Replacing non-vPro AX211 with vPro AX211

[marcochiappero]

Hello,

I have recently bought a vPro system with full AMT support. Sadly (and surprisingly), it came with the non-vPRO AX211 module. As it's something I need, I am considering swapping it with the vPro version (that is switching from part 999M5J to 999M0W).

However, before going ahead with the purchase, I would like make sure it would work, but I am having a hard time finding information about any whitelisting or OEM CSME configuration that would prevent AMT to work with the new card.

Does anybody know whether it would be picked up at boot and automatically made available for the admin to configure?

Thanks,
Marco

[MIGUEL_C_Intel]

Hello, marcochiappero,

Remote access to endpoints (client machines) while using Intel® AMT requires the following. 

The Processor, motherboard chipset, and network card (wired or wireless or both) need to have Intel® vPRO. The system manufacturers provide the list of their computers prepared for Intel® vPRO.

In this case, it is necessary to validate with your PC vendor if the Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX211 module is supported. On behalf of Intel, we apologize for the inconvenience. 

Regards,

Miguel C.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[marcochiappero]

Hi Miguel,

Thank you for your quick reply!

Am I understanding it correctly, whether it would work out of the box depends on how the BIOS/ME image has been built/configured, so only the OEM can know? Just to further clarify, it's a brand new system with a 12th gen i5 vPro CPU paired with a Q670 PCH, AMT perfectly works with the wired LAN connection. I am asking because I doubt the HP support would fully understand the problem and come back with a reliable answer.

Many thanks,

Marco

PS: HP came back to me saying it's not a vPro capable system, while from my test it's a vPro Enterprise enabled system (KVM redirection works perfectly). How can I get reliable information?

[MIGUEL_C_Intel]

Hello, marcochiappero,

The system manufacturers are the ones to validate which machines are Intel® vPRO capable. They are the owners of the machines. The board chipset, wired card, and wireless card need to be Intel and vPRO capable.  

You can validate if a system is fully vPRO capable by running the Intel® EMA Configuration Tool (ECT)

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19805/30485/intel-endpoint-management-assistant-configuration-tool-intel-ema-configuration-tool.html

Installation:

Download and unzip the tool.

Double-click the .msi file and follow the prompts.

Run:

a-Open a command prompt (alternatively, you can run the tool from within Windows PowerShell*) as administrator.

b-Navigate to the installation folder (default C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\EMAConfigTool).

c-Run the command: EMAConfigTool.exe --verbose

The log will confirm; it seems the system is partially compatible.

Regards,

Miguel C.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[marcochiappero]

Useful, thanks! Is there a Linux version by chance?

Best regards,

Marco

[MIGUEL_C_Intel]

Hello, marcochiappero,

IMC only supports Windows 10 and 11. Details are in the Intel® Endpoint Management Assistant Configuration Tool (Intel® EMA Configuration Tool) User Guide. https://downloadmirror.intel.com/30485/Intel_EMA_Configuration_Tool_User_Guide.pdf#page=4

Tools for Linux are not available yet.

Regards,

Miguel C.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[MIGUEL_C_Intel]

Hello, marcochiappero,

I hope this post finds you well.

If further assistance is necessary, do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Miguel C.

Intel Customer Support Technician