5GbE and beyond ethernet adapters

[Mach3.2]

So you just signed up for a 10Gbps fibre internet service, but realised your computer is stuck only on 1GbE/2.5GbE... What do?!?

I'm not really interested in 10GbE network adapters for laptops so I suppose I'd leave that to @xiaofan in the following posts. But for now let's get started with desktop PCIe network adapters for 1GbE and beyond.

Do note adapters from Intel/Nivida/Mellanox/Chelsio are server adapters, and will require airflow over the heatsink to properly operate within designed specifications. You can operate those without active cooling at your own risk, but conventional wisdom is you should always operate electronics within their designed specifications.

A 40mm PWM fan is commonly zip tied to the heatsink to provide airflow over the heatsinks.

I've seen reports of NICs getting burned out or errors being induced when operated for prolonged duration without adequare airflow over the heatsinks.

You have been warned if you chose to proceed without proper cooling for these network adapters.

Having said that, let's get to the meat.

mGig RJ45 copper​

Intel
Intel I225-V (PCIe gen 3 x1) : 2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb
Intel I226-V (PCIe gen 3 x1): 2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb

Marvell
AQC114 (PCIe gen 3 x2): 5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb/10Mb
AQC115C (PCIe gen 2 x1): 2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb/10Mb

10GbE RJ45 copper​

Intel
Intel X540-T1/T2 (PCIe gen 2 x8) [EOL]: 10GbE/1GbE/100Mb
Intel X550-T1/T2 (PCIe gen 3 x4): 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb
Intel X710-T4 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/1GbE/100Mb
Intel X710-T2L/T4L (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb

Marvell
Aquantia/Marvell AQC113 (PCIe gen 4 x4): 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb/10Mb

10GbE SFP+​

Intel
Intel X520-DA1/DA2 (PCIe gen 2 x8): 10GbE/1GbE
Intel X710-DA2 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/1GbE
Intel X710-DA4 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/1GbE

Nvidia/Mellanox
ConnectX-3 EN (EOL)

• MCX311A-XCBT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 10GbE/1GbE
• MCX312A-XCBT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 10GbE/1GbE

ConnectX-4 Lx

• MCX4111A-XCAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 10GbE/1GbE
• MCX4121A-XCAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 10GbE/1GbE

Chelsio
T540-LP-CR (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Quad port]: 10GbE/1GbE
T520-BT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 10GbE/1GbE

25GbE SFP28​

Intel
XXV710-DA1 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 25/10/1GbE
XXV710-DA2 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 25/10/1GbE
XXV710-DA2T (PCIe gen 3 x8): 25/10/1GbE
E810-XXVDA2/XXVDA4/XXVDA4T (PCIe gen 4 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
E810-XXVDA4/XXVDA4T (PCIe gen 3 x16) [Quad port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE

Nvidia/Mellanox
ConnectX-4 Lx

• MCX4111A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
• MCX4121A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE

ConnectX-5 EN

• MCX511A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
• MCX512A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
• MCX512A-ADAT (PCIe gen 4 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE

Chelsio
T6225-CR (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
T6225-SO-CR (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE


I figured no need to talk about anything beyond 25GbE, since if you're interested in those data rates, you probably already know what you're doing, and what you're looking for.

Some cheap and commonly recommended 10GbE adapters are the Intel 500 series adapters, and Nvidia/Mellanox ConnectX-3 and ConnectX-4 Lx cards. These can be purchased for around $100, or even way under $100 on ebay/taobao.

 

[Mach3.2]

SFP/SFP+/SFP28 modules​

There are mainly a few types of Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) modules/cables that you can find on the market.
Generally they are sorted into these types:

• Direct Attach Copper (DAC): Twin coaxial copper cable. Intended for intra-rack cabling, typically under 5m in length.
• Active Optical Cable (AOC): Essentially these are multi-mode fibre optic cables permanently mated to a matching pair of multi-mode tranceivers, then sold as a package.
• Multi-mode fibre: For intra-building cabling, typically up to 2km max in length.
• Single mode fibre: For long distance communications exceeding 2km, although there are instances of singe mode fibre optics being used in short distance deployments.
• RJ45 Copper: Used to convert SFP to RJ45. Typically in the form of "SFP to 1GbE RJ45 modules", or "SFP+ to 10GbE RJ45 modules".
• Optical Network Terminal/Optical Network Unit (ONT/ONU): Basically an ONT, but in SFP/SFP+ stick format. Typically takes an SC/APC terminated single mode fibre optic cable.

