Excellent choice for 10GbE CAT6 RJ45 connections - reliable and good driver support
February 23, 2022
Excellent choice for 10GbE CAT6 RJ45 connections - reliable and good driver support

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Modules Used
- X550
- X540
- X520
Overall Satisfaction with Intel 500 Series Network Adapters
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).
- Fast 10 GbE.
- No Compatibility Issues yet with various CAT6 cables.
- Excellent Longevity.
- Good driver support.
- Faster local backups to NAS.
- Fast vCenter access to shared SAN storage in a few cases.
- Very affordable.
I've also supported Broadcom network adapters, as well as cheaper solutions from StarTech. Broadcom typically costs more and doesn't have any advantages for our applications. The StarTech ones are cheaper with fewer support options. Intel is the way to go for CAT6 10GbE adapters. The balance of reliability, driver support, ease of use, and compatibility is excellent.
Do you think Intel 500 Series Network Adapters delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Intel 500 Series Network Adapters's feature set?
Yes
Did Intel 500 Series Network Adapters live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of Intel 500 Series Network Adapters go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Intel 500 Series Network Adapters again?
Yes
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