Intel X710T2L – 10GbE Dual-Port Base-T Network Adapter

Overview :

The Intel X710T2L is a PCIe 3.0 x8 network adapter featuring two 10GBASE-T RJ45 ports. It is designed for server deployments requiring 10GbE connectivity over existing Category 6/6A copper cabling, eliminating the need for SFP+ optics or direct-attach cables. This adapter solves the problem of upgrading from 1GbE to 10GbE without rewiring, targeted at data centers, enterprise servers, and storage systems.

It supports multi-speed 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb operation, enabling gradual infrastructure upgrades . The controller offloads VXLAN, NVGRE, and GENEVE tunneling protocols, reducing host CPU utilization. It supports iSCSI and NFS over Ethernet for storage traffic. Intel Data Direct I/O (DDIO) and Virtualization Technology for Connectivity (VT-c) enhance I/O performance in virtualized environments .

Deployment is straightforward in standard PCIe slots, requiring a x8 physical lane interface at Gen3 speed (8.0 GT/s) . The adapter ships with both full-height and low-profile brackets . It is NOT suitable for: fiber optic networks requiring SFP28 ports, environments needing RDMA (iWARP/RoCEv2 not supported) , or legacy PCIe 2.0-only slots. Maximum cable distance is 100m on Cat6a .

Key Features :

• Dual RJ45 ports with 10GbE/5GbE/2.5GbE/1GbE/100Mb auto-negotiation

• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface (8.0 GT/s)

• Hardware offload for VXLAN, NVGRE, GENEVE tunnels

• iSCSI and NFS over Ethernet storage offload

• Full-height and low-profile brackets included