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