2.5Gb PCIe Network Card with Intel I226-V Chip, 2.5GBase-T Network Adapter NIC, PCIe 3.1 X1, PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Card for Windows 10/11, Linux Kernel 5.16.18/RHEL8.6, VMware ESXi8.0

I recently upgraded my server with the XikeStor 2.5Gb PCIe Network Card, and I couldn't be happier with the results! This network adapter, featuring the reliable Intel I226-V Chip, has been an absolute game-changer for my home network. Installation was incredibly straightforward – simply slot it into a PCIe 3.1 X1 or greater slot, and it was ready to go. What truly stands out is its exceptional compatibility. It worked perfectly right out of the box, delivering the promised 2.5GBase-T speeds without any fuss. Even more impressively, I tested it with both VMware ESXi 8.0U3 and Proxmox 8.4.1, and the card was picked up by both hypervisors without requiring any additional drivers installed – a huge time-saver! The performance uplift is immediately noticeable. File transfers are significantly faster and the system feels a lot more responsive than previously. The speeds have also been consistently excellent, running at full 2.5Gbps line speed, which is a true upgrade from standard gigabit Ethernet, providing that extra bandwidth for demanding tasks. If you're looking to future-proof your network connection and experience genuinely faster speeds, the XikeStor 2.5Gb PCIe Network Card is an outstanding choice. It's reliable, easy to install, and delivers on its promise of high-speed, stable connectivity across various operating systems and virtualisation platforms. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a significant network performance boost!

No complaints, works as advertised and picked up straight away in windows and intel download centre identifies it properly and downloads the appropriate driver updates. Pretty much plug and play. So much more stable than my motherboard Realtek 2.5gbe

Light on the card but not detected in Windows or in the bios. Tried in 3 PCI-E slots and it still wasnt detected. No idea why, but its going back.

Upgrading my home network has been a smooth experience with the XikeStor 2.5Gb Intel i226-V network card (SKS-I226-2.5ET). Installation was straightforward—just slotted it in, downloaded the drivers from Intel’s website, and it was up and running without any fuss. In terms of speed, it pretty much delivers the full 2.5Gbps. There are occasional fluctuations, but that’s more down to factors like cable quality and distance rather than the card itself. For the price, it’s a fantastic deal. I’m gradually upgrading my setup, and this has been an affordable and reliable option. Plus, with Intel’s solid OS compatibility, everything runs smoothly without any issues. Definitely worth considering if you're upgrading to 2.5Gbps.

Used for truenas server plug and play works great no issues to report

Works, keeps going 24/7 over my old Realtek based card. Be warned tho, the green LED is excessively bright :)

Doesnt show on device manager

I ordered two of these and in some computers they simply don't work. Gigabyte X470 Aorus motherboard - powers on (LEDs lit) but not detected at all by BIOS or Windows in the PCIEX1_1 slot. The slot is OK as I just removed a Wi-Fi card from it. The card works in the PCIEX8 slot but this drops the GPU to x8 mode, so not ideal. Gigabyte B450M DS3H - works fine in the PCIEX1 slot even with NVME, GPU, and HBA cards in the other PCIE slots. Good experience with Unraid.