New NBase-T cards out

[Arwen]

Intel is working to supply newer 10GBase-T cards with pre-standard NBase-T speeds of
2.5Gbps and 5Gbps. But, they are not out yet. Only the chips.

However, a check yesterday showed a couple of other vendor NBase-T cards with all the
stock speeds, 100/1000/2500/5000/10000Mbps, (except the original 10Mbps). Here are
some links;

http://www.ioi.com.tw/products/proddetail.aspx?CatID=106&DeviceID=3035&HostID=2069&ProdID=1060194
http://www.lycom.com.tw/NW-103.htm

They don't say what chip/chip-set is used. And the cards don't look the same, but could use
the same chip/chip-set.

For me, even 2.5Gbps speed is probably good enough. But, at times I can saturate a single
1Gbps link for a single client. Even without switch support, a direct connect, (using common
Cat 5e cable!), would help me.

Neither list FreeBSD support, (and by extention, no FreeNAS support :).

However, assuming FreeNAS support was available, would you use NBase-T cards?
Or wait for Intel and other well know vendors?
Other thoughts?

Let's leave the 25Gbps & 50Gbps Ethernet work for another thread.

 

[jgreco]

I would definitely wait for Intel, given the driver development issues, and I think it needs to be said that the development of quarter and half speed stuff really sucks. After 14 years we just need 10Gbase to arrive.

 

[Mirfster]

Agreed, with 40Gbase and even 100Gbase having been discussed since 2006 at the very least 10Gbase should be the minimal jump. Not really caring to see efforts put into these baby steps, I just want 10Gbase to become more affordable; cuz "I'm all about that Gbase" :P

 

[jgreco]

Since the implementations of 40 are basically 4x10G in a link aggregation, I'd even date the 40 back to the introduction of 10. No awards should be issued for obvious combining of technology (10G+LACP).

 

[Ericloewe]

I would definitely wait for Intel, given the driver development issues, and I think it needs to be said that the development of quarter and half speed stuff really sucks. After 14 years we just need 10Gbase to arrive.

I think it's really just meant to be "10GBaseT, but we'll give you what the cable can handle if you have Cat. 5e or Cat. 6".

The Avoton SoC NIC is the only one I can think of that isn't a 10GBaseT controller with fallback modes. Xeon-D's SoC NIC and the new X550 (model number? It's the one from the X11 boards) also claims support for 2.5Gb/s and 5Gb/s data rates. Assuming everything goes to plan and the associated hardware is capable, these things are supposed to support the standard once it arrives next year.

 

[gpsguy]

I've been a pioneer before and will wait until it's time.

Back in the pre-10Base-T, I used SynOptics LattisNet. When hubs and power supplies failed, I was stuck with one vendor. As 10Base-T entered the market, I started switching out the gear.

 

[Arwen]

One advantage of NBase-T, (2.5Gbps and 5Gbps) is that if you have a Cat 5e cable run in the walls,
you may not be able to use 10GBase-T. It all depends on length and quality of cable. I had 6, 45 foot
runs of Cat 5e in my old town house walls. Probably not good enough for 10GBase-T. But, NBase-T
speeds? Yes.

 

[Mirfster]

Any respectable pulls should also include pull line with the run. However a lot of "fly by night" companies either don't do so or they secured the cable to the studs... Every run I have done in my house can easily be added to without much issue. YMMV :)

 

[Ericloewe]

Any respectable pulls should also include pull line with the run. However a lot of "fly by night" companies either don't do so or they secured the cable to the studs... Every run I have done in my house can easily be added to without much issue. YMMV :)

Running cables is significantly harder with solid brick walls with as little tubing as the contractor thought they could get away with (which, until 2004ish, was "very little indeed").

Hell, I find myself about to run the thinnest reasonable VHF/UHF coax I could find (5mm) alongside a four singlemode fiber cable just to properly distribute RF throughout the house and still have a real connection between the office and the kitchen (where the cable entry point is). And I'm lucky it's a 16mm tube (~12mm usable) - some of them are even smaller (at least in usable interior diameter). Yup, lots of elbow grease will be required. And wire pulling lubricant. This 3M stuff better be good.

 

[Arwen]

Any respectable pulls should also include pull line with the run. However a lot of "fly by night" companies either don't do so or they secured the cable to the studs... Every run I have done in my house can easily be added to without much issue. YMMV :)

And yes, I had a pull string installed as well.

But, with 6 x Cat 5e, do I really need the expense to install Cat 6a?

(Even though Cat 6 would work for my 45 foot runs at 10GBase-T,
forward thinkers would install the best cable available, thus the
added expense...)

 

[jgreco]

Any respectable pulls should also include pull line with the run. However a lot of "fly by night" companies either don't do so or they secured the cable to the studs... Every run I have done in my house can easily be added to without much issue. YMMV :)

Code generally frowns upon leaving wire unsecured in the walls where fastening it is practical and possible. Fly by night contractors will have the electrical inspector stop by and sign off, and THEN go and install all the low voltage stuff, because then they can get away with a lot more crap that way. It could be argued that your guys who secured the cables to the studs were probably doing things up to code.

Some of us install conduit before the drywall goes up to make cable upgrades somewhat easier down the road. The main problem there is that while it guarantees a path from A to B, it has become necessary to install 1" stuff. We used to do 3/4 all over the place, but lots of people now want to do home theater stuff and be able to run stuff like HDMI cables. For an exterior wall (insulated), conduit is very attractive for that. I've also come to love metallic flexible conduit for retrofit work. You can do amazing stuff with that.

 

[Mirfster]

Been a long time, but guess it would be dependent on the State's Low Voltage Code. Thinking that all the requirements would mainly be Plenum, Firestopping and not ran with high voltage cables. But I can't recall for sure. Agreed on the flex conduit, it is nice.