What is NBASE-T: Top List of Routers and Switches Supporting Hardware

Today, we are going to discuss the best network hardware that is based on new NBASE-T technology. So, What is NBASE-T? These are Ethernet cards that are capable of delivering superior speed and bandwidth compared to traditional network cards. Before we move to the NBASE-T based network card list, here is a quick look at the latest NBASE-T technology.

What is NBASE-T?

Have you heard about NBASE-T? It is the new networking standard that is the future for modern high-speed, low latency networking. The current range of applications and services that we work with have been demanding in terms of speed and performance. From that perspective, the NBASE-T technology has been designed as one of the excellent options for providing you the better bandwidth and performance in sharp contrast to what we currently have with the traditional technology that we are used to. Let us check out the standard and which routers with support for the new age performance.

It is a new type of Ethernet signaling technique. It enhanced the speed of installed twisted pair cable beyond its initial limits. A standard twisted pair cable can deliver up to 1 GB/s bandwidth within a distance limit of 100 meters. However, NBASE-T technology can breakthrough this limit and deliver even more speed. By installing Cat5e and Cat6 cabling, it can achieve 2.5 and 5 GB/s bandwidth speed. NBASE-T is a cost-effective and least disruptive solution for boosting up the speed of any typical Ethernet-based network.

Following are the standard specifications of this network boosting NBASE-T Technology:

• 5 GB/s up & 5 GB/s down rate support for a 100-meter network with 5e or better cabling category
• Less than 10e-12 bit error rate
• NBASE-T physical layer v2.3 specification
• Direct multivendor interconnection of MAC and PHY components with MAC-PHY specification facility

Common Applications:

• To utilize 802.11ac Wave 2 gen devices to break through speed barriers
• To provide enhanced bandwidth to fulfill the need of today’s fast-paced technology development
• To deliver up to 5GB/s rate, which is soon going to be imperative with the upcoming 802.11ax Wi-Fi standard

So, effectively NBASE-T is a new technology that powers the evolution of Ethernet signaling. It enhances the performance of the installed twisted cabling networks. In sharp contrast to the traditional technology that supports a speed of about 1 GB per sec bandwidth, NBASE- T technology enhances the performance beyond those levels. You should be able to achieve the rates up to 2.5 to 5 GB per sec bandwidth usage.

The service works through an alliance referred to as NBASE -T  alliance. Established in 2014 by a set of companies Aquantia, Cisco, Freescale (now NXP) and Xilinx, the coalition has now spread to over 45 companies involved in manufacturing access points, Ethernet switching, and computing, as well as the necessary technologies.

Why is NBASE -T technology one of the much-needed ones? Like we said before, the NBASE -T technology offers excellent data rates of 2.5 to 5 GB per sec with the use of cat 6 Cat 5e cabling. This can be useful for enhanced data bandwidth and finds application in boosting the performance of an enterprise, service provider and home networks based merely by upgrading the existing cabling to Cat5e and Cat6.

With that said, let us continue to the main topic of today’s discussion. Here is a list of Network cards that utilize the latest NBASE-T technology. We have covered all the important technical aspects you need to know. Here is the list:

1. StarTech 1-Port PCIe 10GBase-T / NBase-T Ethernet Network Card:

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General

Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x4
PCI Specification Revision	PCIe 2.0
Manufacturer	StarTech

Networking

Ports	1000Base-T x 1
Cabling Type	Ethernet 1000Base-T, Ethernet 100Base-TX, Ethernet 10GBase-T
Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x4
Low Profile	low profile
PCI Specification Revision	PCIe 2.0
Type	Network adapter
Connectivity Technology	wired
Data Link Protocol	10 Gigabit Ethernet, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, 5 Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
Features	Link Aggregation, VLAN support, auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X), full duplex capability
Compliant Standards	IEEE 802.1Q, IEEE 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3ad (LACP), IEEE 802.3an, IEEE 802.3u
Data Transfer Rate	10 Gbps
Status Indicators	Link/activity, link/speed

Interface Provided

Qty	1
Connector Type	RJ-45

Miscellaneous

Color	black
Color Category	black
Included Accessories	low-profile bracket

Processor

Type	TN4010 / AQR105
Manufacturer	Tehuti / Aquantia

Processor / Memory

Processor

TN4010 / AQR105 – Tehuti / Aquantia

System Requirements

OS Required

Apple MacOS X 10.10, Linux 3.x, Microsoft Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 (32/64 bits), Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Windows Server 2012

Environmental Parameters

Min Operating Temperature	41 °F
Max Operating Temperature	122 °F

Header

Brand	StarTech.com
Product Line	StarTech.com
Model	1-Port PCIe 10GBase-T / NBase-T Ethernet Network Card
Packaged Quantity	1
Compatibility	Mac, PC, Unix

