I'm considering an ASUS ROG X870 motherboard because it's included in a great bundle, but I've heard that its built-in MediaTek Wi-Fi hardware has had compatibility problems on Linux. Has support improved with newer kernels and firmware, and should it work under CachyOS? I can use a separate adapter if necessary, but I'd prefer to use the motherboard's integrated Wi-Fi. If setup is still difficult, what fallback options would be practical?
4 Answers
It should work, but make sure the system has a recent kernel and the appropriate MediaTek firmware installed. The Wi-Fi hardware on newer boards may not be supported by older kernels. If you can, prepare the firmware and updates before changing motherboards, or have Ethernet or a USB-tethered phone ready in case Wi-Fi doesn’t work immediately.
Recent updates have made these adapters much less troublesome. Someone using the same general MediaTek hardware on CachyOS reported that Wi-Fi, including newer Wi-Fi 6 features, worked after updates. It’s still worth having a temporary internet connection available during installation in case the initial image lacks the required firmware.
The MediaTek MT7921K/RZ608 is supported by the mt7921e driver. It has worked without major problems on Ubuntu versions going back several releases, so a current Arch-based distribution like CachyOS should generally be fine as long as its kernel and linux-firmware packages are up to date.
If the onboard card gives you trouble, replacing the module with an Intel AX210 is usually an inexpensive and straightforward option. Used laptop Wi-Fi modules are often available cheaply, though you should confirm that the motherboard’s wireless slot and antenna connectors are compatible before buying one.
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