cAP AX 5GHz antenna issue? (not working)

A few days ago I noticed that the 5GHz SSID was missing when I tried connecting from my laptop. My colleagues mentioned it too (so it's not my laptops issue)

I think (although I'm not sure) it went missing after updating 7.22.2 to 7.22.3. ("correlation is not causation")
I couldn't figure out what could cause it.
I did a "Reset Configuration". I tried upgrading the RouterBoard fw version to the same.

Today I updated to the new 7.23, and did a "Reset Configuration" again.

When trying to run "Scan" or "Freq usage" nothing shows up. Could this be an antenna issue?
According to WinBox Tx power is 16mA

0 M B default-name="wifi1" name="wifi1" l2mtu=1560 mac-address=AB:CD:EF:01:23:45 arp-timeout=auto radio-mac=AB:CD:EF:01:23:45
configuration.country=Hungary .installation=indoor .ssid="Somename" .mode=ap
security.authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk .encryption=ccmp,gcmp .ft=yes .ft-over-ds=yes
channel.band=5ghz-ax .width=20/40/80mhz .skip-dfs-channels=all .deprioritize-unii-3-4=yes

The 2.4GHz network is working fine.

Are you using DFS channels ?

Maybe your device is detecting radar and stops transmiting on 5 GHz radio. Is there anything in the logs ?

Did you try to switch to non-DFS channel ?

Did you try downgrading or netinstalling to ROS version that did work ?

Country looks a bit empty, can you export complete /interface/wifi export?

Just remove ssid if you don't want to share.

I wanted to write the country and mac in angled brackets with a placeholder, but that was removed from the post even though it was a quote. So I added a generic MAC and a EU country.

/interface wifi print

Otherwise reset the wifi1 interface

NOT USE PRINT

use /interface wifi export on terminal

Already requested that...
Print will provide some insights.

but, for example, not provide interworking.realms-raw=""

@DemAkos

Please provide the output from the command

interface wifi monitor proplist=state,tx-power,authorized-peers,registered-peers,channel duration=3 numbers=0,1 without-paging

Do not suggest numbers....

/interface wifi monitor [find] proplist=state,tx-power,authorized-peers,registered-peers,channel duration=3 without-paging

I reset the router again, so it should be at its default configuration at the moment of writing.
Default packages (routeros and wifi-qcom installed)
I only did the following:

  • set the country
  • set to skip all DFS channels
  • set some SSID
  • set deprioritize-unni-3-4
  • set the channel to 20MHz only
> /interface wifi export
# 2026-06-01 19:48:07 by RouterOS 7.23
# software id = RAND-OM01
#
# model = cAPGi-5HaxD2HaxD
# serial number = SOMETHING
/interface wifi
set [ find default-name=wifi1 ] channel.band=5ghz-ax .deprioritize-unii-3-4=yes .skip-dfs-channels=all .width=20mhz configuration.country=Austria .mode=ap .ssid=MikroTik-50ABCD disabled=no \
    security.authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk .ft=yes .ft-over-ds=yes
set [ find default-name=wifi2 ] channel.band=2ghz-ax .deprioritize-unii-3-4=yes .skip-dfs-channels=all .width=20/40mhz configuration.country=Austria .mode=ap .ssid=MikroTik-24ABCD disabled=no \
    security.authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk .ft=yes .ft-over-ds=yes
> /interface wifi monitor [find] proplist=state,tx-power,authorized-peers,registered-peers,channel duration=3 without-paging
             state: running   running   
           channel: 5220/ax/I 2412/ax/Ce
  registered-peers: 0         0         
  authorized-peers: 0         0         
          tx-power: 16        14        

             state: running   running   
           channel: 5220/ax/I 2412/ax/Ce
  registered-peers: 0         0         
  authorized-peers: 0         0         
          tx-power: 16        14        

             state: running   running   
           channel: 5220/ax/I 2412/ax/Ce
  registered-peers: 0         0         
  authorized-peers: 0         0         
          tx-power: 16        14    
> /interface wifi print
Flags: M - MASTER; B - BOUND
Columns: NAME, CONFIGURATION.MODE, CONFIGURATION.SSID, CHANNEL.WIDTH
#    NAME   CONFIGURATION.MODE  CONFIGURATION.SSID  CHANNEL.WIDTH
0 MB wifi1  ap                  MikroTik-50ABCD     20mhz        
1 MB wifi2  ap                  MikroTik-24ABCD     20/40mhz 

What I fail to understand, even if DFS channels were enabled: scan and freq usage don't show anything on 5GHz (this works fine on 2.4GHz)

> /interface wifi frequency-scan wifi1     
Columns: CHANNEL, NF
CHANNEL  NF  
   5180  -106
   5200  -106
   5220  -106
   5240  -106
   5260  -107
   5280  -107
   5300  -107
   5320  -107
   5500  -107
   5520  -104
   5540  -104
   5560  -104
   5580  -104
   5600  -104
   5620  -104
   5640  -104
   5660  -104
   5680  -104
   5700  -104
   5720  -104
   5745  -104
   5765  -104
   5785  -104
   5805  -104
   5825  -104
   5845  -113
   5865  -113
> /interface wifi frequency-scan wifi2
Flags: P - PRIMARY; S - SECONDARY
Columns: CHANNEL, NETWORKS, LOAD, NF, MAX-SIGNAL, MIN-SIGNAL
   CHANNEL  NETWORKS  LOAD  NF   MAX-SIGNAL  MIN-SIGNAL
P     2412        10  26%   -91  -78         -92       
      2417            2%    -92                        
      2422            4%    -91                        
      2427            10%   -91                        
P     2432         2  14%   -91  -79         -86       
P     2437         2  11%   -91  -68         -84       
P     2442         2  22%   -91  -73         -88       
      2447            2%    -91                        
 S    2452            1%    -91                        
      2457            9%    -88                        
P     2462         7  17%   -91  -59         -89       
      2467            1%    -90                        
      2472            26%   -91 

@DemAkos

From the monitoring output, 5 GHz is on channel 44 (5220) and is running at 16 dBm TX power.

