Nighthawk dropping 5G wifi connection

Been having the same issues. Running 1.0.2.92 for quite awhile, not certain if it could be the firmware but am to the point I am about to start stepping back to test older versions, tried a factory reset to no avail today.
I tried introducing a Netgear range extender about a year ago and started experiencing all kinds of 2.4/5 issues on our dual band Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 phones so quickly got rid of it. The issues slowed down but never went completely away, so I tried turning off Smart Connect to isolate the problem; now for some reason when I do this, Wyze 2.4 plugs that I have installed SINCE turning it off will only work when I turn Smart Connect back on; all the ones that I had in our infrastructure previously continue to work fine.
I'm about at my wit's end, this was a bulletproof device until around the time I introduced the extender (against my better judgement as I've heard other people's grief with them). At this point, if a downgrade doesn't work, I may try a DD-WRT flash, or just walk away from Netgear. Really irks me because I feel as though it was a great piece of hardware for years.
I vaguely recall my old Linksys giving me fits near the end as well, which drove me to Netgear. Makes you wonder if code is introduced in the end to EOL your hardware whether you like it or not...

Any suggestions greatly appreciated, thanks.