Kool Tools: Sonnet PCI Express Network Adapter Cards
Sonnet Technologies' Presto 10GbE 1-Port and Presto 10GbE Server 2-Port 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) PCIe cards enable users to connect their computers and servers to high-speed infrastructure and storage systems using the 10GbE standard, which offers up to 10 times the performance of Gigabit Ethernet.
Both Presto 10GbE network adapters are low-profile x8 PCIe adapter cards that install easily into the PCIe slot of a computer or Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion chassis. Both cards connect to a switch or other 10GbE interface via fiber-optic or copper cable (sold separately).
Data centers are adopting the 10GbE standard increasingly for wired networking and specialized applications such as HD video editing using high-performance shared storage systems, but no Macs offer this interface option. Sonnet's Presto 10GbE 1-Port and Presto 10GbE Server 2-Port 10GbE PCIe cards are designed for high-performance computing for which low latency, high bandwidth, and low CPU overhead are required.
Their increased throughput performance and low-host CPU utilization are achieved with stateless offloads, so your Mac can perform better while large files transfers or high-I/O operations take place. Sonnet offers either short-range (up to 300 meters) or long-range (up to 10 kilometers) SFP+ transceivers for the Presto 10GbE cards, as well as the ability to use cost-effective direct-attach copper (up to seven meters). Both cards are easily configured using either the OS X Network control panel.
The Presto 10GbE 1-Port card is suited for most applications, while the Presto 10GbE Server 2-Port card is suited for use in servers and in applications where redundancy is critical. When used with a Mac computer, it also supports link aggregation.
The Presto 10GbE 1-Port (part number G10E-SFP-E) and Presto 10GbE Server 2-Port (part number G10E-SFP-2X-E2) cards, and the 10GBase-SR SFP+ (part number G10E-SFP-SR) and 10Base-LR SFP+ (part number G10E-SFP-LR) transceivers are available now. More information on these products and pricing is available at www.sonnettech.com/product/computercards/index.html.
