Country Codes

Country codes

A country code is a regulatory identifier that

  • specifies the country of operation for wireless devices, such as controllers and APs which must comply with varying regulatory requirements, and

  • ensures each radio’s broadcast frequency bands, interfaces, channels, and transmit power levels comply with country-specific regulations.

Each AP radio receives a regulatory domain at the factory, such as -E for Europe. Set the country code to match the location—for example, FR for France or ES for Spain.

Information About Japanese Country Codes

Country codes define the legal channels for each country. These country codes are available for Japan:

  • J2: which allows only -P radios to join the controller, and

  • J4: which allows 2.4GHz JPQU and 5GHz PQU to join the controller.

Prerequisites for configuring country codes

  • Generally, you should configure one country code per device. Select a country code that matches where the device and its APs are physically located. You can configure up to 200 country codes per device. You can manage APs in different countries from one device using multiple-country support.

  • If you use the multiple-country feature, configure all devices joining the same RF group with the same countries in the same order.

  • Each AP uses all available legal frequencies, but it is assigned frequencies approved for its domain.

  • The RF group leader’s country list decides which channels are available for group members. The RF group leader’s country list does not depend on the countries on group members.

  • If your device is in the Japan regulatory domain, configure at least one Japan country code (JP, J2, or J3) before the most recent boot.

  • For devices in the Japan regulatory domain, you should have one or more Japan country codes (J2, or J4) configured on your device at the time of the most recent boot.

  • For devices in the Japan regulatory domain, you must have at least one access point with a -J regulatory domain joined to your device.

  • You cannot delete a country code with the wireless country country-code command if you configured it with the ap country list command. You also cannot delete a country code using the ap country list command if you configured it with the wireless country country-code command.

Configure country codes (GUI)

Set the allowed country codes on wireless APs to comply with local regulations.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Configuration > Wireless > Access Points > Country.

Step 2

On the Country page, check the check box for each country where your APs are installed. If you select more than one check box, a message displays that RRM channels and power levels are limited to common channels and power levels.

Step 3

Click Apply.

Configure country codes (CLI)

Assign and verify country codes on an AP or wireless controller to ensure regulatory compliance for wireless operation.

Procedure

Step 1

Display the list of all the available country codes.

Example:

Device# show wireless country supported

Step 2

Enter the global configuration mode and disable the 802.11b/g network, if you use 24GHz, 5GHz or 6GHz.

Example:

Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# ap dot11 {24ghz | 5ghz} shutdown

Step 3

Assign APs to a specific country.

Example:

Device(config)# ap country country_code IN

Configure the country code on the controller so that APs joining the controller match the country code and the corresponding regulatory domain codes for the AP.

Note

 

You can configure more than one country code.

Step 4

Return to the privileged EXEC mode and display the configured countries.

Example:

Device(config)# exit
Device# show wireless country configured

Step 5

Display the list of available channels for the country codes configured on your device and enter the global configuration device.

Example:

Device# show wireless country channels

Note

 

Complete the next three steps only if you have configured multiple country codes in step 6.

Step 6

Enter the global configuration mode and enable the 802.11b/g network, if you use 24GHz, 5GHz or 6GHz. Return to the privileged EXEC mode and disable the AP.

Example:

Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# no ap dot11 {24ghz | 5ghz} shutdown
Device# ap name cisco-ap AP02 shutdown

Note

 

Make sure to disable only the AP that you are configuring with country codes.

Step 7

Enter the global configuration mode and assign each AP with a country code from the controller country code list.

Example:

Device# configure terminal
Device# ap name cisco-ap AP02 country country_code US

Note

 

  • Ensure that the country code that you choose is compatible with the regulatory domain of at least one of the APs radios.

  • Disable the AP before changing its country code.

Step 8

Return to privileged EXEC mode and enable the AP.

Example:

Device# ap name cisco-ap AP02 no shutdown

Configuration examples for configuring country codes

View channel list for country codes

This example shows how to display the list of available channels for the country codes on your device: 

Device# show wireless country channels

Configured Country........................: US - United States
KEY: * = Channel is legal in this country and may be configured manually.
     A = Channel is the Auto-RF default in this country.
     . = Channel is not legal in this country.
     C = Channel has been configured for use by Auto-RF.
     x = Channel is available to be configured for use by Auto-RF.
  (-,-) = (indoor, outdoor) regulatory domain allowed by this country.
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
802.11bg         :
Channels         :                  1 1 1 1 1
                  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
(-A ,-AB ) US    : A * * * * A * * * * A . . .
Auto-RF          : . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
802.11a          :                        1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Channels         :3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6
                  4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 2 6 0 4 0 4 8 2 6 0 4 8 2 6 0 9 3 7 1 5
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
(-A ,-AB ) US    : . A . A . A . A A A A A * * * * * . . . * * * A A A A*
Auto-RF          : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
4.9GHz 802.11a   :
Channels         :                  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
                  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
US (-A ,-AB )    : * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A * * * * * A
Auto-RF          : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .