MikroTik 5G SA Cell Lock: Support & Limits

SA only; not recommended for commercial use. The current MikroTik manual retains that warning for this command. AT+QNWLOCK="common/5g" does not lock 5G NSA cells. Use this as a controlled lab/diagnostic procedure on a documented compatible modem with another management path.

Confirm support before trying it

The manual’s QNWLOCK group includes Chateau 5G, Chateau 5G R16, Chateau 5G R17 ax and ATL 5G R16 among its 5G-capable devices. Confirm your exact modem and firmware; this is not a generic instruction for all 5G routers. Check SA service and SIM provisioning with the operator. The modem must be in full functionality: the LTE interface must not be disabled.

RouterOS 7

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

Understand each field

Field after common/5g	Meaning	Check
PCI	NR physical cell identity	0 is the documented disable value
Frequency/channel	NR channel number for the target cell	Not the frequency in MHz
SCS	Subcarrier spacing, kHz	Manual specifies 15 for FR1 FDD, 30 for FR1 TDD
Band	NR band number	78 means n78, not LTE B78

The manual labels the frequency field “earfcn” even in its 5G example. Treat it as the modem’s NR channel-number input and obtain it from current serving-cell data or operator information; do not insert an LTE EARFCN or convert MHz by guesswork.

Apply, query and remove

Illustrative lab values: PCI 142, NR channel 640000 and n78 with SCS 30 kHz. These are syntax examples, not a cell known to exist at your location. Substitute verified values; ensure the modem supports the selected band.

RouterOS 7 · documented 5G SA QNWLOCK modem

/interface/lte/at-chat lte1 input="AT+QNWLOCK=\"common/5g\",142,640000,30,78"

RouterOS 7 · query SA lock

/interface/lte/at-chat lte1 input="AT+QNWLOCK=\"common/5g\""

RouterOS 7 · remove SA lock

/interface/lte/at-chat lte1 input="AT+QNWLOCK=\"common/5g\",0"

A successful response only confirms command acceptance. Recheck the active RAT and serving cell, then test useful traffic. The lock is lost on reboot or modem reset, and the network may still redirect or hand over the connection outside the configured choice.

If your service is NSA

Keep LTE and 5G allowed in network-mode. On a supported modem you may experiment with an LTE anchor lock using common/4g, but that does not select a particular NR cell. The network controls the accompanying NR service. Forcing 5g alone changes the test to SA-only and can remove service entirely.

LTE anchor lock by modem family · NR band filters · Recover and troubleshoot

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Technical references

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