Dimensions & Weight

Width	0.8 in
Depth	3.3 in
Height	4.7 in
Weight	3.53 oz

2. StarTech Dual Port PCIe 10G / NBASE-T Ethernet NIC Card:

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General

Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 3.0 x4
PCI Specification Revision	PCIe 3.0
Manufacturer	StarTech

Networking

Ports	10Gb Ethernet x 2
Cabling Type	Ethernet 10GBase-T
Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 3.0 x4
Low Profile	low profile
PCI Specification Revision	PCIe 3.0
Type	Network adapter
Connectivity Technology	wired
Data Link Protocol	10 Gigabit Ethernet, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, 5 Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
Network / Transport Protocol	TCP/IP, UDP/IP, iSCSI
Features	9 KB Jumbo Frame, PXE support, auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X), full duplex mode, tagged VLAN
Compliant Standards	IEEE 802.1Q, IEEE 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3an, IEEE 802.3az, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3x
Status Indicators	Link/activity/speed

Interface Provided

Qty	2
Connector Type	RJ-45

Miscellaneous

Color	black
Color Category	black
Included Accessories	low-profile bracket

Processor

Type	x550
Manufacturer	Intel

Processor/Memory

Processor

X550 – Intel

Manufacturer Warranty

Service & Support

Limited warranty – 2 years

System Requirements

OS Required

Linux 3.x – 4.11 LTS versions, Microsoft Windows 7 / 8 / 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Windows Server 2012, Microsoft Windows Server 2016

Environmental Parameters

Min Operating Temperature	41 °F
Max Operating Temperature	122 °F
Humidity Range Operating	20 – 80%

Header

Brand	StarTech.com
Product Line	StarTech.com
Model	Dual Port Network Card – PCIe 10G / NBASE-T Ethernet NIC Card
Packaged Quantity	1
Compatibility	PC

Dimensions & Weight

Width	0.7 in
Depth	5.9 in
Height	4.7 in
Weight	7.58 oz

Ports

Qty

2

Service & Support Details

Full Contract Period	2 years
Type	limited warranty

3. TRENDnet TEG-10GECTX – Network adapter:

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General

Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x4
Manufacturer	TRENDnet

Networking

Ports	10Gb Ethernet x 1
Cabling Type	Ethernet 1000Base-T, Ethernet 100Base-TX, Ethernet 10GBase-T, Ethernet 2.5GBase-T, Ethernet 5GBase-T
Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x4
Low Profile	low profile
Type	Network adapter
Connectivity Technology	wired
Data Link Protocol	10 Gigabit Ethernet, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, 5 Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
Features	Jumbo Frames support, VLAN support
Compliant Standards	IEEE 802.1Q, IEEE 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3ad (LACP), IEEE 802.3an, IEEE 802.3u
Data Transfer Rate	10 Gbps

Power Device

Power Consumption Operational

4.12 Watt

Interface Provided

Qty	1
Connector Type	RJ-45

Miscellaneous

Included Accessories

full-height bracket

System Requirements

OS Required

Linux 2.6.x or later, Microsoft Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Windows Server 2012, VMware ESXi 5.x, VMware ESXi 6.x

Environmental Parameters

Min Operating Temperature	32 °F
Max Operating Temperature	122 °F
Humidity Range Operating	0 – 95% (non-condensing)

Header

Brand	TRENDnet
Product Line	TRENDnet
Model	TEG-10GECTX
Packaged Quantity	1
Compatibility	PC

Dimensions & Weight

Width	0.7 in
Depth	3.3 in
Height	2.5 in

Ports

Qty

1

Service & Support Details

Full Contract Period	3 years
Type	limited warranty

4. AKiTiO 5-Speed 10GBase-T/NBASE-T – network adapter:

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 General

Processor	1 x TN4010 / AQR105 – Tehuti
Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x4
Manufacturer	AKiTiO

Networking

Ports	10Gb Ethernet x 1
Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x4
Low Profile	low profile
Type	Network adapter
Data Link Protocol	10 Gigabit Ethernet, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, 5 Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
Features	Jumbo Frames support, TCP/IP checksum offload, UDP/IP checksum offload, auto-negotiation, tagged VLAN
Compliant Standards	IEEE 802.1Q
Data Transfer Rate	10 Gbps

Interface Provided

Qty	1
Connector Type	RJ-45

Miscellaneous

Included Accessories

low-profile bracket

Processor

Type	TN4010 / AQR105
Installed Qty	1
Manufacturer	Tehuti

System Requirements

OS Required

Apple OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite or later, Microsoft Windows 7 or later

Header

Brand	AKiTiO
Product Line	AKiTiO
Model	5-Speed 10GBase-T/NBASE-T
Packaged Quantity	1
Compatibility	Mac, PC

Dimensions & Weight

Depth

3.1 in

Ports

Qty

1

Service & Support

Type	2 years warranty

Service & Support Details

Full Contract Period	2 years
Type	limited warranty

General

Manufacturer

AKiTiO

5. Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X520-SR2:

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General

Processor	82599ES – Intel
Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x8
Manufacturer	Intel

Networking

Ports	10GBase-SR x 2
Cabling Type	Ethernet 10GBase-SR
Interface (Bus) Type	PCI Express 2.0 x8
Low Profile	low profile
Type	Network adapter
Connectivity Technology	wired
Data Link Protocol	10 Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), Gigabit Ethernet
Network / Transport Protocol	IPSec, TCP/IP, UDP/IP, iSCSI
Features	VLAN support, Virtual Machine Device Queues (VMDq), load balancing
Compliant Standards	IEEE 802.1Q, IEEE 802.1ae, IEEE 802.1as, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3ad (LACP)
Ports Qty	2
Remote Management Protocol Data Transfer Rate	RMON, SNMP 10 Gbps
Status Indicators	Port transmission speed, link/activity

Power Device

Type

none

Interface Provided

Type	network
Interface	Ethernet 10GBase-SR
Qty	2
Connector Type	LC multi-mode

Miscellaneous

Package Type

bulk

Processor

Type	82599ES
Manufacturer	Intel

System Requirements

OS Required

FreeBSD 9, Linux 2.6.x, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, VMware ESX, VMware ESXi, Windows 8, Linux 3.x, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2, Microsoft Windows Server 2012, Microsoft Windows Vista SP2

Environmental Parameters

Min Operating Temperature	32 °F
Max Operating Temperature	131 °F

Header

Brand	Intel
Product Line	Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter
Model	X520-SR2
Packaged Quantity	1
Compatibility	PC

Ports

Qty

2

Slot Required

Type	PCI Express 2.0 x8
Total Qty	1

Service & Support

Type	limited lifetime warranty

Service & Support Details

Full Contract Period	lifetime
Type	limited warranty

General

Manufacturer

Intel

6. Akitio Thunder3 10G Network Adapter

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The Thunder3 10G Network Adapter offers you excellent experience in terms of the best 10GBase-T and NBASE-T connectivity. It supports the Apple OS X and Microsoft Windows environments over Thunderbolt.

The key features that the adapter comes with include

• It offers you an extremely portable 10 Gigabit Ethernet solution
• The rugged aluminum case provides a higher degree of durability and sustainability.
• Easier operation lets you experience the NBASE-T performance with just a simple plug and play functionality.
• It just needs a thunderbolt connectivity option to improve your data speeds to the new NBASE-T standards.

7. Sonnet Technologies Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 to 10GBASE-T Ethernet Adapter

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Another option to add the 10GBASE-T 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) connectivity to your computer without a need for any additional software or hardware changes, the Sonnet Solo 10G Ethernet Dongle is best for the machines with Thunderbolt connectivity.

You can be assured of an NBASE-T Standard- 5Gb/s, 2.5 Gb/s, 1 Gb/s, and 100 Mb/s speeds with the cat 5e or any other better cabling function. What makes it stand apart is its high-performance energy efficiency.

A few key features can be summarised as

• Audio and video are bridging at IEEE 802.1Qav, AVB standards.
• The adapter is compatible with both Windows and Mac.
• The adapter should be an excellent option for post-production shared storage workgroups and other bandwidth-intensive workflows.
• One of the best options with a lower price band.

The only complaint observed on the online stores is about the extreme heat generated while at use. The all metal construction could be one of the reasons.

8. StarTech.com Dual Port Network Card – PCIe 10G / NBASE-T – 5 Speed NIC Card

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The NIC card will add two ethernet ports to your existing configuration through one PCIe slot. The network card can support the NBASE-T speeds at 10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100Mbps. It is a dual port network with the Intel X550 chipset that ensures reliable performance.

Some of the features that the card offers you include

• Support for advanced NBASE-T technology.
• The product is compatible with the Ethernet switches and ports that traditional PCs and workstations tend to use.
• The network card provides you with a cost-effective way to enhanced multi-node network functionality.
• You can access 2.5 and 5Gbps network speeds on Cat5e cabling, and 10Gbps on Cat6a

Conclusion:

Well, those were just a few cards and dongles that would be helpful enough in getting the NBASE-T level performance on your traditional systems without having to go for any requirements for external cabling. However, understanding the concept of NBASE-T, its alliance and the complete details of the products offered by the coalition – the information shared here should act as a catalyst for the tech enthusiast in you. The NBASE-T Alliance has over 45 companies involved in different products aimed at enhancing the network performance beyond the limits.

What makes NBASE-T a good option is the fact that it does not need you to replace your existing hardware or the system in any manner. A form of additive design, it should ideally be the best form of enhancing your infrastructure and its performance.

Have you been involved with NBASE-T and the products thereof? If you do, share your experiences with for a better understanding of the concept.

We hope this post helps you to understand What is NBASE-T tech is all about. At least initially, it should help you to choose the right product for yourself based on the requirement of your networking device. If you have any query or suggestion, feel free to use the comment box below.