2x2.5GbE PCIe Cards--Intel needs more PCIe Lanes than Realtek? Why?

Hardware Hub Networking
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Thanks! Even the PCI 2.0x1 card I have now is rated for 4Gbps, so that’s 4Gbps full duplex?

As to the core switch, well. I don’t have one. Yet. I was trying to gather all the equipment for my home server in late 2020/early 2021, and had to stop for Pandemic Reasons, and then there was … The Shortage®.

Given the mix of price/performance/power usage/relative silence I was looking for, I was looking at Mikrotik switches: in particular the CRS309 or CRS317, as both were quite reasonable at the time and I was going to sell some old equipment and could have gotten either for a steal.

At the moment, only the CRS-309 (8 SFP+, 1x1Gbps RJ-45 for router connection) is still what I would consider reasonable, even used. So, I’d probably end up with that if I had to buy now (I’m still waiting). MikroTik Routers and Wireless - Products: CRS309-1G-8S+IN

It can do “some Level 3,” but not much. I know it supports VLAN tagging, which is all I really want aside from having several SFP+. These really aren’t suitable for doing router-type activity; they’re not powerful enough.

Anything I can find that’s more powerful with the ports I want is just too expensive; all of the affordable used equipment I see looks to be too loud/power hungry for a home office server and apartment network running in a bedroom.

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Just FYI neither of those switches support 2.5Gbps, so you’d really want a 10G SFP+ card for those switches.

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I thought I could get a 2.5Gbps-capable RJ-45 transceiver to connect the switch to the router, and then use the other 10Gbps SFP+ ports to connect to my other 10 Gbps switch(es).

I didn’t think there was a 10Gbps NIC I could put in a PCIe 4.0x1 slot.

There IS a 10 Gbps RJ45 port on the motherboard I could give to the router’s VM if I had to. I can always use that. I just didn’t want to have to use it for the router VM, as I will never, ever, ever have 10Gbps internet.

24

If you already have a 10 Gbps RJ45 port I’d suggest you just use that. Use VLANs and virtual networks on your hypervisor. You don’t get the full performance of a passed-through NIC, but that only matters on little atom and celeron CPUs.