Will Intel Q170 Chipset Support WiFi6 m.2 card

[AlexB2121]

I have Intel® Q170 Chipset based Mini PC (HP EliteDesk 800 G2 Mini 35W), it has a dedicated m.2 slot for a WiFi card.

The question is will Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 work with this chipset (from 2015)? Any other restrictions to consider except chipset?

[n_scott_pearson]

The AX1650 (x/w) should, in theory, work in this slot, but the AX1650 (i/s) will not (it requires a chipset that supports CNVio2). I said 'in theory' because some motherboard manufacturers use Inclusion/Exclusion lists in their BIOS to block you from upgrading like this.

Your other choice, BTW, is the AX1675 (x/w), which also gets you WiFi 6e (6 GHz band) support. 

Hope this helps,

...S

P.S. You could purchase the more-basic (and less expensive) Intel implementations, which are the AX200NGW and AX210NGW, respectively. These are the exact same hardware solutions but without the Killer 'goodies' in firmware and software.

[AlexB2121]

Thanks a lot for your reply.

I was actually one step before buying AX210NGW... till occasionally I found that AP mode would not work for 2/3 of bands. I planed to use AX210NGW in my router

@n_scott_pearson maybe you have an idea/understanding of why firmware doesn't allow AP mode for WiFi 5/6?

[n_scott_pearson]

Sorry, I have no idea.

...S

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @AlexB2121  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities. I am glad to see that fellow community members have the knowledge and they jumped in and helped.  

We are moving this thread to the correct forum to keep order and avoid confusion: Wireless.

It is worth mentioning that Intel does not support wireless integrations (installing a different wireless adapter into your system/laptop). We recommend you speak to the Manufacturer of your equipment for support on wireless integrations and replacement parts to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements of your country and support. It is important to check for compatibility with the System Manufacturer, as there could be certain cards that will not work with the system.  

For more information, read the following article under the title "Regulatory Information Regarding Wireless Hardware Installation or Upgrade." 

Please, keep in mind that this thread will no longer be monitored by Intel. Thank you for your understanding.  

Best regards,    

Jocelyn M.    

Intel Customer Support Technician.