Wi-Fi 6 terminals cannot connect to Wi-Fi 7 AP due to outdated firmware drivers that are incompatible with the Wi-Fi 7 protocol

WX2800X --- WA7200 series Wi-Fi 7 AP, local forwarding, service templates include: no encryption, WPA2 PSK encryption, WPA3 PSK encryption.

Faulty device: Vivo Xfold

At a certain site, on-site feedback indicates that except for one Vivo X Fold which cannot properly connect to the WA7200 Wi-Fi 7 AP, other terminals are functioning normally. If the WA7200 Radio 1 is forcibly set to type dot11ax mode, the terminal can connect normally and correctly negotiate as dot11ax.

When the faulty Vivo X Fold attempted to connect to the unencrypted service template bound to the WA7200, it displayed: office-wifi rejected the request.

When connecting to the PSK encrypted template (whether WPA2 or WPA3), even with the correct password entered, it prompts: password error.

The faulty terminal had no issues connecting to the Wi-Fi 6 AP before.

It is suspected to be a compatibility issue between the terminal and the Wi-Fi 7 AP.

1. First, refer to the Wi-Fi 7 configuration guide to check if the PSK cipher suite configured on the WA7200 AP service template is incorrect. No issues were found, and other terminals can connect normally.

2. Refer to the official website:  H3C WLAN Wi-Fi 7 Endpoints Compatibility Test Report  -5W101 to check if there is any information about the faulty terminal recorded.

Link: Support - H3C WLAN Wi-Fi 7 Endpoints Compatibility Test Report-5W100- H3C

Several test contents related to the Vivo X Fold device were indeed found, but no relevant fault records exist.

Subsequent inquiries revealed that the Vivo X Fold device on-site had its model and firmware version checked. The software version was last updated in 2022, and the device model was identified as the first-generation Vivo X Fold, which only supports up to Wi-Fi 6 protocol—unlike the Vivo X Fold2 and Vivo X Fold3 mentioned in the compatibility test report, which support Wi-Fi 7. It is suspected that the outdated firmware (from 2022) contains a Wi-Fi driver incompatible with the then-unreleased Wi-Fi 7 protocol. Therefore, it is recommended to separately update the device's firmware version.

After upgrading the phone firmware to the latest version, the terminal can connect normally.