Scanning shows only the external AP's frequency usage, not your own. From your output for the 5GHz device, do not "see" any external AP in the neighbour.

What are your doubts?

I meant to say, that when scanning, I guess it's in monitoring mode, so it shouldn't matter if DFS is enabled or not, because it is not going to interfere... or is this assumption wrong? No 5 GHz AP-s appear while scanning, though my phone for example detects other hotspots.

Anyway. I disabled DFS channels and it does not make a difference.

The AP does not detect other APs when scanning, and the AP is not detected by clients.

And this is true - your scan shows that you are checking the DFS channels.

If we assume the distance between your cAP and the phone is less than 10cm, it is interesting.

When you permanently disable DFS channels, you limit the possible channel utilisation by cAP. The same applies to disabling the UNII 3 and 4 bands.
Please see what channels your cAP can use:

/interface wifi monitor [find] 

Also, check what happens when you remove/change the channel width.

If you are using Linux, please provide the output from your scan:

iwlist <linux_device> scan | egrep -i "Cell|Channel|Frequency|ESSID|Quality" | sed -r 's/^ {1,}Cell/Cell/;s/^ {20}/\t\t\t/' | sed -r ':a;N;/\nCell/!s/\n//;ta;P;D'

And don't forget to change the <linux_device> to the correct value

The 5 GHz networks only (addresses and SSID-s altered) (my laptop is/was next to the AP at the time, I did a frequency scan on the AP too, there were no results)

Cell 08 - Address: 01:02:03:04:05:06    Channel:36  Frequency:5.18 GHz (Channel 36)     Quality=0/70    Signal level=-110 dBm       ESSID:"ZTE_050506"
Cell 05 - Address: 07:08:09:0A:0B:0C    Channel:36  Frequency:5.18 GHz (Channel 36)     Quality=35/70   Signal level=-75 dBm        ESSID:"Vodafone-F1F1"
> /interface wifi monitor [find]
               state: running
             channel: 5220/ax/eeCe/I
    registered-peers: 0
    authorized-peers: 0
            tx-power: 16
  channel-priorities: 0:5180/ax/Ceee/I
                      0:5200/ax/eCee/I
                      0:5220/ax/eeCe/I
                      0:5240/ax/eeeC/I
                      0:5745/ax/Ceee
                      0:5765/ax/eCee
                      0:5785/ax/eeCe
                      0:5805/ax/eeeC

I have the same issue. I've been running four APs on my cAP AX for years, two at 5GHz and two at 2GHz. Suddenly earlier today, both 5GHz APs disappeared. From what I can tell, all devices in the house lost access simultaneously. Chromebook, plus a variety of iPhone, iPad, Macbooks.

I hadn't touched the AP or router for weeks or longer (this is my home setup). The cAP was at 7.21.x and the router at 7.22.x. Both are now fully updated to 7.23, that didn't help.

I'm at a loss, everything appears normal!

/interface wifi monitor [find] proplist=state,tx-power,authorized-peers,registered-peers,channel duration=3 without-paging
                ;;; primary 5GHz primary 2GHz alt 5gHz     alt 2gHz  
             state: running      running      running      running   
           channel: 5885/ax/eeeC 2462/ax/eC   5885/ax/eeeC 2462/ax/eC
  registered-peers: 0            0            0            3         
  authorized-peers: 0            0            0            3         
          tx-power: 24           20           24           20        

                ;;; primary 5GHz primary 2GHz alt 5gHz     alt 2gHz  
             state: running      running      running      running   
           channel: 5885/ax/eeeC 2462/ax/eC   5885/ax/eeeC 2462/ax/eC
  registered-peers: 0            0            0            3         
  authorized-peers: 0            0            0            3         
          tx-power: 24           20           24           20        

                ;;; primary 5GHz primary 2GHz alt 5gHz     alt 2gHz  
             state: running      running      running      running   
           channel: 5885/ax/eeeC 2462/ax/eC   5885/ax/eeeC 2462/ax/eC
  registered-peers: 0            0            0            3         
  authorized-peers: 0            0            0            3         
          tx-power: 24           20           24           20        

Channel used (5885 MHz) is the highest frequency U-NII-4 ... any most of not-so-new devices simply don't support it. Manually set frequency in lower (U-NII-1 or U-NII-2) range (no higher than 5720MHz).

It is possible that 5GHz radio of your device is damaged.
If state is "running", frequency used is supported by stations (your smart phones) and yet stations don't detect it at all, then it is possible that Tx power amplifier is damaged.
If you run frequency scan on your AP and it doesn't detect any of adjacent APs (transmitting on 5GHz band), then it is possible that receiver is damaged.

Both can get damaged if radio is transmitting without proper antenna load attached ... open line means reflection of Tx power (into receiver) and it can also mean resonance inside RF conductors (between power amplifier and open end) which could cause too high output current from power amplifier (read: virtual short circuit).

Mine was stuck at 5885 for some reason. Adding these settings fixed it:

.deprioritize-unii-3-4=yes .skip-dfs-channels=all

Well, the antennas are internal, so they should be attached. There is no possibility to remove them.