MikroTik LTE & 5G NR Band Locking

Use band for LTE and nr-band for 5G NR. For NSA service, keep network-mode=lte,5g: selecting 5g alone requests SA and can remove a working connection. Record the existing lists before changing them; the modem may reconnect.

A band change can drop your connection. Use local access or another WAN, save the current values and confirm the modem reports band-selection support. Native properties are not a universal AT-command recipe for third-party modems.

Record the starting state

RouterOS 7

/interface/lte/print detail
/interface/lte/show-capabilities lte1
/interface/lte/monitor lte1 once

Record band, nr-band, network-mode, primary-band and ca-band fields where present. Verify the supported-band list for your exact modem variant. Some RouterOS and modem combinations expose fewer controls.

LTE: single band, multiple bands, automatic

These are three alternative experiments, not a script to run end to end. Use them only if the local network and modem support the selected bands.

RouterOS 7 · supported LTE band selection · B3 only

/interface/lte/set lte1 band=3

RouterOS 7 · supported LTE band selection · B3 and B7 allowed

/interface/lte/set lte1 band=3,7

RouterOS 7 · clear LTE band restriction

/interface/lte/set lte1 band=""

A single-band filter can remove inter-band CA; intra-band CA may still be possible. A multiple-band list permits choices but does not force aggregation. A coverage band such as B20 may be useful for reception yet slower than a wider or less loaded higher-frequency carrier. Test upload, latency and packet loss as well as download.

5G NSA disappears after locking n78

RouterOS 7 · supported 5G modem · LTE/5G allowed

/interface/lte/set lte1 network-mode=lte,5g nr-band=78

The native NR list uses 78, not n78. This setting permits LTE and 5G, restricts NR to n78, and leaves the existing LTE band list unchanged. If that LTE list excludes the required anchor, clear or correct it before testing.

RouterOS 7 · clear NR band restriction

/interface/lte/set lte1 nr-band=""

Temporarily use LTE only when 5G is unstable

RouterOS 7 · LTE-only comparison

/interface/lte/set lte1 network-mode=lte

LTE-only can help isolate whether 5G attachment causes instability. network-mode=5g is an SA-only choice, not “prefer 5G NSA.” Do not select it without confirming SA coverage and subscription. Restore the original network-mode list after testing; lte,5g is not a universal reset for older 3G/LTE devices.

Compare, then keep or revert

After each change, run /interface/lte/monitor lte1 once during a transfer and check the serving band and any CA bands. If service disappears, restore the recorded band lists and network mode. An empty band list does not remove an AT cell lock.

References

RouterOS LTE/5G manual