10Gtek 10Gb PCI-E NIC Network Card, Dual SFP+ Port, with Intel 82599ES Controller, PCI Express Ethernet LAN Adapter Support Windows Server/Linux/VMware, Compare to Intel X520-DA2(E10G42BTDA)

Upgraded a couple machines in my home network to 10GB, this card is big, heavy, and has huge heatsinks on it. Installing the driver was tricky if you're on Windows 10, you have to download it from Intel, unzip, check one of the folders (can't remember which one) but you'll find the driver for Windows 10 and then manually install it.

This card is easy and powerful. It comes with a PC case bracket and a server-style bracket which fit my HYTE case perfectly. One hurdle is the Win11 driver install, and since I have 2 ports, I had to install the driver for both of them. Use the Device Manager "update driver" process. I assume if you are buying this level of hardware, you have some idea of what you are doing... Download the Intel Win10 family drivers, I'd go for the complete set option. After extraction, find the PROXGB>Winx64>NDI565 folder, hit enter. Yes, the NDI565 folder (completely non-intuitive, I know...). Viola NIC recognized, do this for all ports in the DM. Happy networking.

Works great with a 10GTek sfp+ DAC 6ft. on Windows 10 LTSC. Connected to a Mikrotik CCR2004 router with sfp+ port. LAN connectivity through the router hits 9-10 gigs regularly. My ISP is 1 Gb up and down, and this helps me 100MB-140MB speeds

As a solutions architect who has recently started working from home, I needed a reliable and high-speed network card to handle my upgraded home internet connection, which is now a fiber connection at 5Gbps+. I also required higher throughput to my work's datacenter. The 10Gtek 10Gb Dual RJ45 Port Network Card with X540 Controller has proven to be an excellent choice.First and foremost, this network card delivers outstanding performance. With dual RJ45 ports and the X540 controller, it supports 10Gbps speeds, ensuring that my connection remains fast and stable. This has been crucial for my workflow, as I often need to transfer large files and access remote servers without any lag.Upgrading my home internet to a fiber connection at 5Gbps+ meant I needed a network card that could handle such speeds efficiently. The 10Gtek network card has met these demands perfectly, providing the necessary throughput to my work's datacenter. This has significantly improved my productivity, allowing me to access and manage data quickly and efficiently.The installation process was straightforward, and the card works seamlessly with my Windows systems and Hyper-V servers. The packaging was fantastic, and the install was as simple as expected. However, the only negative experience I had was finding compatible drivers. Windows Update didn’t recognize the hardware, and the manufacturer’s website didn’t have any readily available drivers. I ended up going to the chip manufacturer’s website and found the appropriate driver, which I successfully installed. No driver disks or instructions were provided.The build quality of this network card is on par with what I expected, providing a solid and functional product. It feels robust enough for long-term use without being overly impressive. Additionally, the card's design ensures efficient heat dissipation, preventing overheating even during prolonged use. One feature I particularly appreciate is the network activity lights, which, while almost standard, provide clear indicators of network status and activity. The device is also void of any additional noise, making it ideal for a quiet home office environment.Additionally, the value for the money is exceptional. This network card offers high-end performance and features at a reasonable price point, making it a great investment for anyone needing reliable network connectivity.In summary, the 10Gtek 10Gb Dual RJ45 Port Network Card with X540 Controller is an excellent investment for anyone needing high-speed and reliable network connectivity. It has significantly enhanced my home office setup, providing seamless and efficient access to my work's datacenter. If you're looking for a network card that offers great value for the money, exceptional performance, and broad compatibility, I highly recommend this product. Despite the minor inconvenience with the drivers, it has been a game-changer for my workflow and connectivity needs.

watch video to see how to install the windows 10 driver for Windows 11

Bought this and installed it into a Dell R720 running Proxmox. It froze the system within a day, caused it to fail to boot with PCI-e errors. I pulled the card and reseated it, got it to boot. Then it was flooding dmesg with uncorrectable PCI-e errors and causing network instability even on the built-in network card.Pulled it a second time and the card was HOT to the touch with only having been in the system that time for... Maybe... 5 minutes tops. Like, I was worried it might melt the plastic package it was in within the box when I packed it back up hot.Requested a replacement, I'll update my review of the next one performs... I'd say "better" but "at all" is likely more accurate.*Update*Received the replacement with 2 day shipping (the original was overnight) and it seems to be working fine for the past week or so. The vendor did contact me to offer a refund, which was nice but I didn't take it since I have a working product now.I'm updating to 4 stars based on that. I won't give 5 though as if there was better QA, I would've had the working product overnight (as advertised) from when I ordered it, not 4-5 days later with the hassle of also having to return a bad one.

Drivers for Windows 11 took an hour to find and required downloading the entire Intel network driver set just to get it installed. Constantly disconnects/reconnects every 5 seconds, so the driver is faulty. Worst of all even when connected via 40gb fiber to a machine across the room it didn't get over 1.2gbps. I'm assuming the Windows driver is at fault, and it may work fine on *nix, but this is just unacceptable. Intel needs to work with Microsoft to get the driver situation fixed so that end users don't have to deal with this kind of crap - it's not like we can troubleshoot things like we can on Linux. We have to endlessly read forums with unpaid volunteers telling us to run chkdsk over and over and over again. Replacing with NON-intel network devices. I'm looking forward to at some point never using Windows or any other Microsoft product ever again. Others who are using this device with Windows - server os or otherwise - verify your actual network throughput using iperf3.

Works