So which one to choose?​

DAC: Cheap and affordable. Go for this if you're interconnecting gear that are close together. Draws less than 1W of energy.
AOC: When you want to use DACs, but you're constrained by length of the cable. But you should probably look at multi-mode or single mode transceivers instead unless the AOC is dirt cheap.
Multi-mode fibre: Usually used for intra-building interconnects.
Single mode fibre: Traditionally, singe mode transceivers are more expensive, and are only used for inter-building connections that span more than 2km due to cost reasons.
RJ45 copper: Used when you want to convert an SFP/SFP+ port to RJ45. Usually for SFP+ to 10GbE RJ45. This kind of modules produces significant amount of heat due to the amount of power drawn, typically ~2.5W vs ~1W for normal single mode/multi-mode transceivers. Active cooling is recommended, and try not to stack multiple modules next to each other.
Optical Network Terminal/Optical Network Unit (ONT/ONU): Interesting. You shouldn't have this unless you're issued one from ViewQwest or you're doing something unsanctioned. Same constrains as the SFP+ RJ45 modules; these things runs hot, and active cooling is recommended to avoid cooking your gear.

However for 10/25GbE, cost for single mode transceivers have came down and the difference in cost between multi-mode and single mode transceivers are no longer significant.

I'd argue greenfield 10/25GbE deployments should be biased towards single mode fibre optics since single mode fibre optic cable is infinitely scalable vs multi-mode fibre optic cables, where there are different types for different speed.

Manufacturer coding​

SFP/SFP+/SFP28 modues can be coded with a manufacturer code by specification, and they often are. Often this is used to lock out 3rd party transceivers in the enterprise space. Some manufactuers like Mikrotik don't do this.

Usually equipment manufacturers only guarantee their own SFP modues to work with their equipment. If you're mixing and matching, things are not guaranteed to work. Once again, you have been warned.

 

[Mach3.2]

reserved 2.

 

[Mach3.2]

reserved 3.

 

[morimorimori]

Should also mention pcie slot requirements. Some might buy a new network card only to find their mb does not have the necessary slot.

FWIW pcie x1 slot will support up to 2.5g card. A 10g card needs x2 to x4 slot (x2 not usually seen so have to go up to x4)

 

[xiaofan]

For laptop, Mac and Mini PCs, usually you have to have USB 4/TB4/TB3 ports in order to use 10Gbe NICs.

Note: quite some of this adapters are using Marvell AQC107 or AQC 113C chipset. You may encounter problems under Windows but usually no issues under Linux and macOS. Some users may have to reinstall Windows to get the right speed.

I have done some study and got the post here.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...home-networking.6653421/page-6#post-153892491

+++++++++++++++++++++++
1. USB 4 or Thunderbolt 4/Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbsp) to 10Gbe NIC, mainly for Mac, laptop and mini PCs

1) Cheap ones based on AQC107 or AQC 113 chipset

IOCrest, GRiS and XikeStor have USB4/TB4/TB3 to 10G NICs. I have all three and they work fine. XikeStor version has the fan and I can hear the noise so I do not quite recommend it.

There are also other versions from Taobao which I have no experiences (mostly more expensive than the three).

I tend to recommend IOcrest version.
http://www.iocrest.com/index.php?id=2414

Reviews of the IOcrest USB4/TB4/TB3 to 10G NIC.
https://www.michaelstinkerings.org/iocrest-thunderbolt-10g-nic-review/
https://nascompares.com/2024/07/05/iocrest-usb4-to-10gbe-adapter-review/


IOcrest version Taobao link
【淘宝】http://e.tb.cn/h.gqZQByabhCtipZj?tk=M4Fl3hjLDLL HU9196 「乐扩 USB4网卡10G兼容雷电3/4单口万兆电口RJ45以太网适配器支持MAC」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开.

