AX211 Roaming Instability with WPA2/WPA3 Mixed Mode and 802.11r

[SB21]

Hello Intel Support Team,

I am reaching out regarding roaming instability observed with the Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX211 160MHz adapter (driver version 23.160) in an enterprise wireless environment. We have upgraded to 24.20 version but it did not fix the issue.

We are currently operating a WLAN using Juniper Mist infrastructure with the following configuration:

• Security: WPA2/WPA3 transition mode (mixed)
• 802.11r (Fast Transition): Enabled
• 802.11k/v: Enabled

In this setup, clients equipped with the AX211 adapter are experiencing both excessive roaming and failed fast transition events.

Observed behavior:

• Frequent roaming between nearby access points (ping-pong behavior), even when RSSI remains stable (around -60 to -70 dBm)
• Repeated FT authentication failures during roam attempts
• Fallback to full authentication, causing noticeable delays
• Roaming loops triggered shortly after failed transitions

Example log patterns:

• "FT authentication failed (status code 43)"
• "PMKID not found"
• "Fallback to full authentication"
• Multiple roam events within seconds between the same APs

From our analysis, the issue appears to be related to how the AX211 driver handles WPA2/WPA3 transition mode in combination with 802.11r. Specifically, there seems to be inconsistency in key selection (WPA2 vs WPA3) during fast transition attempts, resulting in authentication failures and unstable roaming decisions.

We have confirmed: The issue is primarily observed on AX211 clients

Could you please advise:

1. Whether this behavior is a known issue with driver version 23.160 up until 24.20
2. If there are recommended driver versions or settings to improve roaming stability
3. Whether there are known limitations with WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode + 802.11r on AX211
4. Any debug tools or logs you would like us to collect for further analysis

We are happy to provide additional logs, packet captures, or client diagnostics if needed.

I look forward to hear from you. 

Kind Regards,

[Goutham_intel]

Hello sb21

Thank you for posting on the Intel Community Forum.

Kindly note that we have requested additional details via email to further investigate the issue. Please check the inbox of your registered email address and revert at your earliest convenience.

Best regards,

Goutham

Intel Customer Support Technician

[SB21]

Hi Goutham,

I’ve attached the logs and filled the form as requested in the email.

I also noticed that Intel released new drivers 24.30.1 yesterday that claim improved Wireless performance and stability. Do you know if version 24.30 addresses the issue I reported?

https://downloadmirror.intel.com/915842/ReleaseNotes_WiFi_24.30.1.pdf

Kind Regards,

[JeffP]

+1 here for the scenario you describe.  We're working our way through each TAC.... Cisco to Microsoft to now Intel.  Its looking like a ax211 fault as we're unable to replicate it with MacOS and other wlan chipsets.  The vast majority of our corporate fleet has an embedded ax211.

For us (well me as the tester) it occurs randomly when sitting at a desk in an open floor plan office and good line of sight to several APs, and can be replicated (I'll get a mix of good and bad fast roams) if I do a slow walk of the office.  The network bods see my packets failing the roaming hand-off, which forces a EAP restart, and the client experiences a 3-5 second carriage interruption.

Subjectively the UX has improved by disabling Ultraband 6.0Ghz.  Its not a fix but does lessen the UX noise.

[JeffP]

@SB21  can you try disabling Human Presence?  My session has been better today disabling some Intel smarts.  My current conf is below.

[Tharun_Intel]

Hello SB21,

Thank you for reaching out to Intel Support — I hope you're doing well!

I wanted to follow up on the Wi-Fi connectivity issue you've been experiencing. Since your network is currently configured in Mixed Mode (WPA2/WPA3), I'd like to walk you through a couple of straightforward steps that should help us get to the bottom of this.

Thank you for your valuable contribution to this thread @JeffP , however we have come up with the following steps to assist you in this. Please follow the below steps.

Step 1: Test with Individual Security Modes Since the driver is now up to date, could you please test the connection by switching between the security modes individually on your router? This will help us confirm whether the issue is specific to one of the protocols or to the mixed-mode configuration:

• WPA2 Only – Switch your network to WPA2 only and check if the connectivity issue recurs.
• WPA3 Only – Then switch to WPA3 only and check if the issue recurs under this mode as well.

Please note the behavior under each mode, as this will help us narrow things down effectively.

Step 2: Helpful Reference Pages I've also included a couple of resources below that you may find useful, particularly if the issue is related to fast roaming on your network:

Microsoft Documentation – Fast Roaming with 802.11k, 802.11v, and 802.11r https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/network/fast-roaming-with-802-11k--802-1…

Intel Support Article – Support for Fast BSS Transition Roaming with Intel® Wireless Adapters on Enterprise Networks https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000102258.html

Please give these steps a try and let me know how it goes — I'm happy to assist further and stay with you until this is fully resolved.

Thank you for your continued support and co-operation.

Tharun

Intel Customer Support Technician.

[Tharun_Intel]

Hello SB21,

I hope you're doing well!

I'm reaching out to follow up on our previous interaction regarding your Wi-Fi connectivity issue. I wanted to check in and see if you had a chance to test the WPA2-only and WPA3-only security modes on your router as outlined in my last email.

If you've had the opportunity to try those steps, I'd love to hear how it went — your findings will help us determine the best path forward.

If you have any questions or ran into any difficulties along the way, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Tharun

Intel Customer Support Technician.

[Tharun_Intel]

Hello SB21,

I hope this email finds you well.

Thank you for reaching out to us and for giving us the opportunity to assist you with your Wi-Fi connectivity concern.

As we have not received a response to our previous follow-up, we will be proceeding with closing this support thread as of today, April 27, 2026. Please note that this thread will no longer be actively monitored going forward.

We sincerely hope that the troubleshooting steps shared earlier were helpful in resolving your issue.

Should you have any further questions or require additional assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to initiate a new support request and our team will be more than happy to assist you promptly.

Thank you for your time and patience — we truly appreciate it!

Tharun

Intel Customer Support Technician.