Known issues or better performance? Comparison Intel AX210 vs Realtek 8852ae [Solved]

[argonaut459]

Good morning jolly Linux lovers.
I got a laptop here, owner wants to ditch Windows. During a few live USB sessions I've seen some random and severe drops in WiFi speeds.
Admittedly my WiFi and internet isn't fast by why means (~460 K bit/s If my ISP got a good day. Yes that's a K not M)
I've seen drops down to mere 16kbit/s during a repo update.
As far as I found out, the realtek drivers are reverse engineered and tend to have issues - albeit these info most refer to really old kernels.
Intel having good speeds on Windows during laptop tests of media (like notebookcheck.com or Ultrabookreview), I wonder if I'm correct in my assumption that Intel provides their drivers for the kernel and if an Intel AX210 really provides better and more consistent connection than the 8852ae.

I'd got the chance to get a new Intel card for about 29€, combined with an additional nvme ssd that might be a good "selling" point to improve the MX experience for a new user.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 6.7.6-1-liquorix-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: audit=0 intel_pstate=disable rcupdate.rcu_expedited=1
    BOOT_IMAGE=/antiX/vmlinuz quiet splasht nosplash toram lang=de_DE kbd=de
    tz=Europe/Berlin toram
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm
    v: 4.18.0 dm: LightDM v: 1.26.0 Distro: MX-23.2_ahs_x64 Libretto January 21
    2024 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 82LM v: IdeaPad 5 14ALC05
    serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 v: IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 serial: <filter>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: LNVNB161216 v: SDK0J40709 WIN serial: <filter>
    UEFI: LENOVO v: G5CN66WW(V2.12) date: 04/10/2023
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 40.2 Wh (68.4%) condition: 58.8/56.5 Wh (104.0%)
    volts: 12.0 min: 11.5 model: 0x53 0x4D 0x50 0x00 0x32 0x30 0x31 0x39 0x4C
    0x31 0x39 0x4D 0x33 0x50 0x46 0x34 type: Li-ion serial: <filter>
    status: discharging cycles: 3
CPU:
  Info: model: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U with Radeon Graphics socket: FP6 bits: 64
    type: MT MCP arch: Zen 2 gen: 3 level: v3 note: check built: 2020-22
    process: TSMC n7 (7nm) family: 0x17 (23) model-id: 0x68 (104) stepping: 1
    microcode: 0x8608103
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 6 tpc: 2 threads: 12 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 384 KiB desc: d-6x32 KiB; i-6x32 KiB L2: 3 MiB desc: 6x512 KiB L3: 8 MiB
    desc: 2x4 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 678 high: 2071 min/max: 400/4056 base/boost: 2100/4050
    scaling: driver: amd-pstate-epp governor: performance volts: 1.2 V
    ext-clock: 100 MHz cores: 1: 400 2: 400 3: 2071 4: 400 5: 400 6: 2071
    7: 400 8: 400 9: 400 10: 400 11: 400 12: 400 bogomips: 50303
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: untrained return thunk; SMT enabled with STIBP
    protection
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow mitigation: Safe RET
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, IBPB: conditional, STIBP:
    always-on, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Lucienne vendor: Lenovo driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: GCN-5
    code: Vega process: GF 14nm built: 2017-20 pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s
    lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s ports: active: eDP-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:164c class-ID: 0300
    temp: 34.0 C
  Device-2: Syntek Integrated Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo
    bus-ID: 1-3:2 chip-ID: 174f:2459 class-ID: fe01 serial: <filter>
  Display: server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X:
    loaded: amdgpu unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa dri: radeonsi gpu: amdgpu
    display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x286mm (20.00x11.26")
    s-diag: 583mm (22.95")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 mapped: eDP model: ChiMei InnoLux 0x140a built: 2019
    res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 158 gamma: 1.2 size: 309x173mm (12.17x6.81")
    diag: 354mm (13.9") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 640x480
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.1.2-1~mx23ahs renderer: AMD Radeon Graphics
    (renoir LLVM 15.0.6 DRM 3.57 6.7.6-1-liquorix-amd64) direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio vendor: Lenovo
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    link-max: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s bus-ID: 04:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD ACP/ACP3X/ACP6x Audio Coprocessor vendor: Lenovo
    driver: snd_rn_pci_acp3x v: kernel alternate: snd_pci_acp3x, snd_pci_acp5x,
    snd_pci_acp6x, snd_acp_pci, snd_rpl_pci_acp6x, snd_pci_ps,
    snd_sof_amd_renoir, snd_sof_amd_rembrandt, snd_sof_amd_vangogh,
    snd_sof_amd_acp63 pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 4
    speed: 16 GT/s bus-ID: 04:00.5 chip-ID: 1022:15e2 class-ID: 0480
  Device-3: AMD Family 17h/19h HD Audio vendor: Lenovo driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 4
    speed: 16 GT/s bus-ID: 04:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.7.6-1-liquorix-amd64 status: kernel-api
    tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: n/a (root, process) with:
    1: pipewire-pulse status: active 2: wireplumber status: active
    3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8852AE 802.11ax PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
    vendor: Lenovo driver: rtw89_8852ae v: kernel modules: wl pcie: gen: 1
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 2000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8852
    class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Realtek Bluetooth Radio type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 3-4:3 chip-ID: 0bda:4852 class-ID: e001 serial: <filter>
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 3 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 3.0
    lmp-v: 5.2 sub-v: 480d hci-v: 5.2 rev: dac7
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:6 sco-mtu: 255:12 link-policy: rswitch hold sniff park
    link-mode: peripheral accept service-classes: rendering, capturing, object
    transfer, audio, telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Western Digital model: PC SN730
    SDBPNTY-512G-1101 size: 476.94 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B
    logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter>
    rev: 11190001 temp: 31.9 C scheme: GPT
  SMART: yes health: PASSED on: 3 hrs cycles: 65
    read-units: 1,322,070 [676 GB] written-units: 1,456,198 [745 GB]
Partition:
  Message: No partition data found.
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 38.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 34.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2052 libs: 1048
    tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://ftp.halifax.rwth-aachen.de/mxlinux/packages/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
    2: deb http://ftp.halifax.rwth-aachen.de/mxlinux/packages/mx/repo/ bookworm ahs
Info:
  Processes: 389 Uptime: 3h 14m wakeups: 12976 Memory: 14.97 GiB
  used: 5.28 GiB (35.3%) Init: SysVinit v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical
  tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12 Shell: Sudo (sudo)
  v: 1.9.13p3 default: Bash v: 5.2.15 running-in: xfce4-terminal inxi: 3.3.26