GRiS version Taobao Link
【淘宝】限时官方立减91元 http://e.tb.cn/h.gKcq2TiVs0tLuip?tk=t9C03hjo6Dq HU0854 「GRIS USB4.0万兆网卡AQC113雷电thunderboit4/3台式机AQC107笔记本10GB服务器电脑不支持Type-C 3.0.3.1.3.2」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开

XikeStor Taobao Link -- older version with audible fan noise
【淘宝】99%买家好评 https://e.tb.cn/h.TImvx7vYPQbBOyt?tk=Aks4eitTGXl MF168 「兮克usb4网卡雷电3雷电4转10G万兆网卡RJ45转接器SKN-T310GT雷电口转网线口雷电拓展坞」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开

XikeStor Taobao Link -- improved version with nicer outlook and less fan noise
【淘宝】大促价保 https://e.tb.cn/h.6Y5nwH3HhIxwj9c?tk=677eeIyR7z4 HU591 「兮克usb4网卡雷电3雷电4转10G万兆网卡RJ45转接器SKN-U410GT雷电口转网线口雷电拓展坞」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开

2) Orico has TB4/TB3 to 10G NIC as well with nicer outlook than the above three. It may be a better match of your nice Apple Mac Mini or Macbook laptops in terms of styles. It is also a more well-known brand compared to the above three.

It is available from Orico official Shopee Store. Price is subject to change: S$159.01 on 18 Feb 2025.
https://sg.shp.ee/7LwUZxc

Orico Taobao shop may not be cheaper if you add GST and Shipment, at RMB 699.
【淘宝】假一赔四 https://e.tb.cn/h.TIaxQ17wfdSXN1h?tk=UVVIeitjBN4 CZ009 「ORICO奥睿科雷电3转10Gbs万兆网络转换器网卡扩展坞雷电4/USB4万兆网卡苹果兼容Macmini适用」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开

3) More expensive and branded ones -- usually TB4/TB3 to 10G NIC

https://www.owc.com/solutions/thunderbolt-3-10g-ethernet-adapter (RJ45)
https://www.qnap.com/en-in/product/qna-t310g1s (SFP+)
https://www.qnap.com/en-in/product/qna-t310g1t (RJ45)
https://www.startech.com/en-eu/networking-io/tb310g2 (RJ45)
https://www.sonnettech.com/product/networking/ethernet-networking.html (SFP+, RJ45)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2. New: USB 3.2 Gen 2x 2 (20Gbps) based 10Gbe NIC, based on Realtek RLT8159 chipset

Take note many USB4/TB4 ports do not support USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 (20Gbps), but only USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps)
https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/0...bps-ethernet-cards-usb-adapters-and-switches/

 

[xiaofan]

This thread is about 10Gbe and above.

But for those who want to go with 5Gbe, you do not have many choices. Here is the collection.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...home-networking.6653421/page-6#post-153892331

+++++++++++
1. RealTek RTL8126x 5Gbps Ethernet PCIe and M.2 adapters are available, from vendors like IOCrest and GRiS.
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/06/18/realtek-rtl8126-5gbps-ethernet-pcie-and-m-2-adapters/

Example product from IOCrest. I have the PCI-E version and it works fine. The good thing is that it is of low power and only need PCI-E x1 slot.
http://www.iocrest.com/index.php?id=2413
http://www.iocrest.com/index.php?id=2410

Note: you may have lower speed under Windows as the RealTek driver may not work well under Windows. The result may be slightly better under Linux but the speed may still be on the lower side.

My test results:
I checked my test results and I cannot get close to 5Gbps download speed either with my Ryzen 5 5600G Desktop running Windows 11 Home, or dual boot Ubuntu 24.04 Linux. Still if your PC has only empty PCIex1 slot, then this may still be a good and low cost option upgrade.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...witch-and-vq-xgs-pon-onu-stick.7047645/page-7
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/singtel-3gbps-5gbps-10-gbps-enhanced.7030365/page-16


Windows 11.

