Intel AC9560 cannot associate with Wi-Fi 6 AP when forcing BSSID – roaming instability in mixed Wi-F

[muhep]

Hello,
I am experiencing an issue with the Intel AC9560 wireless card on Ubuntu (iwlwifi driver) when used in an environment with both Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 access points (mesh setup).

Problem Description
1. BSSID Association Failure
When I force the BSSID of a Wi-Fi 6 AP, the connection always fails with repeated messages in dmesg such as:

associate with <BSSID> try 1
associate with <BSSID> try 2
associate with <BSSID> try 3
timeout

When I force the BSSID of a Wi-Fi 5 AP, the connection succeeds immediately without issues.

2. Normal SSID Connection Behavior
Without forcing BSSID, the card first tries to connect to the nearest Wi-Fi 6 AP (stronger signal) → association fails.
Then it falls back to the Wi-Fi 5 AP → connection succeeds.

While using the network, roaming logic keeps preferring the stronger Wi-Fi 6 AP, but each attempt to connect fails. This results in repeated disconnections until the device falls back to the Wi-Fi 5 AP again.

What I Have Tested
- Tried both WPA2-PSK only and WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode.
- Updated to the latest linux-firmware on Ubuntu.
- Tested with both NetworkManager (nmcli) and direct wpa_supplicant -dd.
- Disabled WPA3, but the problem persists.

Behavior is consistent: Wi-Fi 6 AP → association fails, Wi-Fi 5 AP → works fine.

Important Note
I am aware that the Intel AC9560 does not support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).
However, Wi-Fi 6 access points are backward compatible and operate in 5 GHz with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
Therefore, the AC9560 should still be able to connect to Wi-Fi 6 APs using 802.11ac.

The fact that association fails only with Wi-Fi 6 APs, while Wi-Fi 5 APs work fine, suggests a compatibility issue between the AC9560 driver/firmware and Wi-Fi 6 APs, not just a lack of Wi-Fi 6 support.

Observations
The issue seems specific to Wi-Fi 6 AP interaction.

Possible factors include:
- 802.11r Fast Transition (FT) roaming
- Protected Management Frames (PMF)
Or a general bug with BSSID-based association on Wi-Fi 6 APs

Questions
1. Is this a known issue with AC9560 when connecting to Wi-Fi 6 APs (in backward-compatible 802.11ac mode)?
2. Could it be related to FT/PMF requirements in Wi-Fi 6 APs?
3. Is there a recommended workaround (driver option, firmware update, or config change) to allow stable BSSID association with Wi-Fi 6 APs?
4. Are fixes planned in iwlwifi for AC9560 and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility?

Impact
The card is unable to reliably connect in a mixed Wi-Fi 5/6 mesh setup.

Since roaming always tries the stronger Wi-Fi 6 AP (and fails), the connection repeatedly drops until it falls back to a Wi-Fi 5 AP.

This makes the connection unstable and unusable in environments with Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure.

Any help, confirmation, or workaround would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[JedG_Intel]

Hello muhep,

Thank you for posting on Intel Community Forum.

To address your concern effectively, please share the information below.

1. Was this working fine before?

2. Is this the original adapter that came pre-installed in your system, or have you changed/installed a new adapter recently?

3. What is the firmware and Kernel version?

4. Which Wi-Fi 6 AP model/manufacturer are you using?

I look forward to your response.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[muhep]

Hi Jed,

Thanks for the reply. Here are the details:

1. Was this working fine before?
   No, it never worked with Wi-Fi 6 APs. With Wi-Fi 5 APs it always connects fine, but with Wi-Fi 6 APs it keeps failing.

2. Is this the original adapter?
   Yes, it’s the original Intel AC9560 that came with the laptop, I didn’t change anything.

3. Firmware / Kernel version:
   Ubuntu 25.04
   Kernel: 6.14.0-15-generic
   linux-firmware: 20250317.git1d4c88ee-0ubuntu1

4. Which Wi-Fi 6 AP?
   Keenetic Hopper KN-3811 (Wi-Fi 6) as main AP
   Keenetic Viva KN-1910 (Wi-Fi 5) as mesh node (connected to Hopper)
   Fast Transition (802.11r) and PMF are enabled

Extra notes:

• If I force the Wi-Fi 6 BSSID, it never associates (timeouts).

• If I force the Wi-Fi 5 BSSID, it connects immediately.

• If I just connect normally (SSID only), it first tries Wi-Fi 6 (fails), then falls back to Wi-Fi 5 (works). Later it keeps trying to roam back to Wi-Fi 6 and I lose connection until it falls back again.

• I tried WPA2 only and WPA2/WPA3 mixed, same result. Even with WPA3 disabled, same issue.

So basically the AC9560 can’t connect to Wi-Fi 6 APs, even though they should work in backward compatible 802.11ac mode.

Thanks,
Muhep

[JedG_Intel]

Hello muhep,

Thank you for sharing allt his information. I'll be investigating this matter and I'll get back in touch as soon as possible.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Mike_Intel]

Hello muhep,

I hope this message finds you well.

I would like to update you that we are now reviewing this thread. While doing that, we want to ask the following questions that will help us to further investigate the issue. Please help provide the following details:

1. Have you tried connecting to a different Access Point aside from the ones he mentioned?
2. Did you also try resetting his Network Settings?
3. How many units are affected by this concern?
4. What is the exact make and model of his system?

If you have questions, please let us know. Thank you.

Best regards,

Michael L.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[JedG_Intel]

Hello muhep,

I wanted to check if you had the chance to review the additional questions we posted. Please let me know at your earliest convenience so that we can determine the best course of action to resolve this matter.

Best regards,

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician