Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 review – Wi-Fi 6E adapter in black garb

Inter-Tech Elektronik Handels GmbH is a German-based company founded in 1996. Since then, the main focus has been on Europe-wide distribution of his OEM and retail hardware for PC systems. Initially, the portfolio mainly included PC cases and power supplies. However, this has since been expanded to include a number of divisions (fans, peripherals, hard drive enclosures, etc.). For summer 2022, Inter-Tech has added a number of new peripherals to its portfolio. Among them is the Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 WLAN and Bluetooth adapter that we will be testing today.

Behind this discreet name is an internal WLAN and Bluetooth adapter with a PCIe x1 connector, two antennas and a maximum speed of 5400Mbps at 2.4GHz, 5GHz and this is the special feature in the 6GHz range. Additionally, the adapter is compatible with WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (WiFi 6E) standards and Bluetooth 5.2 (LE).

technical details

model:	Intertek Power On DMG-36
Wireless LAN standard	2T2R
antenna strength	6 dBi
data rate	2.4GHz to 574Mbps 5.0GHz to 2,400Mbps 6.0GHz to 2,400Mbps
Frequency range	2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz
bluetooth	5.2
connection	PCIe x 1
chipset	Intel AX210
operating system	Windows 10/11
Dimensions (LxWxH)	20×120×95mm
price:	€36.99 *

Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 Review: Package Contents

The Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 has a colorful exterior design with a product photo and the most important technical features on the front. The contents of the package and other technical data can be found on the back. Slide the white box out of the package to reveal the WLAN adapter directly. Wrapped in antistatic foil to protect against static discharge. Other accessories are hidden under the card. These include mounting screws, operation and installation instructions, a thin bezel, a USB connecting cable, and a small driver CD.

Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 Review: Visual Impressions and Assembly

The manufacturer PowerOn chose a black PCB for its WLAN card. This makes the adapter visually compatible with the current system and unobtrusive even with a viewing window. The large heatsink that houses Intel’s AX210 WLAN and Bluetooth chips is also black. The WLAN antenna contacts are not exposed and end in a silver slotted bracket into which the included antenna can be screwed. The antenna is made of plastic and can be rotated 360 degrees.

Installation and commissioning of the WLAN card was completed in no time. The Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 fits on any motherboard with an open PCIe x1 slot. After inserting and screwing the card into the case, the adapter still needs to be connected to the motherboard’s USB 2.0 header via an internal USB cable. This connection is required if you want to use the Bluetooth function.
After booting my Windows 10 PC, unfortunately the chip (Intel AX210) soldered on the board was not recognized directly. Drivers had to be downloaded first via separate internet access or Windows Update. Basically, the drivers seem to be available in the Windows database, but apparently they’re just stored directly in the Windows 11 ex works.

measurement

The Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 WLAN card was operated for about 8 hours a day for a week on a PC used for work and leisure (streaming, YouTube, gaming, etc.). We did not see any drop in connection or slowdown during this period. The same is true for the Bluetooth function. For testing, I used Bluetooth speakers (Anker Soundcore Boost) and wireless headphones (Samsung Galaxy Buds). Pairing worked flawlessly and operation was stable permanently. Other than that, the installed Intel AX210 has established itself as a very reliable WLAN or Bluetooth chip over the past two years.

Finally, I made some speed measurements and compared them to the speed of a cheap USB WLAN stick. The WLAN stick with USB 3.0 is based on the Realtek RTL8812BU chip. A Fritz!Box 7490 was used as a router and the maximum down and upload speeds were shown on the dashboard when measuring speeds: ↓ 67.9 Mbit/s ↑ 25.9 Mbit/s. Measurements were taken and averages were calculated from them.

model	Transmission speed
OEM WLAN Stick USB 3.0 with Realtek RTL8812BU (2.4GHz)	↓ 46.56 Mbit/s ↑ 22.01 Mbit/s
OEM WLAN Stick USB 3.0, Realtek RTL8812BU (5GHz)	↓ 62.27 Mbit/s ↑ 21.91 Mbit/s
Intertek Power On DMG-36 (2.4GHz)	↓ 63.54 Mbit/s ↑ 20.92 Mbit/s
Intertek Power On DMG-36 (5GHz)	↓ 64.18 Mbit/s ↑ 23.10 Mbit/s

When it comes to speed at 5GHz, there is very little difference between the adapters. The Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 typically has a slightly higher maximum, but it’s too low to make a big difference. However, it looks different in the 2.4 GHz band. Here the Intel AX210 is clearly distinguishable from the Realtek chip in the download.

Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 Test Summary

PowerOn has created a robust WLAN and Bluetooth adapter based on the Intel AX210. The AX210 impresses with its compatibility with WLAN standards 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (WiFi 6E) and speeds up to 2400Mbps in the 5GHz or 6GHz range. During the testing phase, all WLAN and Bluetooth connections were performed without disconnection. Connectivity via an internal PCIe 2.0 x1 slot saves even more valuable USB ports on your case or mainboard. Finally, the large antenna can be rotated flexibly and the PCB and heatsink are kept black.

The only negative point to mention is that you can’t install network adapters in Windows 10 if you don’t have internet access. Drivers are part of the Windows Update database, but are not included in the base installation. Windows 11 had no issues here. There, the adapter can now be used directly in the base installation.

Finally, there is the price. As an M.2 card, Intel’s AX210 costs around 15 euros. Equivalent PCIe x1 cards are typically available for around €45. At a price of 36.99 euros *, Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 remains lower than competitors. So if you’re looking for recommended WLAN and Bluetooth adapters for 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, and Bluetooth 5.2, keep the Inter-Tech PowerOn DMG-36 in mind.