PS C:\work\networking\ookla-speedtest-1.2.0-win64> .\speedtest.exe -s 13623

   Speedtest by Ookla

      Server: Singtel - Singapore (id: 13623)
         ISP: Singtel Fibre
Idle Latency:     1.82 ms   (jitter: 0.25ms, low: 1.70ms, high: 2.12ms)
    Download:  4122.39 Mbps (data used: 5.1 GB)
                  1.11 ms   (jitter: 7.71ms, low: 0.84ms, high: 204.91ms)
      Upload:  4746.21 Mbps (data used: 5.7 GB)
                  6.95 ms   (jitter: 0.48ms, low: 1.62ms, high: 13.30ms)
 Packet Loss:     0.0%
  Result URL: https://www.speedtest.net/result/c/c138a099-198e-4c76-96c1-8429cd5f0213

Ubuntu 24.04 Linux

mcuee@PCRyzen5600G:~/build/networking/ookla$ ./speedtest -s 13623

   Speedtest by Ookla

      Server: Singtel - Singapore (id: 13623)
         ISP: Singtel Fibre
Idle Latency:     1.67 ms   (jitter: 0.15ms, low: 1.59ms, high: 1.92ms)
    Download:  4353.16 Mbps (data used: 5.4 GB)                                              
                  0.99 ms   (jitter: 8.17ms, low: 0.75ms, high: 207.79ms)
      Upload:  4746.26 Mbps (data used: 6.0 GB)                                              
                  3.81 ms   (jitter: 0.44ms, low: 1.67ms, high: 15.46ms)
 Packet Loss:     0.0%
  Result URL: https://www.speedtest.net/result/c/2e4bad9b-b5a8-4214-8a32-6e93b7e64dba

2. For USB to 5G NICs, last time there were a few more branded ones but they seem to be EOLed now.
https://www.servethehome.com/usb-3-1-gen1-to-5gbe-network-adapter-guide/

The WusdPi USB 3.2 to 5G NIC (RTL8157 chipset) is new and the price is quite reasonable at about US$35.
https://www.wisdpi.com/products/wis...atible-on-5g-2-5g-1g-100mbps-ideal-for-gaming



Another cheaper version from Wavelink.
https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=838685782091

Note: you may have lower speed under Windows as the RealTek driver may not work well under Windows. Make sure you have a 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 port or better. If not the speed will be lower.

More details about RTL815 chipset limitation here.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...ernet-adapters.7068236/page-11#post-154803532

I notice that there is a sale pricing for the Wavlink 5Gbps USB-C to Ethernet adapter on Shopee today. More interesting is the notes about speed and compatibility limitations posted, which is quite helpful to take note for Realtek-based 5Gbps adapters:

Notes:

1. To achieve the optimal network speed, please make sure the USB port connected speed is 10Gbps; When the USB port speed is 5Gbps, the maximum Ethernet speed is around 3.3Gbps.

2. The default speed for MAC OS is 5Gbps, manually selecting the highest speed should be at 2.5Gbps; This issue is related to the MAC OS driver and manual settings are not recommended.

3. There are speed differences on MacBook.

* M3 chip. Dual direction maximum speed can reach 4.6Gbps.

* M1 chip. Dual direction Transmit/Receive. One direction can reach 4Gbps, the other 2.5Gbps. Single direction maximum speed can reach 4.7Gbps.

* 2017 Intel i7 chip. Dual direction Transmit/Receive. One direction can reach 3.1Gbps, the other 1.3Gbps. Single direction maximum speed can reach 4.7Gbps.

* 2017 Intel i5 chip. Dual direction Transmit/Receive. One direction can reach 2.9Gbps, the other 900Mbps. Single direction maximum speed can reach 3.8Gbps.

4. The speed are related to the computer CPU performance. Because this Ethernet adapter will consume computer's CPU resources.

On Surface Laptop Go（CPU i5-1035G1）Win11 OS will have same issue. Dual direction Transmit/Receive. One direction can reach 4.7Gbps, the other 623Mbps. resulting in CPU usage at 100%.

Realtek will provide the minimum configuration requirements soon.

If the above issue would made a negative impact on your user experience, please purchase with caution.

