# Wi-Fi features The Qualcomm Linux Wi-Fi software provides support for various Wi-Fi features through the ath11k driver. This driver uses the mac80211 API and lets the 802.11ax protocol. ath11k supports the following features: - 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi bands - Peak PHY data rate of 2.9 Gbps, 1 K QAM - Station (STA) mode and Access Point (AP) mode ## Wi-Fi capabilities The following table provides a feature matrix of the Wi-Fi capabilities that WCN6750, WCN6856, and QCA6698AQ support. Table : Wi-Fi software feature matrix | Feature | Description | WCN6750 | WCN6856 | QCA6698AQ | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Wi-Fi band | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Operational mode |

Wi-Fi STA

Wi-Fi SoftAP

| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Maximum bandwidth |

Up to 40 MHz channel bandwidth for 2.4 GHz

Up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for 5 GHz and 6 GHz

| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Dual Band Simultaneous (DBS) |

DBS/Non-DBS

Maximum stream and bandwidth supported

Non-DBS

2-stream (2 x 2) 2.4 GHz 40 MHz + (2 x 2) 5 GHz/6 GHz 160 MHz

4-stream (2 x 2) 2.4 GHz 40 MHz + (2 x 2) 5 GHz/6 GHz 160 MHz

4-stream (2 x 2) 2.4 GHz 40 MHz + (2 x 2) 5 GHz/6 GHz 160 MHz

| | Unrestricted 160 MHz channels supported | Seven channels | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Peak PHY data rate | 2.9 Gbps, 1 K QAM | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | 802.11ax |

Uplink/downlink (UL/DL) Multiple-User Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO)

Uplink Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (UL/DL OFDMA), Uplink Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access Random Access (UL-OFDMA UORA)

Multiple- Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) and Multiple-Traffic Identifier (TID)

Spatial reuse

8-stream sounding

Target Wake Time (TWT)

| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Security | Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | WFA mandatory certifications [\[1\]](https://docs.qualcomm.com/doc/80-70020-14/topic/wi_fi_features.html#id3) |

STA mode

AP mode

| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | [[1](https://docs.qualcomm.com/doc/80-70020-14/topic/wi_fi_features.html#id2)] For more information about the list of WFA mandatory certifications, see [https://www.wi-fi.org/certification](https://www.wi-fi.org/certification) and [https://www.wi-fi.org/certification/programs](https://www.wi-fi.org/certification/programs). ## Operating bands The WCN6750, WCN6856, and QCA6698AQ Wi-Fi chipsets support 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz operating bands. ## Operating modes The Wi-Fi software operates in the following modes. Table : Supported Wi-Fi operating modes | Mode | Description | | --- | --- | | STA mode | In STA mode, a device connects to an AP within a Wi-Fi network and communicates with other devices in the network. This mode is standard for wireless devices in a Wi-Fi connection. | | Hotspot mode | Hotspot mode enables a device to provide backhaul (Internet) connectivity to Wi-Fi clients using a cellular link (LTE). The device establishes this connection through its lightweight hotspot interface. In hotspot mode, the device can:

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Communicate with other Wi-Fi clients connected to the same hotspot.

Communicate with the hotspot device.

Share the WAN connection of the device.

| ## Scan A Wi-Fi scan compiles a list of nearby Access Points (APs) for a device. There are two primary scan modes: active and passive. Additionally, WLAN chipsets can trigger other scan policies. The following table provides the types of scans and their descriptions. Table : Supported scan modes | Scan | Description | | --- | --- | | Active scan | The Wi-Fi initiates a broadcast probe request (Tx) and listens for probe responses from APs. All APs, except for those with a hidden Service Set Identifier (SSID), respond to the broadcast probe request.
Active scans are used on all channels for 2.4 GHz, non-Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channels for 5 GHz, and Preferred Scanning Channel (PSC) for 6 GHz. | | Passive scan | The client conserves power by not transmitting packets acitvely. The STA waits on each channel for approximately 100 ms (plus an additional ±10 ms for channel change) to listen to beacons broadcasted by APs.
During this dwell time, the STA receives all beacons, and scans SSIDs from the APs on that channel. | | Legacy scan | Scans one channel at a time. | | Split scan | Alternates scanning between the home channel and foreign channel. | | Burst scan | Scans multiple channels in a burst. | | Agile scan | Simultaneously scans two passive channels reducing DFS channel scan time by half. | | Roaming scan | Initiates the move of the STA from a congested channel of the currently connected AP to a better AP.
Triggers include Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), missed beacons, channel traffic conditions, and AP conditions. | ## DBS operation WLAN uses multiple MAC addresses available within the chipset for DBS. The WCN6856 and QCA6698AQ chips support DBS, allowing simultaneous scanning at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. Additionally, a scan channel can run in parallel with other Wi-Fi operations on different bands. This concurrent operation involves two 802.11 MAC/Physical (PHY)/radio pipes functioning on separate radio bands: 5 GHz, 6 GHz (PHY A), and 2.4 GHz (PHY B). ## Coexistence The 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band is shared by Bluetooth^®^, Wi-Fi, and Mobile Wireless Standards (MWS) Long Term Evolution (LTE). Coexistence software monitors the states of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE to determine the coordination methodology that best aligns with expectations for each link. For example, it considers quality of service (QoS) for Bluetooth links and throughput for Wi-Fi. Last Published: Jun 20, 2025 [Previous Topic Get started with Wi-Fi](https://docs.qualcomm.com/bundle/publicresource/80-70020-14/topics/get_started.md) [Next Topic Wi-Fi architecture](https://docs.qualcomm.com/bundle/publicresource/80-70020-14/topics/wlan_sw_overview.md)