[NWA130BE] Client stuck at low rate after idle, fails to recover on resumed activity

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Cromanin
Cromanin Posts: 5
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Environment:

  • AP: NWA130BE, standalone mode (no Nebula)
  • Client: iPad (A16), WiFi 6 (802.11ax), connected on 5 GHz
  • Channel width: 80 MHz
  • AP TX power: 18 dBm

Symptom:
Client correctly drops to a low rate while idle, but does not recover full rate when traffic resumes. Observed RX ~8 Mbit/s, TX ~6 Mbit/s on the client while stuck, despite the client being 1–2 meters from the AP. Only a manual WiFi toggle (forcing reassociation) restores normal speed — the stall does not self-recover with ongoing traffic.

Diagnostics ruled out:

  • RSSI checked on the AP's client/station list during the stuck state: stable -53 to -55 dBm, both idle and stuck-active. Confirms this is not a signal strength/RF/placement issue.
  • AP TX power and channel width unchanged throughout testing.

Firmware comparison:

  • Reproducible on V7.40(ACIL.1)C0
  • Not reproducible on V7.30(ACIL.4)C0 — same client, same location, same AP settings, only firmware differs

All Replies

  • Zyxel_Tina
    Zyxel_Tina Posts: 1,010
    Zyxel Certified Network Administrator - Security Zyxel Certified Network Administrator - Switch 250 Answers 500 Comments
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    Hi @Cromanin,

    Welcome to the Zyxel Community!

    Regarding the issue you’re encountering, could you please confirm the following first?

    1. Enable U-APSD on the AP by navigating to Configuration > Object > AP Profile > SSID > SSID List > Add or Edit SSID Profile, then check whether the issue still occurs on V7.40(ACIL.1)C0 after the client goes idle and resumes activity.
    2. Please also let us know whether the issue only happens with your iPad, or whether other devices (e.g., an iPhone or a laptop) exhibit the same behavior.

    If the issue persists after enabling U-APSD, please collect a diagnostic file when the issue occurs and send it to us via private message. Please also provide the timestamp of the occurrence so that we can locate the relevant event in the logs more efficiently.

    Zyxel Tina

  • Cromanin
    Cromanin Posts: 5
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    Hi @Zyxel_Tina

    1. ATM U-APSD is disabled on all SSIDs. I will upgrade to 7.40 again, enable it and take some time to evaluate.
    2. iPad is the one I experienced the behavior the most. It could be iPhone too, but it roams a lot and probably self-heals by re-associating. This case is only for 5 GHz (2,4 devices are just fine) and battery powered devices - I have AppleTV and macMini connected to the same AP without issue.

  • Cromanin
    Cromanin Posts: 5
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    @Zyxel_Tina a question: should I enable U-APSD on all frequencies or 5 GHz only?

  • Zyxel_Tina
    Zyxel_Tina Posts: 1,010
    Zyxel Certified Network Administrator - Security Zyxel Certified Network Administrator - Switch 250 Answers 500 Comments
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    Hi @Cromanin,

    Thank you for the additional details! It's helpful for narrowing this down.

    Before advising on the U-APSD scope question, could you please share your AP's configuration file via private message? We would like to investigate further and reproduce the issue on our side. Thank you.

    Zyxel Tina

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