Using M.2 key E slot in NUC13 for a 10GbE ethernet card

[andMax]

Hi!

I'm currently running an Intel NUC13 ANHi5000 (Core i5-1340P) and would like to upgrade the Ethernet speed to 10GbE. Preferably I would like to use an internal NIC instead of an external (thunderbolt) adapter.

Ethernet Adapter: I've found this AUVIDEA M.2 10GbE ethernet adapter, which is M.2 E keyed. The ethernet jack itself is on a separate module, which could be routed through the chassis expansion port using the adapter cable that comes with the M.2 ethernet adapter.

PCIe ports: The NUC Technical Product Specs PDF shows (page 21 item I) that the NUC13 has an internal E-keyed slot, which is currently populated by the Wi-Fi 6E AX211 NIC. Furthermore, the block diagram (page 25) highlights that this slot is connected via a PCIe x1 link.

Question: Could I replace the Wi-Fi card with the M.2 E keyed ethernet NIC? (I've read online that the AX211 uses the CNVio2 interface, which might not be compatible with PCIe?)

[n_scott_pearson]

First of all, you should really be asking these questions via the Asus website. Asus took over the NUC business from Intel in 2023 and, as part of the deal, took responsibility for providing all support for the Intel-developed NUC gen 10-13 models. All that said, I will endeavor to at least partially answer your questions...

In the TPS, Intel states that the connector is specifically intended to support a particular Wireless module. They also referred to this connector as being a 'Mechanical Key E' connector. This careful (crafty?) wording may simply have been done because CNVi support is being included and thus the implementation is non-standard.

Regarding CNVi, the support included for the CNVi bus (be it CNVio, CNVio2 or CNVio3) has been shown to NOT interfere with the use of non-CNVi Wireless cards, so I would speculate that other types of non-CNVi cards could work just fine in this connector. Going further, I asked the NUC BIOS lead whether it would work and he couldn't see any reason why not.

At the end of the day, I think the only way you will know for sure is when you give it a try. I can't find a way to purchase one of these here in the US, but I see a couple of them that supports 2.5Gb. It is only US$22, so I ordered one to try. I'll let you know the results when it arrives. In the meantime, perhaps there are other readers who may have tried something similar already and can fill us in???

Hope this helps,

...S

[andMax]

Hi Scott, 

Thanks so much for your response. I was aware that ASUS had taken over the NUC line, however I was hoping to get a more meaningfull response compared to my previous interactions with ASUS support. And as luck would have it, you came to the rescue! (and went above and beyond asking the BIOS devs).

Based on your input, I’ve decided to take the plunge and order the 10GbE NIC to test it out myself. Once it arrives, I’ll report back if and how well it performs... 

Expectiations: Based on the readouts of HWiNFO the AX211 adapter reports to be connected via PCIe gen2, providing 4Gbits/s of bandwith. I'm hoping that the x1 link of the E-keyed slot itself is capable of PCIe gen 4 speeds, which ought to be plenty to saturate a 10 GbE link. 

Again, I really appreciate your support!

Max

[n_scott_pearson]

My 2.5Gb version of the card is slated to arrive on Saturday, but Amazon has a disclaimer saying that, due to 'technical issues' (i.e., their recent AWS screw-up), some deliveries may be delayed. Hopefully, not mine. Hopefully, I can still have an answer regarding compatibility before the end of the weekend.

The capability of the PCIe lane (i.e. whether Gen 3 or Gen 4) for the M.2 Type E connector is going to be dependent upon the motherboard's design and the BIOS' configuration of the chipset. I'll try to remember to check this...

...S

[n_scott_pearson]

So here's my update.

• The 2.5Gb card arrived on Saturday and I immediately attempted to install it into the AN NUC's M.2 Type E slot.
• Big problem: this slot is under the 2280 M.2 Type M slot, and the riser nut (or whatever you want to call it) interferes with the cable coming from the 2.5Gb card.
• It took some wrangling to get the thing install with the SSD over it, but I finally got it there -- or so I thought.
• Connect power to the NUC, see lights on the RJ45 connector start to flash with traffic.
• Press power button, lights go off during POST but come back on as Windows starts to load.... and then go out. And stay out.
• Login and immediately check Device Manager: Card is detected and driver is loaded for the i226 part and everything looks good... But lights off and no indication of connection.

It should work, but it doesn't. Either the unit was bad or I damaged the cable during the difficult installation. Not sure which. Will debug when I have time.

Sigh!

...S

[andMax]

The network adapter arrived today and.... It's working flawlessly in the Key E slot!

Card Placement:

Like @n_scott_pearson mentioned, the Key E slot is situated underneath the M.2 slot for the SSD. Luckily the connector on the adapter card for the Ethernet Jack itself is situated in the right place, fitting right between the SATA and backside USB ports.

It's crazy how well this fits in there...

SPEEEEEEED:

In HWiNFO it reports back as a PCIe gen 4 device, running in x1, thus providing the card with 1.969GByte/s of bandwith (roughly 15.7GBit/s so plenty to saturate a 10GbE link).

Windows also reports back the 10Gbps link speed:

And finally some iperf scores:

I currently don't have any other 10GbE capable devices to perform testing one. Once I do I will report back!