Troubleshooting WiFi7 Beacon Connectivity Issues with Legacy Devices

Issue:

You're experiencing connectivity issues with your WiFi client device when trying to connect to the primary SSID of your WiFi7 Beacon device with MLO enabled. Your device may not connect at all, or it may quickly disconnect from the network.

Cause:

This issue may occur if your WiFi client device is not compatible with the WPA3 encryption mode, which is the default setting for WiFi7 Beacon devices. Legacy devices may not support WPA3, causing connectivity issues.

Solution:

To resolve this issue, you can create a secondary SSID with an encryption mode that is compatible with your legacy device. Follow these steps:

Add a WiFi network (new SSID) with the web GUI:

1.  Open a web browser and navigate to the WiFi7 Beacon's WebGUI by typing its IP address.
2.  Log in to the WebGUI using your administrator credentials.
3.  Go to the WiFi networks page.
4.  Click on the Add WiFi network button.
5.  Select either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band.
6.  Create a new SSID with a name and password of your choice.
7.  Note that WPA2-Personal encryption is the default value for single-band networks.
8.  Click Apply to save the changes.

Using the Nokia Mobile Application:

1.  Open the Nokia Mobile Application on your device.
2.  Select the WiFi7 Beacon device from the list of available devices.
3.  Tap on the Settings icon.
4.  Go to the Wireless Settings page.
5.  Tap on the Add New SSID button.
6.  Select either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band.
7.  Create a new SSID with a name and password of your choice.
8.  Note that WPA2-Personal encryption is the default value for single-band networks.
9.  Tap Save to save the changes.

Connecting to the Single-Band Network:

Once you've created the single-band network, connect your legacy device to the new network using the SSID name and password you created.

Note:

Creating a single-band network with WPA2-Personal encryption can help resolve connectivity issues with legacy devices that are not compatible with band-steering networks or WPA3-Personal Transition mode. However, please note that this is a workaround and not a permanent solution. The Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) is working on implementing WPA3-Personal compatibility encryption mode to address this issue.