Why doesn't Attached Devices have 6G for a Connection Type?

[jdbyyc]

I'm new to Netgear - is there something I'm supposed to enable?

In the Nighthawk app the 6G connection type / band is just absent; in the web interface it is represented by "--".

Is it a bug? If so, where can I see the bug reports? (I tried searching but didn't find anything.)

Thanks!

[FURRYe38]

Your wifi device have to support 6Ghz. 

[jdbyyc]

It does. The device that has Wifi 6E support is a line item that isn't a 2.4G or 5G connection type.

This is what it looks like in the web interface. The Macbook is a M3 and is connected to 6Ghz (option + click Wifi icon says so).

[michaelkenward]

Remember, you may not see a 6 GHz option, or any particular band, if Smart Connect is enabled in the router.

My Windows PC just shows a single SSID.

I have to dig into the entrails of Windows to discover that I have a 6 GHz connection.

I am too poor/mean to use a Mac so have no idea how it works there.

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Just another user with time on their hands.

[jdbyyc]

Smart Connect is enabled.

It's easy to determine your wifi details on a Mac, you just hold down the option key and click the wifi icon in the system tray. And it is indeed connected to a 6Ghz channel.

I just chatted with Netgear support about it - I think it's a bug. They're going to get back to me since my purchase is still under support. Will update this thread.

[Kitsap]

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@jdbyyc wrote:

I'm new to Netgear - is there something I'm supposed to enable?

In the Nighthawk app the 6G connection type / band is just absent; in the web interface it is represented by "--".

Is it a bug? If so, where can I see the bug reports? (I tried searching but didn't find anything.)

Thanks!

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Your RAXE500 does indeed support the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band.

The smart connect feature does not always select the highest frequency band.  Depends on the device you are connecting.

The Netgear mobile application has lots of holes/bugs.  You might check the Netgear support community specifically setup to cover the mobile application.

Here is the link:  https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-App/bd-p/en-home-networking-apps

[jdbyyc]

This issue is the Nighthawk app and the web interface. So it would seem to be a value that isn't populated and therefore unable to the UI of both.

[FURRYe38]

Have you set up the 6Ghz SSID name on the RAXE for a custom SSID name? Does the Apple device see this SSID name? 

Be sure to disable Mac Address randomizer on the Apple device for the connection.

[jdbyyc]

I enabled Smart Connect and all three bands are under the same SSID.

By default the "Private Wi-Fi address" is set to Fixed (and that's what the setting was at) not randomized (or "Rotating" in Apple speak). I turned the setting to Off and the behaviour is the same - no label in the Nighthawk app and "--" in the web interface even though the device is indeed connected to a 6Ghz channel. Oddly, in both the app and the web interface the icon changed from a laptop to a computer.

It now throws a Privacy Warning in the settings so will be returning it to Fixed.

[jdbyyc]

Looks like this thread is relevant to the discussion here: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-with-WiFi-6-AX-and/RAXE500-Apple-and-Wi-Fi-6E/td-p/234592...

Maybe the latest firmware - V1.2.13.100_2.0.54 - now does support Smart Connect across all three bands (as desired by Apple devices) but there are some bugs in the implementation? One of which is that 6G isn't a value captured for connection type which is then available to the UI in the app and web interface.

[FURRYe38]

And if you disable SC and setup the 6Ghz radio separately? 

[FURRYe38]

I set up my RAXE500 in AP mode, 

Though I don't have any Apple or Android 6Ghz supporting devices, I do have an AX210 and BE200 PCI installed PCs.

Both are connecting to the 6Ghz SSID name fine. The Apple and Android devices connect to the 5Ghz fine. 

Configured 6Ghz for the following:

I'm getting no status indication on the web UI for the two PCs on 6Ghz. Also getting a odd host name "lee registry authority" name in the UI for the intel cards and for the android pad. Apple iphone gets a correct host name. 

I've passed this onto NG for review. 

[jdbyyc]

I didn't disable Smart Connect as I don't want to do that (for 2.4G & 5G) but I renamed the 6Ghz SSID to SSID-6G.

I now get a "Limited Compatibility" warning for the network in Apple's wifi settings (as mentioned in the other thread I linked to).

But the Wifi 6E capable Macbook connects to SSID-6G just fine and it is indeed using a 6Ghz channel. The behaviour is the same in the Nighthawk app and web interface as before.

[FURRYe38]

Something to open a support ticket with NG about. Seems like this is between Apple and NG. 

@DarrenM