5GbE and beyond ethernet adapters

[sglandscape]

Nothing to improve already. You already hit the limit of XGS-PON technology used by local ISPs for the 10Gbps plan (kind of fake 10Gbps, should really be called 8.5Gbps plan).

Next leap would be roll out of 25G PON then maybe 50G PON, but we are no where near where such speeds are affordable for home networking gear yet.

 

[Jurong640]

Hooted a 10G LAN Card PCI e 3.0 X4, using Realtek 8127. Shipping on the way.

 

[keenklee]

Hooted a 10G LAN Card PCI e 3.0 X4, using Realtek 8127. Shipping on the way.

IMHO.
This is the best way. Good luck !

 

[stanlawj]

Just tested Wavlink's WL-NWU342G (AQC-113-B1), direct connection to M5 Max Thunderbolt port.
https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/product/WL-NWU342G-black.html

I ordered black from Wavlink Lazada, but it arrived silver inside the sealed box (outside the sealed box is black unit shown ).

The network adapter is rated as Thunderbolt 3 (which includes USB3.2 Gen 2x1 10Gbps only).
It is labelled as USB4 but doesn't support USB3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps.
[For that, you need the other Wavlink WL-NW343G (presumably uses the latest Realtek 10G chipset).
https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/product/WL-NWU343G-black.html ]

No driver required for MacOS (connected as Thunderbolt 3 device). However, driver must be downloaded from Wavlink support site for Window and Linux.

------Performance tests------
Speedtest through my ISP at 3am:
8 Gb/s down, 7.8 Gb/s up.
No jumbo frames.

Iperf3 between local machines: 9.17 Gbits/sec
---------------------------------------

Temperature-wise, the external heatsink appears to reach up to 40-ish deg C.
(no cooling assistance from external fan).
Room Temp is 30 deg C.

There are vents on the base, so I suspended the network adapter on an external PWM fan.
Much cooler temp achieved while a small external PWM fan is below it.
I stick to this setup to prolong life and as insurance against over-heating under heavy transfer loads, which is a known issue with all 10G USB network adapters (Realtek or AQC).

About AQC 10G chipsets:
AQC-100: SFP, old chipset before 2020, runs hot and draw a lot of power.
AQC-107: RJ45, old chipset before 2020, also runs hot and draws a lot of power.
AQC-113: RJ45, newest chipset from 2022, runs cooler and more efficient.
Do not buy older AQC chipsets.

https://www.marvell.com/content/dam...llers/marvell-fastLinq-edge-product-brief.pdf

 

[xiaofan]

Interesting comment about Realtek RTL8159 based USB 3.3 Gen 2*2 10Gbe adapter. The following post mentions about latency spike which is not good for gaming. Not so sure if other users facing the issue or not.

Just to update. I'm one of the early onr all in subscriber. For $85.11 before gst, I have the starhub entertainment pack, ethnic language pack, sports +, premier +, TV+ pro rental (which I seldom use these days) and Netflix premium plan. Also including the 10gbps broadband.

Contract ended in March this year. But like what Henry Ng mentioned earlier in this thread, there is no contract end date. For this price I suppose no isp can match

On hardware front, I bought the xikestor 10gbp USB nic based on realtek 8159. For downloading and general browsing it seems to be stable although it can increase cpu utilization when approaching faster speeds. However I find it not suitable for gaming as it causes the latency to spike to unplayable levels when playing poe

No issue when using native mobo 2.5gbps ethernet

 

[stanlawj]

Interesting comment about Realtek RTL8159 based USB 3.3 Gen 2*2 10Gbe adapter. The following post mentions about latency spike which is not good for gaming. Not so sure if other users facing the issue or not.

Realtek drivers for new chipsets need some time to get improved and updated. Their 2.5Gbe USB network adapter also required some time for a stable driver.

Driver stability (in MacOS) and thermal performance under load are also some of the main reasons I chose AQC-113 over RTL8159.

 

[shin89]

Hooted a 10G LAN Card PCI e 3.0 X4, using Realtek 8127. Shipping on the way.

Hooted one as well, but regretted getting the rj45 version as it seems like its easier to utilize sfp+ on consumer routers, otherwise need to get another sfp to rj45 module which runs hot.

 

[stanlawj]

Hooted one as well, but regretted getting the rj45 version as it seems like its easier to utilize sfp+ on consumer routers, otherwise need to get another sfp to rj45 module which runs hot.

Just get the standalone 10G Media Converter box to convert between RJ45 and SFP.
Then use passive copper 10G SFP instead of active optical SFP since the distance is < 1m to keep the conversion between optical and copper to only once.
A separate standalone box will solve the heat issue.

The SFP-RJ45 converter module is essentially the same circuit as the Media converter, just miniaturized and heatsink sized down causing much higher temperature, risking thermal throttling. It's not worth the high price, after I discovered that much cheaper standalone 10G media converters exist.

 

[shin89]

Just get the standalone 10G Media Converter box to convert between RJ45 and SFP.
Then use passive copper 10G SFP instead of active optical SFP since the distance is < 1m to keep the conversion between optical and copper to only once.
A separate standalone box will solve the heat issue.

The SFP-RJ45 converter module is essentially the same circuit as the Media converter, just miniaturized and heatsink sized down causing much higher temperature, risking thermal throttling. It's not worth the high price, after I discovered that much cheaper standalone 10G media converters exist.

Any good recommendations? I see these 10Gbe media convert boxes (rj45 to sfp+) all running almost $100 SGD. If got taobao link that will be much appreciated!

 

[stanlawj]

Any good recommendations? I see these 10Gbe media convert boxes (rj45 to sfp+) all running almost $100 SGD. If got taobao link that will be much appreciated!

I'm using Horaco 10G POE+ fiber media converter. There is a cheaper non-POE version. You don't need the POE if you're converting the ISP's 10Gbe copper to your router's SFP+ port.