How to Fix WPA3 WiFi Connection Failed on Linux Mint (2026 Guide)

Why WPA3 Connections Fail on Linux Mint

If you've recently upgraded your home router to WPA3 and found that your Linux Mint machine refuses to connect, you're not alone. WPA3 connection failures on Linux Mint are surprisingly common, and they stem from a handful of overlapping issues that most guides never address clearly.

The root causes fall into three categories:

• Cinnamon Network Settings GUI limitation: The default Network Settings panel in Linux Mint's Cinnamon desktop cannot display or configure WPA3 (SAE). It only shows WPA2 options, even when your hardware and NetworkManager fully support WPA3. This is a known upstream bug tracked in the cinnamon-control-center issue tracker.
• Missing or outdated WiFi driver: Certain chipsets — particularly Broadcom cards — do not support WPA3-SAE without the correct kernel module. Older bcmwl-kernel-source drivers lack SAE support entirely.
• wpa_supplicant version or configuration: WPA3 requires Protected Management Frames (PMF/ieee80211w). If your wpa_supplicant version is outdated or your connection profile doesn't enforce PMF, authentication silently fails with the dreaded "Activation of network connection failed" toast.

The good news: all three problems are fixable without reinstalling Linux Mint or downgrading your router to WPA2.

Method 1: Use Network Connections Tool Instead of Network Settings

The first thing to try is switching from the Cinnamon Network Settings panel to the separate Network Connections tool. These are two different applications that ship with Linux Mint, and only one of them can handle WPA3.

1. Press Alt + F2 (or open a terminal) and run:

   nm-connection-editor

2. In the Network Connections window, click the + button to add a new connection, or select your existing WiFi connection and click the gear icon to edit it.
3. Go to the Wi-Fi Security tab.
4. In the Security dropdown, select WPA3 Personal (listed as "SAE" on some versions).
5. Enter your WiFi password in the Password field.
6. Click Save, then close the window and attempt to connect from the system tray.

If the WPA3 Personal option does not appear in the dropdown, your installed NetworkManager version may be below 1.20, or your WiFi driver does not advertise SAE capability. In that case, proceed to Method 2 or Method 3.

You can also launch nm-connection-editor from the application menu by searching for "Network Connections" — note this is distinct from "Network Settings" which opens the Cinnamon control center panel.

Method 2: Configure WPA3 via nmcli Command Line

When the GUI fails, nmcli gives you direct control over NetworkManager connection profiles. This method works reliably on Linux Mint 21.x and Linux Mint 22.x.

Step 1 — Delete any broken existing profile for your network:

nmcli connection show
nmcli connection delete "YourNetworkName"

Step 2 — Create a new WPA3-only connection profile:

nmcli connection add   type wifi   con-name "MyWPA3Network"   ssid "YourSSID"   wifi-sec.key-mgmt sae   wifi-sec.psk "YourWiFiPassword"   wifi-sec.pmf 2

The key settings here are:

• wifi-sec.key-mgmt sae — sets WPA3-Personal (SAE) as the authentication method
• wifi-sec.pmf 2 — enforces Protected Management Frames, which WPA3 requires (2 = required)

Step 3 — Bring the connection up:

nmcli connection up "MyWPA3Network"

If your router runs in WPA2/WPA3 transition mode (common on modern routers), use wpa-psk instead of sae for the key management, which allows both WPA2 and WPA3 clients to connect:

nmcli connection add   type wifi   con-name "MyTransitionNetwork"   ssid "YourSSID"   wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk   wifi-sec.psk "YourWiFiPassword"

Verify the active connection settings:

nmcli connection show "MyWPA3Network" | grep -i "security\|key-mgmt\|pmf"

You should see 802-11-wireless-security.key-mgmt: sae and 802-11-wireless-security.pmf: 2 in the output.

Method 3: Update Your WiFi Driver and Kernel

If Methods 1 and 2 produce errors like "device not ready" or "SAE not supported", the problem is at the driver level. Many Linux Mint installations — especially those upgraded from older versions — run outdated WiFi drivers that lack WPA3 support.

