Intel AX411 vs AX211 vs AX210 Wi-Fi 6E module comparison – unfortunately not Wi-Fi 7, but new dual connectivity and limited to CNVio2

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When I update my Wi-Fi driver Netgear Wi-Fi 6E Orbi RBKE963 To recap, I came across some new products that Intel quietly introduced, the Intel AX411 and AX211.

Both are coming in late 2021, but there’s hardly any information about them, and this comparison is somewhat limited until they’re available for purchase.

Previously, upgrading from the AX200 to the AX210 introduced Wi-Fi 6E and 6Ghz bands, which is a major upgrade if you have compatible networking equipment.

CNVi

Before making other comparisons, I’ll warn that both the AX211 and AX411 seem to use the M.2: CNVio2 interface type.I didn’t know what it was until I read it this intel thread

Basically, the AX211 is the CNVi version of the AX210. The AX211 lacks some parts of typical wifi cards integrated into modern Intel system CPUs. In this case, the MAC, which is the part of the wifi stack that handles all the logic and talks to the CPU.

I’m not 100% sure, but Intel is basically the vendor locking these modules for recent Intel motherboards.

Not 4×4 or Wi-Fi 7

At first, I thought the Intel AX411 might be the holy grail of 4×4 Wi-Fi modules, but sadly, one thing Intel did reveal is that it’s a 2×2.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about Wi-Fi 7, and this is another noticeable change. While I can’t be 100% sure of this, neither the AX411 nor the AX211 seem to introduce this.Intel has classified these as part of the Intel Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+) family

Dual connection/DCT

At CES 2022, Intel unveiled its 12th-generation Intel Core mobile processors (for laptops) with built-in Wi-Fi 6E capability, but didn’t mention the aforementioned module names.

Part of this release covers the new dual-connection technology, which allows devices to connect to two frequency bands at the same time. It’s advertised as allowing you to preferentially use the faster 5Ghz/6Ghz band for gaming while using the 2.4Ghz band for downloads.

A number of CES announcements seem to indicate that Intel is incorporating the tech they got from Killer into the new 12^th Generation Intel laptops. In addition to the dual connectivity technology, Intel will also be introducing their Intel Connectivity Performance Kit, which is essentially the killer connectivity kit used on many gaming laptops.

Killer technology uses an advanced Wi-Fi traffic prioritization engine to reduce online gaming latency by up to 70%.

Going back to the AX411, under the product ordering page, this specifically states DCT, while the AX211 and AC210 do not have this term. This is likely a reference to the new Double Connect technology.

Uplink MIMO

I managed to find an Intel thread about the AX211, which confirms at least one difference from the AX210, which is support for uplink multiple input and multiple output. This enables it to support up to 8 UL data streams from multiple sites, increasing UL network capacity in dense environments.

I think this is true for the AX411.

Price and Availability

Currently, neither of these new modules is available anywhere. Curiously, Intel says the wholesale price of the AX211 is higher than the AX411.

If you don’t mind buying 100 at a time, Mouser’s AX411 is £1,263 for 100, but they don’t have the AX211 yet.

Aliexpress has the AX211 for £21.

The Aliexpress page states that the AX211 is only compatible with 10th Gen CPUs, they don’t mention Intel, but it’s safe to assume they mean it. I’ve ordered one, but I’m not too optimistic about how it will work (I’m on AMD) or very different from my existing AX210.

Intel AX411 vs AX211 vs AX210 Wi-Fi 6E Spec Comparison