GT-BE98 Pro and Galaxy 6e Capable Phones

[jegesq]

It's been a long time since I've posted on SNB, but I've run into a problem that I just cannot resolve on my own, so I am looking for any advice/help/assistance anyone here may be able to offer.

For several years, I have been using an Asus GT-AXE16000 router, which most are aware is a WiFi 6e-capable device. I also am still using a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and have had absolutely no difficulty connecting that phone to the 6ghz SSID on the AXE16000;. Works phenomenally well and when I am in the same room as the router, it's like I'm getting wired speeds. Really very nice.

So here's the problem: I recently purchased a GT-BE98 Pro, which has two 6ghz channels, and I cannot get either of them to connect with my Galaxy S21 Ultra. I'm aware that the S21Ultra is NOT WiFi7 capable, and have therefore turned off "WiFi7" in "Network" settings on the BE98Pro. I am using standard Asus firmware (version 3.0.0.6.102_37038), and no matter what settings I have adjusted, I just cannot get the Samsung S21 Ultra to connect to either of the 6ghz channels. I am aware that the S21 is not capable of connecting to 320mhz width channels, so I've set the channel widths to, variously, 160, and when that didn't work, to 80, but neither worked. On my phone I get a message variously that WiFi either "cannot connect" or sometimes get a response of "password incorrect", which I know is not the case, since I am using the same password on the 2.4 and 5ghz SSID's.

I suspect that the issue with the password being rejected/not accepted is because the BE98 Pro must be using GCMP-256 encryption, which the Asus FAQ says is an embedded feature of WiFi7.
And while the "WiFi7" switch can be toggled to seemingly turn WiFi 7 on or off in the BE98 Pro firmware settings (in "Network'), there doesn't seem to be any way to actually toggle GCMP-256 encryption on or off, and thus no way to require that the 6ghz channels on the BE98 Pro use only GCMP-128 encryption that 6e-capable devices like my S21 Ultra require.

Can anyone help with this, please? It's so frustrating to have two 6ghz channels being broadcast on this very expensive router and not be able to connect to either of them or to adjust the router to use 6e broadcast criteria only.

BTW, I am still using my GT-AXE16000, but in "Repeater" mode for the BE98 Pro (I debated setting up the AXE16000 as a mesh node, and may still do that, but for now Repeater works just fine for my purposes). The point though is that on the AXE16000 I have no difficulty at all still connecting my S21Ultra to the single 6ghz channel that is being broadcast on the AXE16000 in Repeater mode.

So, does anyone know if there is a specific configuration for the BE98Pro that will have it replicate the AXE-16000 6ghz channel settings? If so, I've not yet figured out how to do so, and any and all help would therefore be greatly appreciated. .

 

[Gregory Phillips]

I have an S23U and don't have to do anything special to connect to the 6ghz radio. Now once I move out of range of that radio it will connect to the 5ghz radio and stay there and when I come back in range it will connect to the 5ghz radio and remain unless I manually tell it to connect to the 6ghz radio but once connected it will stay there while in range.

 

[jegesq]

I have an S23U and don't have to do anything special to connect to the 6ghz radio. Now once I move out of range of that radio it will connect to the 5ghz radio and stay there and when I come back in range it will connect to the 5ghz radio and remain unless I manually tell it to connect to the 6ghz radio but once connected it will stay there while in range.

Thank you but your reply really has nothing to do with what I posted and it is not helpful. At. All.

 

[sfx2000]

Best I can offer is the following

1) Common SSID across the three bands
2) WPA3 for 6Ghz, and WPA2/3 (if you have clients that cannot support WPA2) with common passphrases

This should get you close...

 

[WiFiphenom]

GCMP-256 encryption is dependent on whether WiFi 7 is enabled or not. If you turn off WiFi 7, it doesn't use the new GCMP-256. The only reason I know this is because there used to be a way to see the encryption under the Wireless settings, but they removed that ability with an update.

 

[jegesq]

Best I can offer is the following

1) Common SSID across the three bands
2) WPA3 for 6Ghz, and WPA2/3 (if you have clients that cannot support WPA2) with common passphrases

This should get you close...

Thanks. The BE98 Pro firmware only allows WPA3 for 6ghz radios. While there is a dropdown selector that makes it appear one can change this it doesn't allow any other level for the 6ghz radios, only WPA3. If I recall, that is also the same setting used on theAXE16000's 6ghz, to which my S21 connects without issue. So I don't think that is what is blocking the connection on the BE98 Pro 6ghz radios.