Check your current kernel and WiFi chipset:

uname -r
lspci | grep -i network
lsusb | grep -i wireless

For Intel WiFi chips (iwlwifi):

Intel WiFi cards are the best-supported option for WPA3 on Linux Mint. Update the firmware package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --reinstall linux-firmware
sudo reboot

For Broadcom chips (bcmwl, b43):

The proprietary bcmwl-kernel-source driver has limited WPA3 support. Switch to the open-source firmware-b43-installer where compatible:

sudo apt remove bcmwl-kernel-source broadcom-sta-dkms
sudo apt install firmware-b43-installer
sudo reboot

After reboot, check if b43 is loaded:

lsmod | grep b43

Update to a newer kernel via Update Manager:

Go to Menu → Update Manager → View → Linux Kernels. Install the latest recommended kernel for your Linux Mint version (6.8.x or newer for Mint 22). A newer kernel brings improved mac80211 stack support for WPA3.

# After installing a new kernel, reboot and verify:
uname -r

Kernel 5.15 or newer is recommended for stable WPA3 support. Kernel 6.1+ resolves several known SAE handshake timing issues.

Method 4: Verify Hardware WPA3 Support

Not all WiFi cards support WPA3, even with the correct driver. Before spending time on configuration, confirm your hardware is capable.

Check if your card advertises SAE support:

iw list | grep -A 10 "Supported extended features"
iw list | grep -i "sae\|wpa3\|pmf"

Check the interface capabilities more broadly:

iw phy phy0 info | grep -i "feature\|capability\|auth\|akm"

If SAE does not appear in the output, your hardware or driver combination does not support WPA3-Personal natively.

Check wpa_supplicant capabilities:

wpa_supplicant -v | head -5
wpa_cli -i wlan0 get_capability key_mgmt

The output should include SAE. If it does not, update wpasupplicant:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade wpasupplicant

Router-side check — verify your router's WPA3 mode:

Log into your router admin panel and confirm it is set to one of these modes:

• WPA3-SAE only — requires full WPA3 support on all clients
• WPA2-PSK / WPA3-SAE (transition mode) — recommended for compatibility with Linux Mint while you troubleshoot

If your hardware does not support WPA3 and you cannot upgrade the WiFi card, set your router to WPA2/WPA3 transition mode. Linux Mint will negotiate WPA2 automatically while other devices use WPA3.

Common WPA3 Error Messages and Fixes

Here is a quick reference for the most frequently reported WPA3 error messages on Linux Mint and their solutions:

View live connection error logs for diagnosis:

journalctl -u NetworkManager --since "10 minutes ago" | grep -i "wpa\|sae\|auth\|error\|fail"

This command extracts the most relevant lines from NetworkManager's journal, showing exactly which step of the WPA3 handshake failed.

Still stuck after trying all four methods? Get Expert Linux Mint Support from our certified engineers — we diagnose and fix WiFi and networking issues remotely, usually in under 60 minutes.

FAQ

Does Linux Mint support WPA3?

Yes, Linux Mint 21.x and 22.x support WPA3 through NetworkManager and wpa_supplicant, provided your WiFi hardware and driver also support the SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals) protocol. The limitation is the Cinnamon GUI panel, which cannot configure WPA3 — use nm-connection-editor or nmcli instead.

Why does my Linux Mint WiFi show WPA3 on the router but connect as WPA2?

This usually means your router is in WPA2/WPA3 transition mode (mixed mode). Linux Mint will connect using WPA2-PSK when the driver or connection profile does not explicitly request SAE. To force WPA3, create the connection profile using nmcli with wifi-sec.key-mgmt sae.

Why is the WPA3 option missing from Network Settings in Linux Mint?

This is a confirmed bug in cinnamon-control-center — the Cinnamon Network Settings panel does not render WPA3/SAE as a selectable option. The workaround is to use the separate nm-connection-editor tool (search "Network Connections" in the application menu) or configure the connection via nmcli in the terminal.

Will my Broadcom WiFi card work with WPA3 on Linux Mint?

Some Broadcom cards do, and some do not. The proprietary bcmwl-kernel-source driver generally does not support WPA3-SAE. Switching to the open-source b43 driver with firmware-b43-installer improves WPA3 compatibility on supported chipsets (BCM43xx series). Check with iw list | grep sae after switching drivers to confirm.

What is the difference between WPA3-SAE and WPA3-Enterprise on Linux Mint?

WPA3-SAE (WPA3-Personal) is the home/small office variant that uses a shared password. WPA3-Enterprise uses 802.1X certificate-based authentication and is typically deployed by businesses. For home routers, you want WPA3-SAE. In nmcli, this maps to wifi-sec.key-mgmt sae. WPA3-Enterprise on Linux Mint is configured using EAP settings in nm-connection-editor.