SQL Server 2022 database problem with Intel AX211 and windows 11

[Tarjei99]

Retrieving data is very slow with Windows 11. Using the very same PC with Windows 10 works fine (user says that it is the same driver). Wired access works fine. Performance against everything else is perfectly fine so far. On a speed test we get 300-400 Mb/s.

Using other Wi-FI cards seems to work fine.

We have tried most of the remedies suggested in various internet forums. Turning off Wi-Fi 6 changing settings, etc.

So far, it is impossible to see if jumbo frames is being used since the driver and the server network card might not allow access to the level where packets are transmittet. Hint : TCP Acks are invisible.

Any suggestions to what we can do do make the AX211 work  for us?

Correction : AX411 changed to AX211.

[mattybrown]

Hi @Tarjei99 , did you find a solution to this?

We found that this issue occurs after updating to Windows 11 24H2.  All of our Dell Latitude 5540 which have an Intel AX211 Wi-Fi adapter are experiencing the same after updating.  Windows 11 23H2 works fine - and if you downgrade in time, we've found that this fixes the issue.

We've tried several driver versions, old and new, Dell and Intel and haven't found one that solves the issue.

Using Ethernet or a TP-Link USB wi-fi adapter both work fine.

We bought a couple other cards to try... but Intel seem to have cornered the market as all the cards available seem to be Intel.  AX201 and AX411 both have the same issue... which is probably no wonder, since the drivers from Dell are packaged "BE200/AX411/AX211/AX210/AX201/AX200/9560/9462/9260 Wi-Fi UWD Driver".

I'd love to find a solution other than reinstalling Windows 11 23H2 onto the 30 or so affected laptops!

Thanks,

Matty.

[mattybrown]

Just read another post suggesting that a "really old" driver worked for them.

Sure enough, 22.250.0.4, A35 works and doesn't suffer from the horrendous performance issues accessing SQL databases over Wi-Fi.

Intel AX411/AX211/AX210/AX201/AX200/9560/9462/9260/7265/3165 Wi-Fi UWD Driver | Driver Details | Dell UK

[Tarjei99]

That is correct.

We use Lenovo PCs.

I've seen two other cases related to problems with Intel AX card and Microsoft SQL Server. I assume that the root cause is SQL Server ignoring limitations in the config. The largest packets I've seen from SQL Server in Wireshark is 261K. It should have been multiple 4K packets.

We have done some testing. The issue might be related to the use of dot1x.

We know the following

• Dot1x with username/password with Intel 23 series driver : application is “fast”.
• Dot1x with certificate (both Win10 and Win11) Intel 23 series driver : application is slow.
• Intel 22 series drivers : application is “fast”.
• Ethernet : application is “fast”.
• Non-Intel network card : application is “fast”.
• Certain version of TSS.ps1 : application is “fast” temporarily until reboot. This is reproducable and weird since both "fast" and slow might be the same code, but located in different places on the same PC ( both on C: ).

I've been unable to identify what TSS does that fixes the issue.

I have two cases with Microsoft concerning this. One is server end, the other is client end.

Regarding TSS not changing anything. This is from the TSS FAQ question 3 at Introduction to TroubleShootingScript toolset (TSS) - Windows Client | Microsoft Learn

We have 3 behaviours with TSS.ps1. Slow, "fast" and variable. Depending on the version.

Good luck!