So better get an Intel WiFi with Linux, or stick with realtek? What's the consensus of the folks here?
What about these newer WiFi 7 or 8 cards?? Future-proofing or wasted money?

[j2mcgreg]

We are going to need your computer’s complete profile before we can proceed, so you need to post the output from the QSI utility. The Quick System Info (QSI) utility is located in MX Tools and its output is automatically formatted for use here in the forum. Run the QSI utility, click “Copy for Forum” at the bottom and then just paste it here in your thread.
Forum Rules

[argonaut459]

as I said, attached QSI after I got home again

Just looking for general consensus or opinions if buying an intel AX210 over the installed Realtek 8852AE would provide better support out of the box (kernel-wise)?

[MXRobo]

These links MIGHT help, maybe too old.
viewtopic.php?p=751123#p751123

[j2mcgreg]

@argonaut459 wrote:

Just looking for general consensus or opinions if buying an intel AX210 over the installed Realtek 8852AE would provide better support out of the box (kernel-wise)?

A lot will depend on the capability of your modem / router. A highly efficient WiFi card won't do much good if the router has a low throughput.

[Stevo]

@argonaut459 wrote:

Just looking for general consensus or opinions if buying an intel AX210 over the installed Realtek 8852AE would provide better support out of the box (kernel-wise)?

A lot will depend on the capability of your modem / router. A highly efficient WiFi card won't do much good if the router has a low throughput.

Plus what the Internet tube leading to your routeris able to feed it.

This laptop has an AX200 minipcie card, and speedtest shows it getting the max what the ISP gives, which is about 200 mbps down and 50 up. (Either they or Youtube has throttled that site way down in the past month, though.)

[linexer2016]

Hello argonaut,
I've often suggested that when anyone's having issues with their current (onboard) wifi they might productively get an external wifi dongle. If you search this forum for brostrend and/or wifi dongle you should find the researched suggestions that have been in at least one case (spidermanslegs) taken up to good effect. These external (usb) dongles are not expensive and in my opinion are the way to go instead of mucking around with onboard wifi.

[argonaut459]

That's a changeable pcie card, open base, take out the realtek, put the Intel in, close the lid
I don't really see that as "mucking around with", however if it were soldered on as in my GF laptop, than a dongle is the only way to go.

It's just weird that the transfer rates drop down so much ever do often on this laptop, but sounds a bit what I read online about other realtek issues years ago

[linexer2016]

Again, all I am suggesting argo is that you consider an external dongle if nothing more than based on the references I've pointed you to. It's my experience that internal cards pcie or otherwise are often not as efficient as an external dongle esp. those models that have a high gain dual antennae.

[argonaut459]

All true.
I think I'll leave the current card in it, recommend to get an additional SSD, just to make use of all the internal space and storage he can get.
If he ever runs into any or more severe connection issues, a new one is quickly bought and tested. No need to change a running system, am I right
I actually don't know if he experienced issues with it so far.

Thanks. We let sleeping dogs sleep and will take action after I hear complaints :D