I cannot use my new iPhone 17 Pro Max on my ZenWifi BQ16 Pro WiFi 7 network. The phone constantly causes the main router to reboot even after updating to IOS 26.0.1. This is repeatable behavior and very easy to trigger.
After days of testing router settings, the best solution is to keep the iPhone 17 WiFi turned off when I'm home or connect it only to the 2.4Ghz IOT network.
iPhone 17 Pro Max, iOS 26
That Asus Wi-Fi router should not crash.
This is a denial-of-service attack against that Asus router, and hopefully not an indication of bigger problems than “just” a crash.
For those that have not already done so, check for router firmware updates, then contact Asus; the router vendor.
The current firmware version appears to be from August 2025: ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro Firmware version 3.0.0.6.102_36998
There are reports of crashes with this version, and potentially a beta:
This looks potentially relevant as a workaround: “I have the bq16 also. You have to turn off WiFi 7 and MLO otherwise it will consistently reboot them. Either of those settings turned on cause the router to boot loop; from the logs it appears iPhones are registering with null MAC addresses (even if you turn the mac privacy off) and this gets triggered in a rapid loop until the router crashes.”
And again, whether or not there is a flaw in Apple N1 or in iOS 26.0.1 or in the Asus router, nothing should cause the router to crash.
That Asus Wi-Fi router should not crash.
This is a denial-of-service attack against that Asus router, and hopefully not an indication of bigger problems than “just” a crash.
For those that have not already done so, check for router firmware updates, then contact Asus; the router vendor.
The current firmware version appears to be from August 2025: ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro Firmware version 3.0.0.6.102_36998
There are reports of crashes with this version, and potentially a beta:
This looks potentially relevant as a workaround: “I have the bq16 also. You have to turn off WiFi 7 and MLO otherwise it will consistently reboot them. Either of those settings turned on cause the router to boot loop; from the logs it appears iPhones are registering with null MAC addresses (even if you turn the mac privacy off) and this gets triggered in a rapid loop until the router crashes.”
And again, whether or not there is a flaw in Apple N1 or in iOS 26.0.1 or in the Asus router, nothing should cause the router to crash.
I understand your frustration. I spent HOURS troubleshooting the same issue with the Asus BE30000 (BQ16) before finally finding a reliable fix.
Unfortunately, until Asus releases a firmware update to fully address compatibility problems between the iPhone 17 Pro and Wi-Fi 7, the best solution is to temporarily disable Wi-Fi 7 on your network.
After applying the following workaround, my wireless network has been completely stable, with no random disconnects or router reboots when using the iPhone 17 Pro/Max. This assumes your router and all nodes are running the latest firmware.
Steps That Worked for Me
Once the system restarts, your iPhone 17 Pro should connect smoothly to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands without triggering instability.
Hopefully, this helps others avoid the same frustration until Asus rolls out a firmware patch.
vfontjr wrote:
I use Bitdefender and VPN is disabled.
It doesn't matter if you actually have the VPN turned on, the fact you have a VPN is likely the root cause of your issues. VPN and iPhone don't get along whether turned on or off. You have nothing to lose here, so go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management and remove the VPN Profile. Removethe Bitdefender App and any anti-virus apps and any cleaner apps. Then Force Restart your iPhone --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support
This Beta firmware from ASUS seems to stabilize the router. I applied it this morning and so far, so good. No reboots:
Sounds like an issue with your router.
Update your firmware on your router and contact the manufacturer.
Seems to be a known issue and people have used a beta of the asus firmware that is not available on the site yet to fix it. I don’t have the firmware and waiting for it so for the meantime I have to disable wifi on my phone.
Apple engineering has been very responsive. I spent 3-hours on the phone with them, gathering diagnostic data. One thing is for certain, hardware-wise the phone is functioning as expected.
ASUS has not been responsive and I have not been offered a firmware update yet. The reboot loop starts when the phone tries to reconnect to the router. The first time it connects after the router reboots, it will connect correctly and remain stable until I leave the house or toggle the iPhone's WiFi off/on. The reconnect reboots the router every time.
I'm leaving the WiFi off on the phone until this problem is resolved.
Given the reported problems with the ASUS gear and the unresponsiveness of ASUS support, consider alternatives. Ubiquiti makes some very nice networking gear, and there are other fine alternatives available.
Same thing is happening to me. Brand new iPhone 17 Pro Max and as soon as I got it home and connected it to my ZenWifi BQ16 it started constantly rebooting. If I turn my phone off it stops. Very frustrating.
Do you have a VPN installed (whether used or not) on your iPhone?
Router is updated with latest firmware. I have sent feedback to ASUS but have had no response.
I use Bitdefender and VPN is disabled.
iPhone 17 Pro Max Causes ZenWifi BQ16 Pro router to reboot - repeatable behavior
