Your system information

• Steam client version: 1769025840
• SteamOS version: 3.7.19
• Opted into Steam client beta?: No
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: No
• Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: Yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Expected behavior: Automatic connection to 5GHz band after device reboot.
Actual behavior: The device connects to the 2.4 GHz band.

The full story is as follows:
I've been puzzling over why my Steam Deck isn't connecting to 5GHz after a reboot, so I decided to try an experiment.
I have two bands on one SSID, and all other devices in the house (smartphones, laptops, TVs) always use the correct 5GHz band. I went into my router settings (Keenetic Giga-1010) and assigned my Steam Deck only one band – 5GHz.

I went into Desktop mode and deleted the current connection to my WiFi (dual band on one SSID). Then I went into Game Mode and tried to connect to my 5GHz network, but the connection failed. After that, I exited Game Mode and opened the connections list in Desktop mode. My WiFi, which I had previously been unable to connect to, was already there. When I clicked on it, the Steam Deck connected to the network without any problems, and the network itself continued to work in Game Mode, even after reboots and cold starts.

All this leads to the following conclusion:
The problem with automatically connecting to 5GHz is with the gaming mode. For some reason, it can't connect to the 5GHz network on its own and only succeeds after I create a connection in Desktop mode.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Create a separate 5 GHz channel or limit Steam Deck to 5 GHz in your router settings.
2. Go to Desktop mode and delete networks from there.
3. Go to gaming mode and try connecting to 5GHz WiFi.