Also, I am not using a single SSID, whuch is what I assume you mean when you say "common" SSID. I use separate SSIDs because I have a lot of IOT devices (more than 120) and many do not play nice with combined 2.4-5ghz single SSID. And each band uses the same passphrase. Never been a problem and I just don't see that as the way forward with the 6ghz isdue on the BE98. But thanks for the thoughts.

 

[jegesq]

GCMP-256 encryption is dependent on whether WiFi 7 is enabled or not. If you turn off WiFi 7, it doesn't use the new GCMP-256. The only reason I know this is because there used to be a way to see the encryption under the Wireless settings, but they removed that ability with an update.

That is what I thought happens when WiFi7 gets deactivated. But as you say there doesn't seem to be a way to verify it.

 

[jegesq]

I also just played with some of the Developer Settings on my S21 (e.g., turned on and off "WiFi Safe Mode", disabled and enabled "Intelligent WiFi" settings, etc.), and none really had any effect.

Still able to connect to 6ghz on my AXE16000, but no go on the 6ghz radios on the BE98 Pro.

BTW, I have tried to connect with ASUS customer service by phone (using the number that comes with the BE98 Pro package materials) and I must say they are the worst....completely ignorant, and it takes forever just to get a real live human.... Honestly, I've never had to use ASUS customer service or technical support, and now I'm glad...it's the worst.

 

[Tech9]

Is this the only client with connection issue?

 

[jegesq]

Yes. Interestingly, only my Galaxy S21 Ultra seems to be unable to connect to the BE98's 6ghz radios. My wife's Galaxy S22 was able to connect to both 6ghz SSID's on the GT-BE98 Pro, even after both radios were reset to WiFi7-enabled "default" settings (and by that I mean her S22 connected with 6E). But no issues with "incorrect password", which is what my phone keeps reporting if I try to log on to either of the 6ghz radios on the BE98 Pro.

I'm really stumped by this now. My Galaxy S21 Ultra has no problem connecting to the 6E-enabled 6ghz channel on the GT-AXE16000 that is set up downstairs in our home in Repeater Mode (it repeats the 5G channel from the BE98 Pro, which is located upstairs), but my phone absolutely refuses to connect to the BE98 Pro's 6ghz radios no matter what settings I use, and by that I mean, regarless of the settings on both phone and router. Really odd.... It connects with no issues on 2.4 and 5ghz, just not the 6-1 and 6-2 ghz radios on the BE98 Pro.

I really don't want to waste a lot more time on this, and indeed my 5G connection on my phone to the BE98 Pro is certainly fast enough (1.1 Gbps), which is about the same speed my wife's phone gets on the 6ghz radios, so there doesn't seem to be much added benefit to being able to access those 6ghz radios on my phone. And we have no other WiFi 7 devices yet, so not much purpose in pursuing this at the moment. But if I go any further, a last-ditch effort to resolve this may involve resetting my phone back to factory and then reinstalling all apps....but I really want to avoid that if at all possible.

And maybe the path of least resistance is just to upgrade to a new phone, since the Galaxy S21 series is probably not going to get the next Android update nor the Samsung UI 7.0 update either. And with tariffs being threatened by you-know-who, buying a new phone before January 21, 2025 might be the way to go here.

But in the meantime, if anyone else has any suggestions, I'm open to whatever may work.

 

[Tech9]

I really don't want to waste a lot more time on this

Seems like specific client related issue. Just keep it on the 5GHz band and forget about it. You won't see any difference anyway.

 

[sfx2000]

Thanks. The BE98 Pro firmware only allows WPA3 for 6ghz radios. While there is a dropdown selector that makes it appear one can change this it doesn't allow any other level for the 6ghz radios, only WPA3. If I recall, that is also the same setting used on theAXE16000's 6ghz, to which my S21 connects without issue. So I don't think that is what is blocking the connection on the BE98 Pro 6ghz radios.

WPA3 is required for 6GHz, that's why you only see that option

WPA2/3 is optional for the other two bands, so if you want to have seamless access - that's the middle-ground solution for 2.4 and 5GHz

Best would be WPA3 for all radios if you want to have things "easy" - as it should be.

Also, I am not using a single SSID, whuch is what I assume you mean when you say "common" SSID. I use separate SSIDs because I have a lot of IOT devices (more than 120) and many do not play nice with combined 2.4-5ghz single SSID. And each band uses the same passphrase. Never been a problem and I just don't see that as the way forward with the 6ghz isdue on the BE98. But thanks for the thoughts.

If you have 120+ IOT devices, this is actually a problem - each one of those will have a hostapd entry tracking the association ID's and a conntrack entry for NAT tables...

WLAN on the 2.4 side must be a real contention zone there, depending on traffic...

