Best 2.5GbE and 10GbE Networking Gear
Affordable multi-gig switches, NICs and cabling to move beyond 1GbE for NAS transfers and backups.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Gigabit Ethernet caps large transfers at roughly 110 MB/s, which quickly feels slow when moving media libraries or restoring backups. 2.5GbE is now cheap and often built into new mini PCs, while 10GbE is worth it between a NAS and a main workstation. Plan for the NIC, a multi-gig switch, and Cat6 (or better) cabling.
2.5GbE unmanaged switch (5–8 port)
- Multiple 2.5GbE ports
- Fanless and silent
- Plug-and-play
- Low power draw
The simplest way to speed up NAS transfers if your devices already have 2.5GbE ports.
USB 3 / PCIe 2.5GbE adapter
- Adds 2.5GbE to any PC
- Realtek or Intel chipset
- USB or PCIe options
- Cheap per device
Prefer Intel-based PCIe NICs for servers; USB adapters are convenient for laptops and quick tests.
10GbE SFP+ managed switch
- SFP+ and/or 10GBASE-T
- VLAN and management
- Great NAS-to-workstation speed
- Direct-attach copper option
Use SFP+ DAC cables for short runs to keep cost and heat down; add 10GBASE-T where you need RJ45.