Compatibility:

Compatible: Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS, USB-C (5Gbps), USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt 3 Systems, Microsoft Windows 10, 8.x, 7, Vista and XP, macOS 10.6 and above, iPadOS

Compatible: Linux kernel 3.2 and above (basic support, install driver or update to 5.x kernel for full support), Supported on up-to-date Chrome OS systems

Compatible: Plug and play for Windows 10, Mac OS 10.13.6 to 11.x, iPadOS, Linux Kernel 5.x and above, up-to-date Chrome OS.

Not Compatible: ARM-based Windows RT and Windows Mobile, Nintendo Switch, Most Android devices, TiVo Series 2, Wii, or other non-PC/Mac platforms, Not recommended for use with FreeBSD or pfSense

3. The other 5Gbe chipset is AQC108 from Marvell with PCIe 3.0 x 1 interface (Aquantia is now part of Marvell) but it consumes more power than RTL8126x. It is not popular as AQC107/AQC113C based 10G NICs (PCIe x 4 or USB4/TB4/TB3).
https://www.anandtech.com/show/11368/aquantia-launch-aqtion-5g25g1g-nics (news in 2017).

 

[xiaofan]

1. PCI-E adapters using Marvell AQC107/AQC113C chipset may have issues under Windows.

TP-Link TX401and Asus XG-C100C are the most notorious 10G network adapters in this forum under Windows, even though they are both very popular. Both are using Marvell AQC107/AQC113C chipset. Some users have to reinstall Windows to get the right speed. On the other hand, quite some users have no issues. YMMV.

They are usually fine under Linux. So I will say it is partially Windows problem, partially Marvell problem.

Note: Asus XG-C100C newer versions are based on AQC113C and may be better as per some reports.
Note: Windows may play a big part if you encounter slower speed -- you may have to disable 3rd party antivirus program or some network monitoring applications if you encounter issues.

2. The following two posts are from this thread, page 17.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/5gbe-and-beyond-ethernet-adapters.7068236/page-17

1) More recommended chipsets:

Marvell, Broadcom (some) and Realtek made NICs are what I will always avoid if I could. Unless it was built-in onto the motherboard. Especially from a "production-ready" and long-term stability standpoint.

I've built countless servers/appliances/systems using NICs (non-2.5G) from Chelsio, Intel, and Mellanox, which have given me zero issues over the years. Operating systems span across different distributions of Linux, BSD (Unix), and Windows (Server).​

2) Potential solution if you have encountered issues with Marvell chipset based 10G NICs.

You made my day! I tweaked the settings as suggested in the link and followed up with a stress test by running multiple torrent downloads and uploads - ZERO "Timed Out" errors for the last 30 minutes! Problem solved! Thank you so much for the link. Wishing you a great day too!

Energy Efficient Ethernet: Off
Flow Control: Off
Interrupt Moderation: Disabled
Interrupt Moderation Rate: Disabled
Jumbo Packets: 9014 (Must be configured on all switches/routers on your network + internal servers must have matching MTU. If you don't have a NAS or some type of high network capacity server on your network, don't touch this setting.)
Receive Side Scaling: Disabled

 

[xiaofan]

1) New PCIe 4.0 x 1 10Gbe RJ45 adapter from IOcrest based on AQC113 chipset

Need to find more reviews. This seems to be quite unique with PCIe 4.0 × 1 slot, based on Marvell AQC113 chipset.

【淘宝】假一赔四 https://e.tb.cn/h.TJYJMaU8hvR3Ckt?tk=lJOCeSG1wjp MF287 「乐扩 PCIE4.0 X1万兆网卡10G电口支持PXE无盘AQC113芯10G/5G/2.5G/1G电竞」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开

2) Power related discusison if you are worried about power/heat dissipation
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...nsume-more-power-than-a-fridge.7092069/page-4

 

[Mach3.2]

Should also mention pcie slot requirements. Some might buy a new network card only to find their mb does not have the necessary slot.

FWIW pcie x1 slot will support up to 2.5g card. A 10g card needs x2 to x4 slot (x2 not usually seen so have to go up to x4)

Good point. Added.

Although if the x1 slot is open ended, you can also slot in cards that are longer than x1. But in this case, since 10GbE cards are commonly PCIe gen 3, you'd be limited to ~8Gbps due to PCIe bottleneck.

