Broadcom N41T interface cards/adapter Internal RJ-45 PCIe 5 Gbit/s

The Broadcom N41T quad-port 1Gb OCP 3.0 adapter is a server-class Ethernet controller designed for modern enterprise and data center environments. It provides four 10/100/1000BASE-T or 10/100/1000BASE-X ports with a PCI Express host interface that exposes a separate function for each LAN port. The card includes passive cooling and LEDs for link and activity status, supporting reliable line-rate throughput across all ports.

Advantages

The adapter delivers full line-rate performance across multiple ports and is optimized for multicore servers. It supports I/O virtualization features including multiple receive and transmit queues and MSI-X vectors, enabling hardware offload for virtualized workloads. Built-in time synchronization hardware and high-precision timestamping support IEEE 1588 and IEEE 802.1AS implementations for accurate packet timing.

Suitable for

• Enterprise and data center servers requiring 1Gb Ethernet connectivity
• Virtualized hosts using VMware NetQueue or Microsoft VMQ
• Applications needing hardware-based time synchronization (PTP/802.1AS)
• High-density multicore server deployments with full line-rate requirements

Key specifications

• Four 10/100/1000BASE-T or 10/100/1000BASE-X ports (RJ-45/optical media compatible)
• Host interface: PCI Express (separate function per LAN port)
• Supported data rate per port: up to 1 Gbit/s (aggregate bandwidth depends on system configuration)
• I/O virtualization: multiple receive and transmit queues, MSI-X vector support
• Time synchronization: high-precision clock, hardware timestamp registers, programmable trigger inputs and watchdog outputs
• Cooling: passive
• Status indicators: link and activity LEDs

How to use

Install the N41T adapter into an available PCIe slot on a compatible server motherboard, ensuring the host firmware and operating system have drivers that support the Broadcom NetXtreme family. Connect network cables to the RJ-45 ports or appropriate transceivers for fiber connections. Configure host networking and virtualization settings to map queues and MSI-X vectors as required by your hypervisor or OS to enable offload features and optimal throughput.

Recommendations

Ensure the server BIOS and OS drivers are updated to the versions recommended by Broadcom. For virtualized environments, enable and tune NetQueue or VMQ settings to match workload characteristics. Use proper airflow and rack placement to maintain passive cooling effectiveness.