Most BHR's can efficiently handle 32 to 50 devices on the LAN/WLAN side, and this is basically a resource constraint...

 

[Tech9]

If you have 120+ IOT devices, this is actually a problem

I saw it too, but decided not to talk about it. This issue is perhaps coming in another thread.

 

[sfx2000]

I saw it too, but decided not to talk about it. This issue is perhaps coming in another thread.

True that - but it's an item...

I think this is one of misplaced expectations - one is trying to fix one thing when it really is another...

I'm still of the strong opinion of single SSID/Security Passphrase for the major devices in the house - and perhaps either a secondary SSID for IoT devices, or depending on the number of them, a dedicated AP just for those...

As a side note - the Samsung Galaxy devices - it's a bit nuts, as they make a lot of different devices that are market specific, and with grey markets, one can find something that isn't intended for the market in which it is actually used - and this isn't a router problem. They'll still basically work, but folks expect the moon and the stars based on marketing...

OnePlus there, they do tend to be better there, but I can understand that folks might not want a Chinese handset...

 

[Tech9]

I'm still of the strong opinion of single SSID

I actually tried one step further with single dual-band SSID and 4x VLANs with different pass keys on my UniFi system and surprisingly it works very well. All the devices connected and got associated to their respective networks with different DHCP servers, UPnP on/off, DNS servers, filtering, etc. Just had to balance the range between 2.4GHz ang 5GHz bands with about 7dBm difference and select prefer 5GHz. Starting to like it better than separate SSIDs.

 

[pdixon0]

I'm sorry this is ridiculously basic, did you use the same SSID for the GT98 Pro that you had previously been using on the AXE16000? Did you forget the network and reconnect using the S21U?

I'm sure I read about an issue with Apple Mac's not connecting to routers if the router country code didn't match the computer country code, I doubt that is the issue here as I've had imported Galaxy's in the past (albeit a Note8 and lately an S22U but not using as ASUS router at the time) and never had a connection issue.

If you download WiFiMan on the S21U, does it shed any light on the 6e connection on the GT98 Pro that the S21U potentially doesn't like? You might be able to see if there is any broadcast difference between the AXE16000 and GT98 Pro?

I've got an S24U and a GT98 here in the UK and I'm using channel 69 on my single 6GHz band, I also have 'preffered scanning channel' enabled if that's of any help - which it probably isn't

 

[sfx2000]

I'm sure I read about an issue with Apple Mac's not connecting to routers if the router country code didn't match the computer country code,

Old issue there... just saying - goes back to 802.11d stuff which was deprecated as it was, in better words, wrong headed...

Wasn't just Mac's impacted, but pretty much everything when 3rd party router vendors misconfigured things and drove the clients off the cliff of interop...

 

[jzchen]

There is no WiFi 7 toggle on the more/most recent firmware. On the Professional tab selecting 6 GHz you should be able to scroll down towards the bottom. They have now four relevant settings:
OFDMA 802.11ax MU-MIMO
WiFi 7 OFDMA
WiFi 7 MU-MIMO
802.11ax/ac Beamforming

I have a single 6E MacBook Pro and a single WiFi 7 phone, 6-1 and 6-2 set up one for each attached

 

[jegesq]

Wow, this thread has gone in a lot of different directions, and I don't think I can respond to everyone, but I want to respond to a couple of what I think are the more pertinent responses to my particular issues with inability to connect my BE98 Pro to my Galaxy S21Ultra.

Here's some additional background:

My GalaxyS21 Ultra is a Verizon-issued and sold device; I've had it and been using it without any issues for close to two years (since the S21 was first released). I doubt that there are any "country-specific" use issues in my situation; I am using it in Southern California, where I have always used it with my carrier, which is one of the largest in our region (and nationally). So I think that any geographic restrictions, at least on the phone end, are not an issue as a possible etiology of the inability to connect my phone to my new BE98 Pro's two 6ghz bands.

To pdixON above: No. The BE98 Pro has TWO 6ghz radios, not just one like the AXE16000, so the SSID's cannot be the same. The BE98 Pro is using "SSIDname_6G-1" and "SSIDname_6G-2" as the SSID's (the actual names are different, but you get the idea). I actually for a moment thought that the issue might be the use of the underline "_" or the dash "-" in the SSID's but the 2.4 and 2.5 also use underline characters ("SSIDname _ 2G" and "SSIDname _ 5G") and my phone connects fine to them both.

