DELL Broadcom II 5711 Dual-Port 10GB NIC HPB

Modern data centers demand high-speed, low-latency networking to handle virtualization, cloud workloads, and massive data transfers. The DELL Broadcom II 5711 Dual-Port 10GbE NIC addresses this challenge by delivering two independent 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports over a single PCIe 2.0 x8 slot, effectively doubling throughput while conserving valuable server expansion space.

Who is it for

This adapter is built for IT administrators and data center operators managing Dell PowerEdge servers who need to upgrade network capacity without replacing existing infrastructure. It suits environments running VMware ESXi, Windows Server, or Linux, where hardware-assisted I/O and reliable connectivity are critical.

Main features

• Dual SFP+ ports for 10 Gbps per port, aggregate 20 Gbps full-duplex throughput
• Broadcom BCM5711 chipset with TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) to reduce CPU overhead
• PCI Express 2.0 x8 host interface for high bandwidth and low latency
• Low-profile and full-height bracket support for flexible server chassis fit
• Advanced virtualization features: SR-IOV, VMware NetQueue, Microsoft VMQ
• iSCSI boot and PXE boot support for diskless and remote boot scenarios
• Jumbo frame support up to 9 KB for improved large-transfer efficiency
• IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging for network segmentation and security
• Management via SMBIOS, IPMI, SNMP, and WMI for enterprise monitoring

Specifications

• Chipset: Broadcom BCM5711
• Host Interface: PCI Express 2.0 x8
• Data Transfer Rate: 10 Gbps per port
• Number of Ports: 2
• Port Type: SFP+ (cage)
• Network Standard: IEEE 802.3ae (10 Gigabit Ethernet)
• Form Factor: PCIe Low Profile / Full Height
• Cabling Type: Fiber Optic (requires SFP+ transceivers)
• Duplex Mode: Full Duplex
• LED Indicators: Link/Activity/Speed
• Operating Systems: Windows Server, Linux, VMware ESXi, FreeBSD

Tips

Ensure your server has an available PCIe x8 or x16 slot and that SFP+ transceivers or direct-attach cables are ordered separately, as they are not included. For virtualized environments, enable SR-IOV in the server BIOS and hypervisor to maximize performance. Always update to the latest firmware from Dell for optimal compatibility and security.