Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Intel 500 Series Network Adapters

Intel 500 Series Network Adapters

Overview

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…

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

The default Ethernet adapter has become a go-to solution for users looking to replace failed on-board adapters or add additional NICs. It …
Continue reading

Great Network Adapter!

10 out of 10
June 25, 2021
Incentivized
We are currently using Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X540 as our primary server NIC. These are part of our standard build of …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Intel 500 Series Network Adapters?

Intel 500 Series Network Adapters Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(11)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

The default Ethernet adapter has become a go-to solution for users looking to replace failed on-board adapters or add additional NICs. It is commonly used by end-users, servers, and storage devices. The reliability and performance of this adapter have been highly valued by users, even without the use of 10 Gig switches on the other end. In fact, it is being considered for implementation in every desktop on the headquarters LAN as the company transitions to a 10 gig network. In a university setting, particularly on non-blade servers, the Intel 500 Series Network Adapters are widely used to leverage 10Gbe connections. These adapters have proven to be reliable in terms of hardware longevity and software/drivers, while achieving high throughput approaching the expected 10 GbE performance.

Another valuable use case for these adapters is their ability to upgrade machines to 10 GbE speeds while utilizing existing Cat6 cabling and switches. This has been successfully achieved using the Intel X540 adapter. Additionally, the Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X540 is utilized as Storage NICs for entry-level hyper-converged Ethernet solutions, providing suitable 10GbE NIC speed for 2-node clusters with virtual office workloads. One notable advantage of these adapters is their cost-effectiveness as they deliver the best price/performance ratio on the market, especially when directly connected without a switch.

In high-performance environments such as data centers, the Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapters x540 play a crucial role as the primary connectivity option for hardware-level networking. They serve as the backbone for datacenter and inter-site communication. Moreover, these adapters are part of the standard build of materials for all servers, providing stable and well-supported network interface connections.

The versatility of Intel network adapters is evident in their ability to upgrade several old servers from 1Gbe to 10 Gbe, including NAS servers, internet proxies, and speed test servers. By leveraging the Intel 500 adapter along with additional RAM, users have been able to upgrade existing servers without the need for complete replacement. Finally, these Intel CNAs have been instrumental in simplifying data centers by converging Storage Area Network devices with the remaining infrastructure. This reduces complexity and administrative effort while maintaining performance and reliability.

Reviews

(1-11 of 11)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Stable network adapter
  • Well supported with drivers for all operating systems
  • Good product support from Intel or OEMs
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Uses RJ45 ports, allowing you to use existing Cat6/7 infrastructure.
  • Widely supported by OSs, as to be expected with Intel adapters.
  • Relatively low cost upgrade for a massive speed boost.
  • There are cheaper alternatives, although admittedly not by much.
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Flexible connectivity options
  • Manageability
  • Various form factors for different hardware applications
  • It could be simplified for new users to learn
  • More complex than standard adapters
  • Extra administrative overhead might not be worth the added value over standard adapters
Return to navigation