Intel 500 Series Network Adapters

Score9.6 out of 10

11 Reviews and Ratings

What is Intel 500 Series Network Adapters?

The Intel 500 Series network adapters are backward compatible with existing 1000BASE-T networks, simplifying the transition to 10Gb Ethernet when more bandwidth is needed. Available in both PCIe and OCP form factors. Available models include the X550, the X540, and the X520.

Categories & Use Cases

Converged Network Adapters (CNAs)

Joe Foran View profile

Director Of Information Technology and HIPAA Privacy Officer in Information Technology at Continuum of Care (501-1000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

This is the default Ethernet adapter we purchase for end-users, servers, and storage when we need to replace a failed on-board adapter or add additional NICs. We find its reliability and performance are well worth the price, even when not using 10 Gig switches on the other end. As we move to a 10 gig network over the next year, we will likely be putting the adapter into every desktop on the headquarters LAN.

Pros

Throughput
Fit - Low Form Factor
Manageability

Cons

The packaging could be eco-friendlier

Most Important Features

easy dual port configuration for link aggregations
easy dual port configuration for redundancy
10gig Ethernet over copper support
Ease of installation
Ease of management

Return on Investment

It has enabled us to affordably moved to 10gig for those who need it
it will enable us to affordably move the HQ network to 10gig in the near future
It has simplified and helped us standardize on a NIC across all device types except laptops

Other Software Used

Synology DiskStation, Scale Computing HC3, Ubiquiti Networks UniFi

Daniel García Arias View profile

CCIE/CISSP, ISO/IEC 27001 Administrador de Seguridad y Riesgo & Gerente de SOC in Engineering at TI-America (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Is it being used by a department specifically by SOC. One problem that we faced is that the support should be improved.

Pros

Relaibility. Because we can trust the hardware.
Easy installation
Hardware good dimensioned.

Cons

Tech Support
Maybe improved Power consumption
Better cost

Most Important Features

On-chip QoS and Traffic Management
Storage Over Ethernet
Flexible Port Partitioning

Return on Investment

Meet the requirements of operations
Not so good ROI
Better Security of operations

Other Software Used

Wireshark, VMware vCenter Server, ManageEngine OpManager

Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

In the University where I work, we use Intel 500 Series Network Adapters on almost all of our non-blade servers. These adapters allowed us to leverage 10Gbe connections which our datacenter switching infrastructure already supported.

Pros

10Gbe
Stable driver
RJ45 ports
Supported by Windows and Linux

Cons

Could be cheaper
Gets extremely hot

Most Important Features

Ability to upgrade existing servers, saving us from buying new servers
RJ45 ports allowed us to connect to existing infrastructure

Return on Investment

The positive impact saved a significant sum upgrading servers to 10Gb instead of replacing entire Servers.
Saved money allowing us to use existing network cabling and switches within the datacenter

Alternatives Considered

Broadcom CNA

Other Software Used

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM), SolarWinds IP Address Manager (IPAM), SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)

Verified User

Executive in Information Technology (11-50 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

The Intel 500 Series Network Adapters are great for CAT6 10 GbE. We have used these in place of Broadcom for 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections used by NAS and Dell PowerEdge servers. The adapters have been very reliable in terms of hardware longevity and software/drivers. We have measured high throughput approaching the 10 GbE real-world expected performance.

Pros

10 GbE speeds - very fast - measured.
Reliable.
Driver Support.

Cons

Expensive (especially when purchased through Dell server configuration).

Most Important Features

Fast 10 GbE.
No Compatibility Issues yet with various CAT6 cables.
Excellent Longevity.
Good driver support.

Return on Investment

Faster local backups to NAS.
Fast vCenter access to shared SAN storage in a few cases.
Very affordable.

Other Software Used

Intel 700 Series Network Adapters

Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have several old servers that we use Intel network adapters to increase then from 1Gbe to 10 Gbe. This include NAS server, internet proxy and speed test servers. We were originally looking to replace the servers with new ones but then we found these Intel 500 adapter and also purchased additional RAM and was able to upgrade our present servers.

Pros

Stable drivers on both Linux and Widows
10GbE over existing Cat6/Cat7
Low latency

Cons

Price could be more competitive.
Overheating issue, these cards run hot so make sure you have cooling for your severs.

Most Important Features

Linux support
RJ45 connector
Reliability

Return on Investment

Saved us money by allow us to upgrade servers to 10Gbe without replacing entire server.
Saved us money by allowing us to use our existing Cat6 infrastructure.

Alternatives Considered

Broadcom CNA

Other Software Used

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM), SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM), HPE Aruba Ethernet Switches