Intel 10 Gbps Network Cards

High Speed Network Cards

The top-of-the-line, fastest processing network adapter is one that has a 10 Gbps processing speed. These adapters allow for instant communication and responsiveness on the network. A slow responding adapter is a thing of the past as people want instant information coming at them and a 10 Gigabit card what they are looking for.

What Are the Types of Intel Network Cards?

• Ethernet/ RJ45. An RJ45 NIC is an Ethernet port that most commonly appears on switches, routers, and network cards. The name actually refers to the connector and port, but it also once referred to the cable for the Ethernet connection, also known as Ethernet cables. These run at a 10 Gigabit Ethernet speed but can sometimes have a faster Gigabit Ethernet speed with an add-on card. An SFP is usually for connecting switches for Ethernet connection. This gives you faster Gigabit speeds with a more reliable connection.
• Optical LC. An optical LC completes the end of an optical fiber and allows for quicker connection and disconnection speeds with an NIC rather than splicing. In data center applications, these LC connectors garner more fiber ports as well as a higher data rate such as 40 Gigabit Ethernet or 100 Gigabit Ethernet. These supersede the 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapters and work well on larger applications. The LC network adapters replaced the original SC adapters and are typically found on SFP transceivers.
• Optical FC. These connectors are very delicate and were for high-vibration environments. Many of these adapters have given way to SC or LC connectors. These network adapters commonly appear in datacom or telecommunications applications and were initially for Gigabit Ethernet connections. FC NIC's are not compatible with SFP's so you will not find them on any SFP transceivers.

What Are the Different Types of Compatible Ports?

• PCI. This was the initial card first included with desktop computers to provide a solid and fast Ethernet connection. These installed into the network ports for Internet connectivity.
• PCI Express x4. Ultimately, the hardware is totally different in a PCI Express port than a traditional PCI card. These network adapters aim to create a higher transfer rate across a limited number of wires, which is then based on a high speed serial protocol, similar to a LAN connection. One PCIe slot can work with many lanes to get the transfer rate of a single lane. A PCIe x4 simply indicates that this specific adapter has dual ports that are capable of working with 4 lanes to achieve a high transfer rate.
• PCI Express x8. Similar to the PCIe x4, the PCI Express x8 adapter has a dual port that works with 8 lanes for a faster transfer rate.
• PCI-X. This network adapter aims to increase the maximum transfer rate of the older PCI card. An important thing to note is that these are cards are backward compatible making them easier to use and also feature a dual port with two compatible slots.