This project enables WiFi 6E (6 GHz) on the Steam Deck OLED by backporting the QCA2066 (ath11k) driver from Linux 6.16 to the Steam Deck's 6.11-based kernel.

Latest Release: ath11k-6.16v2
Asset: steamdeck-qca2066-backport-v1.0.1.tar.gz

sudo steamos-readonly disable
sudo pacman-key --init
sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux holo
sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm base-devel linux-headers

Go to the latest release page and download steamdeck-qca2066-backport-v1.0.1.tar.gz.

Or via terminal:

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://github.com/WanderingxLotus/steamdeck-oled-ath11k-dkms/releases/download/ath11k-6.16v2/steamdeck-qca2066-backport-v1.0.1.tar.gz
tar xzvf steamdeck-qca2066-backport-v1.0.1.tar.gz
cd steamdeck-oled-ath11k-dkms

sudo ./install.sh

This will:

• Build the driver from source (requires kernel headers)
• Install the .ko modules to /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/extra/ath11k-backport/
• Run depmod -a
• Reload the ath11k kernel modules

sudo dmesg | tail -40 | grep -i ath11k
ip link show | grep wlan
iw dev
lsmod | grep ath11k
ping -c 3 8.8.8.8

You should see a new wlan interface and ath11k modules loaded.

sudo ./uninstall.sh

If needed, manually remove with:

sudo rm -f /lib/modules/"$(uname -r)"/extra/ath11k-backport/*.ko
sudo depmod -a
sudo modprobe -r ath11k_pci ath11k
sudo modprobe ath11k_pci

• Missing /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build error:
  Install the matching kernel headers for your running kernel.

• Unknown symbol / unresolved symbol errors:
  Ensure you have the correct headers and rebuild the modules.

• Pacman key/auth errors:
  See the preparation step above.

• Wi-Fi not working after install:
  Try rebooting, or reload modules:

  sudo modprobe -r ath11k_pci ath11k && sudo modprobe ath11k && sudo modprobe ath11k_pci

If you experience suspend/resume issues (broken sleep, WiFi not reconnecting, or kernel errors) with a custom ath11k DKMS driver, use the following workaround to unload/reload the driver automatically when the Deck suspends and resumes.

Create a Systemd Sleep Hook

Create the file /lib/systemd/system-sleep/ath11k-fix.sh with the following contents:

#!/bin/bash
case $1/$2 in
  pre/*)
    modprobe -r ath11k_pci ath11k
    ;;
  post/*)
    modprobe ath11k_pci ath11k
    ;;
esac

Make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /lib/systemd/system-sleep/ath11k-fix.sh

• Before suspend, the script unloads the ath11k drivers.
• After resume, it reloads the drivers.
• This avoids firmware, PCIe, or WiFi lockups that can occur on suspend/wake.

• After resume, WiFi may take a few seconds to reconnect.
• NetworkManager or your wifi manager should reconnect automatically.
• If WiFi does not reconnect, you can manually reload the driver:

  sudo modprobe -r ath11k_pci ath11k
  sudo modprobe ath11k_pci ath11k

• For troubleshooting, check logs:

  dmesg | tail -100

• This workaround is recommended for Steam Deck OLED and other devices using ath11k where suspend/resume is broken by the custom driver.
• If you need to tweak the script for other modules or want more advanced sleep handling, see the systemd documentation.

Still having trouble? Open an issue and include uname -r, lsmod | grep ath11k, and any relevant dmesg lines.

Derived from the Linux kernel (GPL-2.0).
Backport by: WanderingxLotus
Original ath11k: Qualcomm & Linux kernel community