I know from previous vendors that some laptops have coded in their BIOS a whitelist of acceptable Wi-Fi cards. This sounds very anti-Framework, but I’ve also seen posts saying that the Intel AX211 won’t work with the Ryzen AI 300 Series… Where is the limitation coming from, and in a pinch, could I use a known-good wireless card from an older non-Framework laptop until I figure out what’s going on?
I don’t need blazing fast speed; I just need something that will hold a connection reliably and the RZ717 doesn’t seem to be doing the job…
Framework 13 with Ryzen 7 AI 350 with AMD RZ717 running the latest Windows 11 build, most recent driver bundle and BIOS.
It’s a difference in how Intel’s series of cards was made. AX210 should work fine, I’ve had mine since the 11th gen. Intel days of FW. The ones ending in “1” take most of their function from an Intel CPU in the computer.
In other words, the AX211 removed functionality to cut production cost
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The Intel AX210 is a very safe choice. Framework uses it in most of their systems with Intel CPUs, and it’s also in many other laptops from other manufacturers. It will work just fine in an AMD-based Framework system. (AMD recommends using their RZ series wireless cards (co-developed with MediaTek) in AMD laptops, which is why that’s what comes with them.
Framework has never supplied the older AX200, but it would probably also work. There isn’t much reason to buy one rather than an AX210, but if you have one from some other system you might as well give it a try. Some even older models may work as well, though of course you will get lower network performance from those.
Intel cards where the number ends with 1 will NOT work, including the AX201 that came with 11th gen pre-built Framework systems and the AX211. Those require support from a secondary processor that is embedded in Intel CPUs; AMD processors don’t have it so those cards won’t work.
One more card that will NOT work is the BE200. That’s Intel’s new WiFi 7 card. Nobody seems to have figured out why; that model doesn’t use that internal Intel processor so it’s SUPPOSED to work, but it doesn’t.