The network card is one of the most forgotten parts of any computer, as long as it has a connector we are pretty much happy. This is the biggest limitation when connecting to the Internet because it determines the maximum bandwidth. Realtek It has been proposed that we all have a Ethernet port which offers us a Speed of 5 Gbps.
Few users, if you ask them what type of Ethernet connector they have on their computer, will be able to give an answer. The most common thing is that we have a 1 Gbps Ethernet port and in high-end systems it is 2.5 Gbps.
Let’s say if we have a 1 Gbps network card and we contract an Internet speed of 2 Gbps, we will not enjoy 50% of the bandwidth. A more powerful network card should be installed. What Realtek wants is that we can go for higher internet speeds with this budget-friendly network card.
Realtek proposed to democratize the speed of 5 Gbps
All modern motherboards offer at least one 1 Gbps Ethernet port. Some mid- and high-end models offer 2.5 Gbit/s connectors and more premium models already offer 5 Gbit/s Ethernet connectors. Realtek’s idea is that anyone can benefit from precisely this latest connection speed.
The company recently introduced affordable high-speed Ethernet switches for the consumer market. First we have the Realtek RTL9303, a controller that allows you to have up to eight 10 Gbps Ethernet ports.
You should know that this solution was first released as a low-cost 10Gbps switching IC. Because it required a third-party physical layer, it never really took off.
Realtek now has a solution with its own physical layer that promises to be the solution. The RTL9303 is based on a 34Kc 800 MHz MIPS processor supporting up to 1 GB DDR3 RAM. Additionally, it has 64MB of SPI NOR Flash memory for firmware.
It is now associated with a Realtek RTL8251B PHY which allows the development of a 5 Gbps switch at an affordable cost. It appears that this Realtek solution would cost $25 per port. Currently, the typical 2.5Gbps switch is between $10 and $15, so the price difference is quite small.
Combined with a 5 Gbps network card based on the Realtek RTL8126 PCIe which costs around $30, it allows you to have a 5 Gbps Ethernet connection at a very good price. This would be a truly economical solution accessible to anyone who wants a better Internet connection.
You should know that the first 2.5 Gbps Ethernet cards cost around $60, while 10 Gbps network cards cost around $90. This makes it a very interesting option for those who want or need high Internet speeds.
You should know that Ethernet 5 Gbps offers the possibility of working on CAT 5e cables up to 60 meters and CAT 6 cables up to 100 meters. Therefore, most users will not need to modify existing cabling to benefit from the performance improvement.
