Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 160Mhz Not working HP Z2 Mini Gen3 Workstation

[Sharif_M]

Hi Community/Support,

I have bought a wireless card Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 160Mhz NGWG vPro for my HP Z2 Mini Gen3 Workstation. The card fits in the WLAN slot on the motherboard.

However the Wireless and Bluehtooth are not working.

My OS is Windows 10 the card does get recognized and installed with default drivers in the device manger. Offcourse I updated them to the latest versions.

What have I done as in troubleshooting.

1. Reseated the card. (card got detected again, but stil did not work)
2. Installed latest drivers for Wi-Fi Card (intel website, did not work)
3. Installed latest drivers for Bluethooth (Intel website, did not work)
4. Changed Wi-Fi card properties to 802.n or b/g. (did not work, even after reboot)
5. Installed latest version of BIOS for my desktop (HP website)
6. Installed all latest Intel chipset drivers for my desktop (HP website)
7. Tried two different Wi-Fi routers I have to connect. WLAN card does not see any of these under search available networks
8. Added wi-fi network manually in windows 10. This did also not work.
9. Checked processor for vPro support and the i7 Intel 6800 processor I have does support it.
10. Checked BIOS and all enhanced options are on for this.
11. For Bluethooth tried to pair different devices. For example I have 2 laptops HP and Dell the speaker JBL charge 2+ works. But on the desktop it does not even find the speaker when it is set to pairing mode. Even my samsung S10 is not recognized to pair or send/recieve files through bluethooth. Also my Logitech MX Keys Wireless Keyboard and MX 3 master mouse can not pair. Strange thing is that it will see the MX Keys , but fails to pair. The MX3 Mouse does not show up at all when trying to find.

Did I forget any troubleshooting steps?

I have the feeling this card should work on this Intel Motherboard of the HP Z2 Mini Gen 3. However on the HP website they only mention the card " Intel 8265 Wireless LAN (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 4.2 Module"

Does Intel need to make adjustments in the chipset drivers or firmware of the BIOS to make this card work?

Can somebody of Intel please tell me this card should work on my desktop or not?

Or can it be that the card I got is just broken?

I have 10 days left to return and get my money back.

Attached screenshots and intel support tool diagnostics report.

Here are my references used for drivers, specs etc.

INTEL Wi-Fi 6 AX200 160 MHZ
DRIVERS WLAN LATEST INSTALLED = https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/30121?v=t
DRIVERS BLUETHOOTH LATEST INSTALLED = https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/30121/Intel-Wireless-Bluetooth-for-Windows-10

DESKTOP = HP Z2 Mini G3
SPECIFICATIONS = https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-z2-mini-g3-workstation/12716708/document/c05338666
DRIVERS LATEST INSTALLED - https://support.hp.com/nl-nl/product/hp-z2-mini-g3-workstation/12716708/model/12716709/troubleshooting

PROCESSOR i7 6800 SPECS vPRO 
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/processors/core/core-vpro/i7-6700.html
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/88196/intel-core-i7-6700-processor-8m-cache-up-to-4-00-ghz.html

Much Appreciated,

[Khun_Doug · Accepted solution]

Shariff,

I have a few questions and observations. These will help get closer to a solution.

1. Did you check with HP support to see if the specific wireless adapter you bought is compatible with your system? HP specifically mentions the Intel 8265 adapter. It could be that the adapter you bought just won't work with your hardware.

2. Did you attach any external antennas to the AX200 adapter? I say this because your adapter is behaving as though it is not getting any radio signal. Even the Bluetooth is not getting any signal, again pointing to something with the antenna(s).

I would recommend investigating #1 before you burn more time on this. HP will be able to advise if the adapter you bought will work in your system, and possibly have some suggestions on how best to make it function.

[Sharif_M]

Hi Khun_Doug,

Number 2: Is the solution. I think it needs antennas. When I put my JBL charge on the desktop and search for bluethooth devices it will find it. I am able to connect and pair. But when moving the speaker even 30 cm it will disconnect. So there is a small transmit but not powerfull enough.

So mystery solved. I need to buy antennas.

I will need the right antennas as my desktop case does not have any wholes or slots to attach antennas too. Are there any internal antennas for this? My speaker is in my home office room with desk and the wi-fi router is in the same room lets say 3 meters away. Any suggestions or products from Intel that I can buy?

I have posted this question on the HP community site also to see if there are any special holes or options for this form factor desktop case.

Thanks for the answer!

[Khun_Doug]

I would believe that all those M.2 style adapters have the same type of antenna connections, but the documentation for your specific antenna should indicate what will work with it. Just understand that most likely one of the reasons the suggested adapter is recommended is the antenna is looped to something else on the motherboard. If you can determine what type of connection that adapter has I would think you can find miniature antennas that would fit inside the case. Best of luck!