14 is the absence of overlap with channel 11. In other words, it is an excellent candidate to escape congestion. So... why can't we use it?
The Regulatory Wall Around Channel 14
The magic word here is "regulation". The US FCC considers Wi‑Fi channel 14 as restricted band (coming to mind military and/or commercial applications under the label of the "ISM band"), so public access is "not allowed". If we look for more data about the current situation of channel 14, one of the first names we see is Globalstar, a satellite phone service provider. Globalstar received authorization from the FCC to "recycle" in a way channel 14 and develop a low-power terrestrial service, to which companies like Google (which proposes public access to channel 14) and the trio Microsoft–Sony–Nintendo have resisted, expressing their concern about potential interference with wireless gamepads. What about Japan? Legally channel 14 is available, but only for legacy systems under 802.11b, which limit speed to 11 megabits per second.
Forcing Channel 14 Open
If we add to this the complex recertification process that most manufacturers try to avoid, the result is a large number of products that cut corners and prohibit access to the upper channels. The good news is that one can "disobey" and activate channel 14 by installing an alternative firmware on the router. The bad news is that only a handful of devices will be able to connect to that network, and they also require modifications at the operating system or driver level, as happens with MacBooks and the Raspberry Pi on channels 12 and 13.
