Struggling with Wi-Fi stability on Mikrotik hAP ax2 — mixed WPA2/WPA3 & Wi-Fi 5/6 compatibility issues

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

Hi all, network noob here. I bought a Mikrotik hAP ax2 to learn VLAN segregation and migrate my home setup, but I’ve run into several Wi-Fi stability and compatibility issues that I can’t seem to solve.

Setup

  • Single SSID shared between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (for easier onboarding)

2.4 GHz band

  • Mode: 2GHz-N

  • Channel Width: 20 MHz

  • Security: WPA2/WPA3 PSK
    → Works great for IoT devices with strong range and wall penetration, but is painfully slow for personal devices (streaming, browsing).

5 GHz band

  • Channel Width: 20/40/80 MHz (default)

  • DFS disabled (OnePlus device couldn’t see the SSID otherwise)

  • Security: WPA3-only, because enabling WPA2+WPA3 causes my Intel AX211 Wi-Fi 6 laptop to randomly drop to 2.4 GHz.

Main Problem

I also have a laptop with a Wi-Fi 5 (Realtek 8822CE) card, and it performs terribly with the hAP ax2 — lag spikes, stutters, unusable for streaming or gaming.

  • If I limit 5 GHz to 20/40 MHz, the AX211 refuses to connect.

  • If I keep 80 MHz, the Realtek card lags randomly.

  • It almost feels like whichever device connects first "dominates" the network — e.g. if the Realtek connects first, both laptops become unstable, but if the AX211 connects first, at least the AX211 remains stable.

None of this happened with my previous ISP router (Merckur M6), so I’m pretty sure it's something in RouterOS/Wi-Fi settings rather than driver issues.

Questions

  1. Is mixing WPA2 + WPA3 on one SSID known to cause handoff issues or band downgrades (e.g. falling back to 2.4 GHz)?

  2. What are the best settings in RouterOS for mixed Wi-Fi 5 + Wi-Fi 6 clients?

  3. Should I split SSIDs per band or per security standard instead of unifying them?

  4. Is the Realtek 8822CE just known to be bad with Mikrotik, or are there specific tweaks that help?

Any advice on:

  • WPA2 vs WPA3 vs mixed mode

  • Recommended channel width strategy (20/40/80 MHz) for a mixed environment

  • Whether “one SSID for all” is a bad approach in Mikrotik land

…would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

2

Is mixing WPA2 + WPA3 on one SSID known to cause handoff issues or band downgrades (e.g. falling back to 2.4 GHz)?

AFAIK it is not. You just have to think for yourself if a mixed environment brings any added value.

What are the best settings in RouterOS for mixed Wi-Fi 5 + Wi-Fi 6 clients?

Just leave it on AX (anything "older" is supported)

Should I split SSIDs per band or per security standard instead of unifying them?

Single SSID would be just fine. You can consider lowering the transmission power of the 2.4GHz radio when clients tend to stick to it.

Is the Realtek 8822CE just known to be bad with Mikrotik, or are there specific tweaks that help?

Not that I know of...I know some Intel nics are problematic

WPA2 vs WPA3 vs mixed mode

I currently run wpa2-psk only

Recommended channel width strategy (20/40/80 MHz) for a mixed environment

20MHz on 2.4GHz, 80MHz on 5GHz

Whether “one SSID for all” is a bad approach in Mikrotik land

One SSID, jsut fine

As a resource (besides the official documentation: WiFi - RouterOS - MikroTik Documentation) I like this website: https://mikrotikmasters.com/