topic Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2 in Wireless

Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2

DarthJorge — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:21:48 GMT

Issue Description:

I’m experiencing an issue with my Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz adapter on Windows 11 24H2 with driver version 23.110.0.5. My router is properly configured for 160MHz bandwidth on the 5GHz band, but my laptop is unable to detect the network when set to 160MHz.

Observations:

✔ My Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra detects the 5GHz network at both 80MHz and 160MHz on all channels, so the router appears to be working fine.
✔ My Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 (with AX201) does not detect the 5GHz network when using lower channels (36-48) but can see and connect when using higher channels (149 and above).
✔ Since 160MHz requires using lower channels (36-48 + 100-128), my laptop does not see the network at all when 160MHz is enabled.
✔ If I set the router to 80MHz on a high channel (149+), the laptop connects normally.
✔ Running netsh wlan show interface shows that the channel width is lower than expected.

netsh wlan show interface

There is 1 interface on the system:

Name : Wi-Fi
Description : Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz
GUID : ************************************
Physical address : ***************
Interface type : Primary
State : connected
SSID : red_5g
AP BSSID : *********************
Band : 5 GHz
Channel : 161
Network type : Infrastructure
Radio type : 802.11ax
Authentication : WPA2-Personal
Cipher : CCMP
Connection mode : Auto Connect
Receive rate (Mbps) : 287
Transmit rate (Mbps) : 287
Signal : 94%
Profile : red_5g
QoS MSCS Configured : 0
QoS Map Configured : 0
QoS Map Allowed by Policy : 0

Hosted network status : Not available

Re:Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2

DeancR_Intel — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 06:50:22 GMT

Hi DarthJorge,

Thank you for posting in the Community.

I appreciate your efforts for providing this information, I would like to clarify more things about the issue.

Where did you download the wireless drivers?
Is the issue only occurred with the driver version 23.110.0.5?
Have you tried the driver provided by Lenovo? If not, you may look for the latest wireless driver provided by Lenovo here: laptops and netbooks :: gaming series :: ideapad gaming 3 15imh05contentdetail - Lenovo Support US

The reason why I highly suggest using driver from Lenovo is:

OEM Drivers:

Customization: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) drivers are tailored specifically for the hardware by the device manufacturer Lenovo. These drivers may include custom features, optimizations, and settings that are specific to the device model.
Testing and Stability: OEM drivers are thoroughly tested by the manufacturer to ensure compatibility and stability with the specific hardware and software configurations of their devices.
Support: Using OEM drivers ensures that you receive support from the device manufacturer, as they are responsible for any issues that arise with their customized drivers.

Generic Drivers:

Up to Date: Generic drivers are provided directly by the component manufacturer (Intel) and are often more up to date with the latest features, bug fixes, and performance improvements.
Broad Compatibility: These drivers are designed to work with a wide range of devices that use the same component, but they may lack the specific customizations and optimizations provided by the OEM.
Potential Issues: While generic drivers can offer the latest updates, they may not be as thoroughly tested for compatibility with your specific device, which can sometimes lead to stability or performance issues.

I suggest doing clean installation of the OEM drivers. Follow the instructions here: Clean Installation of Wireless Drivers

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

Re: Re:Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2

DarthJorge — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:42:07 GMT

Hi Dean R.,

Thank you for your response.

I downloaded the wireless drivers directly from Intel's website. I have also done a clean installation of Windows 11 24H2 from scratch. After reinstalling, I tested multiple driver versions, including both the OEM drivers from Lenovo and the generic ones from Intel, but the issue remains the same.

I have also followed the clean installation steps for the wireless drivers, but unfortunately, it did not resolve the problem.

Do you have any other suggestions? Could this be a compatibility issue with Windows 11 24H2?

Best regards,
DarthJorge

Re: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2

DeancR_Intel — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 06:55:55 GMT

Hi DarthJorge,

I appreciate your effort for providing this, I will look further into this internally and get back to you once I have the necessary information.

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

Re: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2

DeancR_Intel — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 05:45:39 GMT

Hi DarthJorge,

I appreciate your patience. To help me troubleshoot the issue more effectively, could you please provide the following details?

When did the issue begin, and was everything functioning properly before? This will help me understand if there were any changes or events that might have triggered the problem.
Could you share the SSU logs of the system? These logs will allow me to thoroughly examine the system configuration and identify any potential issues.
Have you contacted Lenovo about this matter? Knowing this will help me understand if there have been any previous attempts to resolve the issue and what steps were taken.
Could you try using a different access point? This will help isolate whether the issue is related to the network or the device itself.
What is the make and model of the router? This information can be crucial in identifying compatibility issues or specific settings that might be causing the problem.

See this link for reference as well: Unable to Connect to the Internet on the 5 GHz Wi-Fi Band 160MHz with...

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

Re: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2

DarthJorge — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:11:41 GMT

Hi,

When did the issue begin?
The issue started when I bought a router with WiFi 6 and 160MHz capabilities. I am using Windows 11 24H2.
Was everything functioning properly before?
I’m not sure, as I just bought this router and only recently attempted to use the 160MHz band.
Do you have the SSU logs of the system?
I haven't generated them yet, but I can provide them if needed.
Have you contacted Lenovo about this matter?
No, my laptop is three years old and no longer has official support from Lenovo.
Could you try using a different access point?
Yes, I tested with another router, a Huawei AX3, and the same issue occurred. My laptop does not detect low channels, only high ones, so it cannot see 160MHz networks, only 80Mhz.
What is the make and model of your router?
I recently bought a TP-Link Archer AX53 router with WiFi 6 and 160MHz capabilities.

Additionally, I tested it with Linux Mint, and it also failed to connect to the 5GHz network on low channels, only detecting high channels. Could this be a limitation of the WiFi card?

Let me know if you need any additional details.

Best regards,
DarthJorge

Re: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Not Detecting 160MHz Band or Low 5GHz Channels on Windows 11 24H2

DeancR_Intel — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 07:58:52 GMT

Hi DarthJorge,

Thank you so much for providing all the detailed information. I truly appreciate your effort in helping us understand the issue better. I will look into this internally and get back to you as soon as I have the necessary information.

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician