Sonnet Introduces Presto Dual-Port 10GbE PCI Express Adapter Cards

Sonnet Technologies announces the Presto 10GbE SFP+ Dual-Port 10 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express 2.0 card and the Presto 10GbE 10GBASE-T Dual-Port 10 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express 3.0 card.

The new cards offer cost-effective solutions for adding fast 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network connectivity to Mac Pro towers, Windows PCs, Linux servers, and computers with Thunderbolt ports via Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion systems.

These Sonnet adapter cards make it easy for users to connect their computers via optical or copper cables to high-speed network infrastructure and storage systems using the 10GbE standard.

Featuring the latest Intel 10 Gigabit Ethernet controllers, these Sonnet adapter cards are tuned for maximum I/O operation and are perfect for computing where low latency, high bandwidth, and low CPU overhead are required.

Both Presto 10GbE cards are optimized for performance over Thunderbolt, making them ideal for use in one of Sonnet’s Echo Express or xMac Thunderbolt-to-PCIe card expansion systems, with the combination enabling the user to add fast 10GbE network connections to any Mac or Windows PC with a Thunderbolt port.

The Presto 10GbE SFP+ is a low-profile PCIe 2.0 x8 card designed for users who need to connect through optical network infrastructure. It is equipped with two SFP+ sockets, allowing users to select either short-range (up to 300 meters) or long-range (up to 10 kilometers) SFP+ transceivers (sold separately) and connect their computers to a switch or other 10GbE interface at long distances via LC optical cables (sold separately).

Users may also select RJ45 copper SFP+ transceivers (sold separately) to connect their computers to a switch or other 10GbE interface via inexpensive CAT-6 or CAT-6A copper cabling at distances up to 55 or 100 meters, respectively, or Twinax direct-attach copper cables for connections up to 10 meters (sold separately).

The Presto 10GbE 10GBASE-T is a low-profile PCIe 3.0 x4 card designed for users who need to connect to network infrastructure via common copper cabling. It is equipped with two RJ45 ports, enabling users to connect their computers to a switch or other 10GbE interface via inexpensive CAT-6 or CAT-6A copper cabling at distances up to 55 or 100 meters, respectively.

“Modern video production facilities and many other businesses are driving the rapid adoption of 10GbE cabled networking to support specialized applications, such as HD video editing using high-performance shared storage systems. Our customers in these markets, particularly those with Macs, have asked for top-performing 10GbE cards at a more affordable price,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. “Our new Presto 10GbE SFP+ and Presto 10GbE 10GBASE-T PCIe adapter cards offer all users a cost-effective way to achieve premium performance for optical or copper 10GbE connectivity to their computers, and especially provide our Mac customers with unprecedented price-to-performance value, as well.”

The Presto 10GbE cards offer several advanced features including link aggregation (teaming) of its two 10GbE ports, which increases throughput beyond that of a single connection, and transparent failover between 10GbE ports, which keeps the computer connected in case a single cable is disconnected or one of the ports fails. For ease of use, the Sonnet adapter cards are configured through the OS X Network control panel or Windows Device Manager.

The Presto 10GbE SFP+ (part number G10E-SFP-2XA-E2) is available now for $399 USD. Short-range 10GBASE-SR SFP+ transceivers (part number G10E-SFP-SR) and long-range 10BASE-LR SFP+ transceivers (part number G10E-SFP-LR) are available for $69 and $149 each, respectively.

The Presto 10GbE 10GBASE-T (part number G10E-2X-E3) is also available now for $399 USD.

Sonnet Technologies

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