 

[Trans-Am]

interesting thread, I am new in this ( 10G) and want to learn more on spf+ .

between Active Optical Cable (AOC) Vs Multi-mode fibre Vs Single mode fibre, which one y'all using when connecting router & switch?


Sent from A universe Where pink PWNED everything

 

[xiaofan]

Should also mention pcie slot requirements. Some might buy a new network card only to find their mb does not have the necessary slot.

FWIW pcie x1 slot will support up to 2.5g card. A 10g card needs x2 to x4 slot (x2 not usually seen so have to go up to x4)

PCI-E x1 slot supports 5Gbe card just fine. I am using it myself.

But I understand there are very few 5Gbe NICs.

 

[Henry Ng]

So you just signed up for a 10Gbps fibre internet service, but realised your computer is stuck only on 1GbE/2.5GbE... What do?!?

I'm not really interested in 10GbE network adapters for laptops so I suppose I'd leave that to @xiaofan in the following posts. But for now let's get started with desktop PCIe network adapters for 1GbE and beyond.

Do note adapters from Intel/Nivida/Mellanox/Chelsio are server adapters, and will require airflow over the heatsink to properly operate within designed specifications. You can operate those without heatsinks at your own risk, but conventional wisdom is you should always operate electronics within their designed specifications.

A 40mm PWM fan is commonly zip tied to the heatsink to provide airflow over the heatsinks.

I've seen reports of NICs getting burned out or errors being induced when operated for prolonged duration without adequare airflow over the heatsinks.

You have been warned if you chose to proceed without proper cooling for these network adapters.

Having said that, let's get to the meat.

mGig RJ45 copper​

Marvell
AQC114 (PCIe gen 3 x2): 5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb/10Mb
AQC115C (PCIe gen 2 x1): 2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb/10Mb

10GbE RJ45 copper​

Intel
Intel X540-T1/T2 (PCIe gen 2 x8) [EOL]: 10GbE/1GbE/100Mb
Intel X550-T1/T2 (PCIe gen 3 x4): 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb
Intel X710-T4 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/1GbE/100Mb
Intel X710-T2L/T4L (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb

Marvell
Aquantia/Marvell AQC113 (PCIe gen 4 x4): 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb/10Mb

10GbE SFP+​

Intel
Intel X520-DA1/DA2 (PCIe gen 2 x8): 10GbE/1GbE
Intel X710-DA2 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/1GbE
Intel X710-DA4 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 10GbE/1GbE

Nvidia/Mellanox
ConnectX-3 EN (EOL)

• MCX311A-XCBT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 10GbE/1GbE
• MCX312A-XCBT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 10GbE/1GbE

ConnectX-4 Lx

• MCX4111A-XCAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 10GbE/1GbE
• MCX4121A-XCAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 10GbE/1GbE

Chelsio
T540-LP-CR (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Quad port]: 10GbE/1GbE
T520-BT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 10GbE/1GbE

25GbE SFP28​

Intel
XXV710-DA1 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 25/10/1GbE
XXV710-DA2 (PCIe gen 3 x8): 25/10/1GbE
XXV710-DA2T (PCIe gen 3 x8): 25/10/1GbE
E810-XXVDA2/XXVDA4/XXVDA4T (PCIe gen 4 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
E810-XXVDA4/XXVDA4T (PCIe gen 3 x16) [Quad port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE

Nvidia/Mellanox
ConnectX-4 Lx

• MCX4111A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
• MCX4121A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE

ConnectX-5 EN

• MCX511A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Single port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
• MCX512A-ACAT (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
• MCX512A-ADAT (PCIe gen 4 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE

Chelsio
T6225-CR (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE
T6225-SO-CR (PCIe gen 3 x8) [Dual port]: 25GbE/10GbE/1GbE


I figured no need to talk about anything beyond 25GbE, since if you're interested in those data rates, you probably already know what you're doing, and what you're looking for.

Some cheap and commonly recommended 10GbE adapters are the Intel 500 series adapters, and Nvidia/Mellanox ConnectX-3 and ConnectX-4 Lx cards. These can be purchased for around $100, or even way under $100 on ebay/taobao.

Honestly i think for 25G plan in future, may not need 25G LAN adaptor as the router should be 2 x 10G LAN port and 2 x 2.5G LAN port.

 

[xiaofan]

Honestly i think for 25G plan in future, may not need 25G LAN adaptor as the router should be 2 x 10G port and 2 x 2.5G port.

That could well be the case for Singtel and WC who are offering aggregated 2Gbps and 2.5Gbps plans now --> Singtel/WC may use ONR and offer aggregated 20Gbps plan and 25Gbps plan at that time.

On the other hand, other ISPs will probably offer true 25Gbps plan with ONT and single SFP28 port, so you will still need NICs with SFP28.

Starhub may still offer both ONR (with WiFi 7 or WiFi 8) and ONT option at that time.

But it could well be ONRs will be more popular at that time with FTTR offerings. ONT (or ONU stick) becomes a niche offerings for power users.

 

[kindredSG]

between Active Optical Cable (AOC) Vs Multi-mode fibre Vs Single mode fibre, which one y'all using when connecting router & switch?

For home/consumer use - DAC is probably the cheapest and simplest to use. For enterprise it's more whatever fits the requirement (usually distance).

 

[Mach3.2]

interesting thread, I am new in this ( 10G) and want to learn more on spf+ .

between Active Optical Cable (AOC) Vs Multi-mode fibre Vs Single mode fibre, which one y'all using when connecting router & switch?


Sent from A universe Where pink PWNED everything

Updated post 2.

But for the sake of discussion: I don't really recommend AOC since the transceivers are permanently mated to the fibre optic cable, which can make it hard to route through tight spaces. Plus damaging the fibre optic cable = the entire AOC is toast.

I'd almost always use DAC since it consumes the lowest amount of power + it's the cheapest. Distance permitting of course.

 

[kindredSG]

Good thread - might be worth mentioning heat limits of SFP modules too, especially when used at home (although the small fan can also help in the tiny cupboards/DB).

 

[xiaofan]

For home/consumer use - DAC is probably the cheapest and simplest to use. For enterprise it's more whatever fits the requirement (usually distance).

Unfortunately for my setup I have to give up on DAC cables since none of them work. Maybe it is due to the use of cheap Hasivo switches.

1) Working configuration
Singtel ONR 10G LAN port --> Hasivo 2.5G switch RJ45 10G port
Hasivo 2.5G switch SFP+ port --> 1m or 2m DAC cable --> Miniroute R1 N100 Mini PC with dual SFP+ port (Intel 82599 ES chipset)

Or
Hasivo 2.5G switch SFP+ port --> 3m DAC cable --> Ryzen 5 5600G Desktop PC with dual SFP+ port 10G NIC (Intel X520-DA2 chipset)

2) Once I add another Hasivo 8-port SFP+ 10G switch, things go totally wrong.
Singtel ONR 10G LAN port --> Hasivo 2.5G switch RJ45 10G port
Hasivo 2.5G switch SFP+ port --> 1m DAC cable --> Hasivo SFP+ 10G Switch
Hasivo SFP+ 10G Switch -->1m DAC cable --> Miniroute R1 N100 Mini PC with dual SFP+ port (Intel 82599 ES chipset)

3) I have to give up on DAC cables and replace them with two Fibre cables plus four SFP+ optic modules.

 

[kindredSG]

Unfortunately for my setup I have to give up on DAC cables since none of them work. Maybe it is due to the use of cheap Hasivo switches.

I think its a good point in general for other people reading this, to understand that SFP modules are typically vendor specific as well, or at least prefer or are more stable with certain vendor types.

I've not had much luck getting my EB810v to connect over DAC with my UDM Pro using either the Unifi DAC or a TP-Link programmed DAC (though the EB810v is a consumer product, so may not even work well with TP-Link SFP DACs).

 

[Mach3.2]

Good thread - might be worth mentioning heat limits of SFP modules too, especially when used at home (although the small fan can also help in the tiny cupboards/DB).

Updated post 2 too.

Good call, won't want people to be surprised by the heat output of SFP+ to RJ45 modules, and of course the SFP+ ONU from ViewQwest.