My router supports up to WPA3 (Wifi 6), and can function only as WPA3 or merge WPA2/WPA3 (with WPA2-PSK wifi 4 and 5).
Let’s set maximum security, keep WPA3-only (SAE).
Linux:
Linux nomenclatures (iw, wpa_supplicant):
- WPA → legacy, avoid
- WPA2 → RSN (Robust Security Network)
- WPA3 → SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals), GCMP-256
- WPA2/WPA3 → hybrid
WPA3 requires SAE/PMF support in firmware + updated wpa_supplicant/NetworkManager/iwlwifi/cfg80211.
| Wi-Fi | Band | Frequency | Theoretical Speed | Typical WPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) | 2.4/5GHz | 2.4–5 | up to 600 Mbps | WPA2 |
| Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | 5GHz | 5 | up to 3.5 Gbps | WPA2 |
| Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | 2.4/5/6GHz | 2.4–6 | up to 9.6 Gbps | WPA3 |
| Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | 2.4/5/6GHz | 2.4–6 | up to 46 Gbps | WPA3 |
I discovered one of my hardware devices (workstation), despite having x470 chipset, uses Intel Wireless-AC 3168 (3168NGW) and doesn’t support WPA3/SAE, only WPA2-PSK (802.11n/ac).
Resolved with an EDUP AX3000 Wifi6 USB-C dongle.
The remaining devices—two Lenovo Thinkpads (2020) and Thinkbook (2024), mini PC GK3Pro N5105—all support Wifi 6 (802.11ax).
Using iw and nmcli commands. On the 4 devices above I have two Arch (Omarchy and EndevourOS), one Fedora 43, and one Ubuntu 25.10.
Smartphones and SmartTv also, all good.
IoT:
My problems begin: no Raspberry Pi currently supports 802.11ax/Wifi6/WPA3.
Amazon: Bizarrely, the Kindle (Paperwrite 11th gen) and FireStick TV 4k support it… but Echo dot and Echo Show Alexas don’t.
Since I’m in temporary housing, I haven’t tested cameras, Sonoff switches, smart plugs and lamps (all still boxed). But likely none will work either. They’re cheap SoCs (ESP8266, ESP32) with limited Wi-Fi stack; using WPA3-SAE requires extra processing (SHA-256, PBKDF2)… no chance these IoT devices will launch with Wifi6/7 anytime soon (except cameras).
The solution already exists in the router itself: create a specific network (SSID) for IoT devices with WPA-PSK (TKIP) + WPA2-PSK (AES) only on 2.4Ghz.