Why can’t 802.11ac or older devices connect to a WiFi 7 AP using Open security?

Zyxel_HsinBo

Beginning with firmware v7.20, Zyxel WiFi 7 access points adopt the updated security behavior mandated by the WiFi 7 chipset platform, resulting in stricter handling of Open security configurations.

As part of this enhancement, when radio mode is configured with 802.11be mode & an SSID is configured with Open security, the AP automatically upgrades it to Enhanced Open (OWE, without transition) to provide better protection for unauthenticated connections.

Why this causes compatibility issues

Legacy devices—especially 802.11ac (WiFi 5) or older clients (802.11a/b/g/n) — do not support Enhanced Open (OWE). As a result, they may fail to connect to the SSID even though it appears to be configured as “Open” when radio running in 802.11be mode.

How to Resolve the Issue

If your environment contains many older devices that do not support OWE and you must continue using Open security, you can restore compatibility by adjusting the radio mode to 802.11ax mode:

On Nebula » Configure » Radio settings page, scroll down the page and change the radio mode from to 802.11ax mode avoid OWE enforcement for Open SSIDs, allowing 802.11ac and older devices to connect normally.