As I've seen quite a few posts asking about whether you can mix WiFi6 and WiFi6e APs in the same networks on the same SSID, I thought I'd share my experience.
I have a network with 4 active APs; a CW9166I with the 6GHz band active, two CW9163Es where the 6GHz band is disabled due to me being in the UK and an MR55 that isn't even fully WiFi6 compliant. One of the CW9163Es is only about 2m away from the CW9166I and it has a directional antenna.
One SSID is set to WPA3-PSK with 6GHz only enabled on the internal APs and 5GHz only enabled on the external APs. As you would expect, the MR55 does not broadcast this SSID.
If a WiFI6e capable device (Samsung S22 Ultra in this case) has the wireless enabled when in range of both the CW9166I and the CW9163E, it will always select the 6Ghz option. As you move away from the CW9166I, the connection will roam to the 5GHz band on the CW9163E seamlessly. If you return to within range of the CW9166I, the signal will stay on the CW9163E if the device is busy (on a voice or video call etc.) and will then return to the 6GHz band on the CW9166I when the device becomes idle. If you move away from the CW9163E, but are within range of the CW9166I, the device will roam to the 6GHz band on the CW9166I, even if the device is busy.
I have not had any roaming issues testing this way in a week or so, however the S22U device does sometimes just decide not to reconnect when returning from outside wireless range unless you disable and reenable the wireless function. This behaviour is the same whether you have initially approached a CW9163E or the CW9166I.
On a second SSID that is 2.4GHz/5GHz with WPA2-PSK, the above refusal to reconnect hardly ever happens, if at all.
On a second device (an HP Probook 465 G11), the device always seems to connect, but of course it is much less likely to be roaming in and out of wireless reception.
Therefore I conclude that there is no inherent issue with mixing WiFi6 and WiFi6e APs in the same network, it is just that WPA3-PSK is a little flaky!
As a final comment, I did try WPA3 transition mode on an SSID and it was awful, the S22U almost never reconnected!
If my answer solves your problem please click Accept as Solution so others can benefit from it.