To Tech9 and SFX2000: The 120+ devices are not all connected to the same band. I have implemented a separate IOT network, to which about 60 devices, all on the 2.4ghz band, are connected. The main 2.4ghz band has about 30 devices, and the rest of the IOT devices are split between the BE98's 5ghz band, and the AXE16000's two 5ghz radios. BTW, there is actually nothing connected to either the AXE16000's 6ghz band, and obviously nothing connected to either of the two 6ghz bands on the BE98 Pro. My wife's S22+, which has no problem connecting to either of the BE98 Pro's 6ghz bands is typically not using WiFi when she's at home, as we get a really strong OTA 5G signal from Verizon and she just prefers not to connect to WiFi (mostly because it helps with her battery and she just never remembers to turn WiFi on her phone on or off, so she just leaves it off most of the time).

Also, with regard to IOT devices, I recognize that I'm probably at the limit of any devices that can connect with WiFi, and I've actually thought about getting a second internet connection (e.g., Verizon Home Wireless, which I can get for $30 a month a wireless 5G connection throughout the house, and then just devote that to IOT stuff, or alternatively, I could split my IOT devices between two ISP's like Spectrum or Starlink, or Verizon Fios to reduce the load on a single point of access. Aout half my IOT devices use cloud-based apps to control them so it really doesn't matter how they get connected to the internet, as long as they have a connection I can control them. The other half of my IOT stuff can be controlled with "local" (i.e., not cloud-based) control. I use a combination of IOT product-specific apps, Home Assistant, and Alexa, and only a couple of devices use SmartThings and Google Home (and then there are the Nest Protect smoke and CO detectors that don't integrate with anything). I use Alexa mostly for some automation routines and Echos (we have them in almost every room in our house and despite what everyone says about Amazon and intrusive ads, I actually don't have a problem since most of the ads are stuff I want to see).

I'm also using Lutron Caseta switches and smart plugs throughout my home (I have about 60+ Caseta devices, all working through a single hub) and they are simply the best. Never offline, and even if the hub did go off line, they can be controlled manually just like a regular switch or plug. We also have 60+ Yolink "LORA" devices (leak sensors, motion sensors, door and window sensors, automatic shutoff valves, etc.) and Yolink is simply phenomenal. The great thing about both Lutron Caseta and Yolink is that each of them uses their own proprietary hub, so there is only a single IP address for each hub, and they do not interfere with any WiFi signals, unlike Zigbee and Zwave, which use roughly identical (or the same) band as 2.4ghz WiFi. And the range of both the Lutron switches and Yolink LORA devices, is just amazing. Yolink can actually connect and stay connected up to a quarter mile away from the hub. I have put a motion sensor in our metal mailbox which is embedded into a brick pilaster that is located about 500 feet away down our driveway and the hub signal has to pass through about 5 walls in our home and then through the brick pilaster and into the metal box just to connect, and it just works...whenever the mailbox is opened, I get an alert (and a voice alert on the Yolink voice-hub) that "You've got mail.".

But enough rambling.....So yeah, I'm using a shirt-ton of IOT devices.....it all started with a single smart light bulb, and then....well, this stuff can be pretty addictive and fun to set up. And yes, IOT hubs are terrific and they reduce the traffic contention that might otherwise occur with too many wifi devices. But I really do NOT think the number of IOT devices on my home networks is really the source of why my Galaxy S21 Ultra is not able to connect to the BE98 Pro's two 6ghz radios.

I still am pretty well convinced that there is some setting within the BE98 Pro's firmware, or some tweak that I need to make to my S21 Ultra that is the source of the inability to connect to either of the 6Ghz bands on the BE98 Pro. Haven't figured that out yet, but still working on it, and I have also contacted tech support at Asus to see if they have any suggestions.

Anyway, thanks for the continued interest and thoughts.

And to jzchen, I will try using your "Professional" settings for the two 6ghz radios on my BE98 Pro to see if they resolve the issue. Thanks.

 

[jegesq]

Oh, and Tech9's response above, to just connect to the 5Ghz band on the BE98 Pro and forget about the rest is probably where I'm gonna end up anyway....I agree, with the speed that I am seeing on the BE98 Pro's 5Ghz channel (which is 1gig+ wirelessly on a 1gig cable modem connection, when sitting near my BE98 Pro router), that's at least as fast as the speeds I was seeing when I was using my AXE16000 router as my primary and connecting to that router's 6ghz radio (which is 6E). Admittedly, my S21 Ultra is only a 6E-capable device, so I doubt that connecting to the 6ghz bands on the BE98 Pro is going to look any different in terms of speed or bandwidth than just connecting to the 5ghz with this phone on the BE98 Pro.

I may get a new S24 this weekend or perhaps wait until next month to get an S25... The S25 is supposed to be released on January 23....just in time for TARIFFS from you-know-who and higher prices for everything tech-related. Sheesh.