@Richardj186 If you go to the Web interface you can manually upload it, (without having to reset it physically,) or at least that is what I did.  (I'll try to screenshot the page)...

  @jzchen I tried that and it didn't work, got message saying "Update failed. Download and install latest firmware."  That's why the other method was needed. 

  @RestingCat This has got to be the most bizarre update logic ever, (Auto Updates ON):

  1.  When I click the button at the bottom to check for updates, it says the router is up to date (1.0.21) which clearly it is not!

2.  The same page that "complained" to you that you haven't turned on Auto Updates hence you are not getting this update, just says Auto Updates ON.

3.  It obviously did not Auto Update for me while it hypocritically says to you you're missing said update because you didn't enable Auto Updates.

I have updated the firmware, and the 2.4G frequency band allows for channel selection. But 5G and 6G frequency bands cannot select channels, so there is no response when clicked.

  @jzchen 

Not sure why it didn’t see the update for you.  I keep Auto Updates turned off/disabled.   I do that with most of my other devices and computers, regardless of who makes them.  I know vendors test firmware and software updates before releasing them abroad, but sometimes a bug can slip through the testing phases and ends up breaking something major.  I do it out of caution.  

  @RestingCat Thanks for the input.  I have Auto Updates on if I get busy with life, but otherwise I can turn it off because I check for updates very frequently on my own...

1.0.21 was/is not a beta firmware I downloaded it directly from TP-Link's US website, and installed it.  A 1.0.20 beta was released dated September '24 which is later than the July '24 release of 1.0.21.  I tried the 1.0.20 beta because of later release date, but did not like what I was seeing connectivity wise and reverted back to 1.0.21.

I did try to join the beta program but I'm not 100% sure I am enrolled, so there is zero excuse for how my system behaved.  And I wonder why my direct question to a moderator whether I could share 1.0.21 with others who did not get it, went without response.  I did see him post in other threads after I posted my question...

I am hoping that 1.0.21 does not have "spyware" that the government is investigating/looking for...