Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

KSEONYT · 2026-05-10 17:58:10

Hey,

I have a GIGABYTE Z590 UD AC motherboard with its onboard WiFi (Intel Wireless-AC 9560) and an external RP-SMA antenna.

On Arch Linux I constantly get only 2 bars on 5GHz - weak signal, slow speeds. On Windows 11 (same machine, dual boot) - full signal, everything works perfectly. The antenna is physically connected and hasn't moved.

My setup:
```
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z590 UD AC
- CPU: Intel Core i3-10100F
- WiFi: Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (onboard, PCI dev 43f0/0034)
- Firmware: 77.f39cc7f9.0 QuZ-a0-jf-b0-77.ucode
- Kernel: 7.0.3-arch1-2- WM: Hyprland
```
iw dev output:
```
phy#0
Interface wlan0
ssid xxxx
type managed
channel 40 (5200 MHz), width: 80 MHz
txpower 20.00 dBm
iw reg get output:
global
country 00: DFS-UNSET
phy#0 (self-managed)
country 00: DFS-UNSET
...(almost all 5GHz channels marked PASSIVE-SCAN)
```
dmesg | grep iwlwifi:
```
iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Detected Intel(R) Wireless-AC 9560 160MHz
iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: loaded firmware version 77.f39cc7f9.0 QuZ-a0-jf-b0-77.ucode
```

Last edited by KSEONYT (2026-05-11 20:32:20)

seth · 2026-05-10 19:23:39

* 3rd link below. Mandatory.
Disable it (it's NOT the BIOS setting!) and reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.

* https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … ory_domain
Sanity check: are you from canada? There seems some problem w/ the routers issued by major ISPs - did you test the behavior against eg. the hotspot function of your phone? (Do so even if you live elsewhere as general crosstest)

* Please post the output of

find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f

* "two bars" is a meaningless gimmick - https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … _interface

* Also see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Power_ … interfaces (you want to *dis*able all power saving)

Please use [code][/code] tags, the BBS predates markdown by a human generation.

KSEONYT · 2026-05-10 19:56:28

autovt@.service                          | system
bluetooth.service                        | bluetooth.target.wants
dbus-org.bluez.service                   | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.network1.service    | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher.service | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.resolve1.service    | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.timesync1.service   | system
display-manager.service                  | system
fstrim.timer                             | timers.target.wants
getty@tty1.service                       | getty.target.wants
NetworkManager.service                   | multi-user.target.wants
NetworkManager-wait-online.service       | network-online.target.wants
p11-kit-server.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-pulse.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-session-manager.service         | user
pipewire.socket                          | sockets.target.wants
remote-fs.target                         | multi-user.target.wants
systemd-networkd-resolve-hook.socket     | sockets.target.wants
systemd-networkd.service                 | multi-user.target.wants
systemd-networkd.socket                  | sockets.target.wants
systemd-networkd-varlink-metrics.socket  | sockets.target.wants
systemd-networkd-varlink.socket          | sockets.target.wants
systemd-networkd-wait-online.service     | network-online.target.wants
systemd-network-generator.service        | sysinit.target.wants
systemd-resolved-monitor.socket          | sockets.target.wants
systemd-resolved.service                 | sysinit.target.wants
systemd-resolved-varlink.socket          | sockets.target.wants
systemd-timesyncd.service                | sysinit.target.wants
systemd-userdbd.socket                   | sockets.target.wants
wireplumber.service                      | pipewire.service.wants
xdg-user-dirs.service                    | graphical-session-pre.target.wants
zapret_discord_youtube.service           | multi-user.target.wants
zapret-list-update.timer                 | timers.target.wants
zapret.service                           | multi-user.target.wants

Im from russia

seth · 2026-05-10 20:03:11

Stop and disable everything systemd-networkd* if you want to use networkmanager, if the problem remains try to disable all power saving efforts (notably the kernel modules) and then please post the actual interface stats and test a different AP.

KSEONYT · 2026-05-10 20:13:24

iw reg get
global
country RU: DFS-UNSET
        (2400 - 2483 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (N/A)
        (5150 - 5350 @ 160), (N/A, 20), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR
        (5650 - 5850 @ 160), (N/A, 20), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR
        (5925 - 6425 @ 160), (N/A, 20), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR
        (57000 - 66000 @ 2160), (N/A, 40), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR

phy#0 (self-managed)
country 00: DFS-UNSET
        (all 5GHz channels marked PASSIVE-SCAN)

iw dev wlan0 info
Interface wlan0
        type managed
        channel 40 (5200 MHz), width: 80 MHz, center1: 5210 MHz
        txpower 20.00 dBm

iw dev wlan0 station dump 
Station (on wlan0)
        signal:       -64 [-66, -64] dBm
        signal avg:   -63 dBm
        tx bitrate:   325.0 MBit/s VHT-MCS 7 80MHz short GI VHT-NSS 1
        rx bitrate:   468.0 MBit/s VHT-MCS 5 80MHz VHT-NSS 2
        tx retries:   37
        tx failed:    0
        beacon loss:  0

iw dev wlan0 get power_save
Power save: on

cat /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf 
options iwlwifi geo_profiles=0
options iwlwifi power_save=0

phy#0 is self-managed and ignores the system regdomain (country RU),
staying at country 00 with all 5GHz channels as PASSIVE-SCAN.

power_save=0 in modprobe.d has no effect - Power save remains on after reboot.
geo_profiles=0 also has no effect on self-managed behavior.

systemd-networkd is disabled now

Last edited by KSEONYT (2026-05-10 20:13:46)

seth · 2026-05-10 20:30:14

options iwlwifi power_save=0
options iwlmvm power_scheme=1

If you've iwlwifi in the initramfs you'll have to regenerate that.
The kernel parameter doesn't impact

iw dev wlan0 set power_save off

- the tokens are coincidentally the same.

Do you get a stronger signal on 2.4GHz?
How far is the AP away? Are there obstacles in the way (walls, aquariums, …)?

KSEONYT · 2026-05-10 20:45:19

2.4GHz signal is stronger through walls, as expected
AP is about 2 rooms away with 2 walls in between
No aquariums, standard walls

The iwlmvm power_scheme=1 + mkinitcpio fix worked.
tx bitrate jumped from 26 Mbit/s to 585 Mbit/s after reboot.
Power save: off now

seth · 2026-05-11 08:14:45

\o/
Please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

You may want to pay some attention to roaming issues w/ NM at those conditions if you're not already connecting the BSSID and 2.4GHz and 5GHz share the same SSID

Arch Linux

#1 2026-05-10 17:58:10

Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

#2 2026-05-10 19:23:39

Re: Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

#3 2026-05-10 19:56:28

Re: Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

#4 2026-05-10 20:03:11

Re: Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

#5 2026-05-10 20:13:24

Re: Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

#6 2026-05-10 20:30:14

Re: Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

#7 2026-05-10 20:45:19

Re: Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

#8 2026-05-11 08:14:45

Re: Weak 5GHz signal on Arch Linux with GIGABYTE antena (SOLVED)

Board footer