Upgrade path from quad port 1G Intel NIC

[CJ]

I'm currently using a quad port 1G Intel NIC with OPNsense and it's working great.  However, I'm in the process of replacing my APs and the new ones have 2.5G ports.  These are the options I'm looking at but I'd like to know what the community thinks and if there might be something I missed.

• A Realtek quad port 2.5G NIC.  https://www.amazon.com/Quad-Port-2-5GBase-T-RTL8125B-Ethernet-Controller/dp/B09V28PXMR
  The cheapest option at $80 and currently with an available coupon to bring the price down even further.  However, it's a Realtek so I'm concerned how well it will work with OPNsense.
• An i225 quad port 2.5G NIC.  https://shop.zimaboard.com/products/pcie-x4-to-4-port-2-5-gigabit-ethernet-card-intel-i225-chipset
  It's an Intel chipset and only slightly more expensive than the Realtek, but it also has the uncertainty of i225, especially considering it's made by Zima and not Intel.
• A Mellanox dual port 10G NIC and the Mikrotik CRS310-8G+2S+IN.
  The most expensive option at around $300 for a used Mellanox and new Mikrotik, but it would give me the most capability and flexibility.  It's also where I currently plan on ending up in the long term.

Obviously if money was no object I could just go with the third option and call it done, but I don't want to spend that much right now.  Which means I can either do nothing and deal with 1G for the time being or I try one of the under $100 options.  Not sure if they're worth the risk.

Any suggestions, predictions, or experience with any of the above?

[spetrillo]

Clerarly the Mikrotik/Mellanox option is the best for ultimate performance and flexibility, however I think you need to first ask if your APs are actually going to output at 2.5G all the time. If you are running Ubiquiti then your Unifi Controller can help there.

Personally I would do this in increments. I would solve for the 2.5G piece first. This would then mean swapping out your quad port Intel card with a 2.5G quad card. I would stay in the Intel world bc driver compatibility is better, although Realtek is getting better all the time. I live by the "if it aint broke dont fix it" theory of life, so I would stay with Intel. The i225 is a widely used standard, so you should have no issues finding drivers. It looks like OPNsense supported i225 with 22.1.

So in summary:

1) Determine how much data you are going to run through the APs. Maybe the 1G option is still doable and you do not have to change anything.
2) If you are hitting the 1G limit on the APs then I would upgrade to a 2.5G Intel board bc of driver support/compatibility.
3) If money is no object then Mikrotik/Mellanox option is the way to go.

Steve

[CJ]

Clerarly the Mikrotik/Mellanox option is the best for ultimate performance and flexibility, however I think you need to first ask if your APs are actually going to output at 2.5G all the time. If you are running Ubiquiti then your Unifi Controller can help there.

Personally I would do this in increments. I would solve for the 2.5G piece first. This would then mean swapping out your quad port Intel card with a 2.5G quad card. I would stay in the Intel world bc driver compatibility is better, although Realtek is getting better all the time. I live by the "if it aint broke dont fix it" theory of life, so I would stay with Intel. The i225 is a widely used standard, so you should have no issues finding drivers. It looks like OPNsense supported i225 with 22.1.

So in summary:

1) Determine how much data you are going to run through the APs. Maybe the 1G option is still doable and you do not have to change anything.
2) If you are hitting the 1G limit on the APs then I would upgrade to a 2.5G Intel board bc of driver support/compatibility.
3) If money is no object then Mikrotik/Mellanox option is the way to go.

Steve

Oh, I know that I'll be fine with the existing 1G and don't need to upgrade to 2.5G.  I just want to in order to take advantage of the higher speed port.

I'm actually switching from Unifi to Engenius.  Between the whole "hack" and the lack of ports higher than 1G I've been looking for a change for a while now.  Wendell had a video last year talking about Engenius and a promotion they were doing of half off for those wanting to migrate from Unifi and I took advantage of that.

I know OPNsense supports the i225 as I'm currently running one for my WAN to eek out that last bit of over provisioning.   As I've noted elsewhere, I've had no problems with my setup, but a lot of people have had issues with i225 NICs.  And the fact that Intel only makes a dual port card gives me some pause.  Not sure if there's an issue there or not when so many embedded devices come with quad i225 NICs.

Due to the concerns regarding Realtek and i225 NICs along with the fact that I eventually want to upgrade to the Mikrotik, I'm not sure if I want to spend the money to test them out.  Changing to either the Realtek or the i225 would require me to take down the whole network and then go through the hassle of reordering my interfaces due to the driver change.

Is that all worth it to get the new shiny that will likely provide zero day to day benefit?  I don't know, and why I was hoping others could chime in with their experiences.  The cost of the Realtek and Zima NICs together almost equal the Mikrotik, and while I know I could fairly easily send the Realtek back to Amazon, I have no idea what a Zima return experience is like.  And lastly, I can't think of what I'd do with the quad port once I finally do upgrade to the Mikrotik.

[spetrillo]

Then wait and save up for the Mikrotik/Mellanox solution. By the time you have the funds ready there will surely be other options to consider.

[netnut]

Obviously if money was no object I could just go with the third option and call it done, but I don't want to spend that much right now.  Which means I can either do nothing and deal with 1G for the time being or I try one of the under $100 options.  Not sure if they're worth the risk.

Any suggestions, predictions, or experience with any of the above?

I understand the 2.5Gb FoMo, but you will be disappointed...

That 1G AP ethernet port will be sufficient for many years to come in an average (power) home network. Not that much AX (6) or BE (7) WiFi client chipsets yet and most are max 2x2 MIMO. I'm using an (old) MacBook from 2015 which actually does 3x3 MIMO AC (5) and so connects with full 1300Mb on a AX (6) AP. Well, it's wireless so it max out at around 700Mb, more than enough for 1Gb.

Your 10Gb plans makes much more sense, even if you need some more time to deal with the costs. It will make you happier in the long run... 

[CJ]

I understand the 2.5Gb FoMo, but you will be disappointed...

That 1G AP ethernet port will be sufficient for many years to come in an average (power) home network. Not that much AX (6) or BE (7) WiFi client chipsets yet and most are max 2x2 MIMO. I'm using an (old) MacBook from 2015 which actually does 3x3 MIMO AC (5) and so connects with full 1300Mb on a AX (6) AP. Well, it's wireless so it max out at around 700Mb, more than enough for 1Gb.

Your 10Gb plans makes much more sense, even if you need some more time to deal with the costs. It will make you happier in the long run... 

Oh, I freely admit that moving from 1G to 2.5G on a home AP will likely have negligible impact on my experience.   I still think it wrong for companies to put out APs that support these faster standards and only include a 1G port.  Same with TV and STB companies only putting 100M ports on things.

I'm already running 10G on my wired LAN, but it's all unmanaged.  Part of this whole situation is me completely redesigning the network from the ground up to take advantage of VLANs, etc.

My big concern with the AP is more making sure all of the various devices aren't fighting over the same 1G pipe.  Just because I might only see 700M max on one device doesn't mean I won't have bandwidth contention when connecting two of them to the same AP.