IO CREST 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express PCI-E Network Interface Card 10/100/1000/25000 Mbps RJ45 LAN Intel I225 Chipset, Black (SY-PEX24076)

Looking specifically for an Intel chipset 2.5GB NIC and this one was recommended somewhere on Reddit. Works great and was compatible with Windows after I found the right drivers. The second time I set this up on a fresh Windows install it just worked right away so the driver thing was probably a Windows issue. Anyway, it’s speed seems to be as advertised, it’s easy to install if you’re comfortable with computers and it’s been perfectly stable for me for several months now. Great value for money if you have the extra PCI slot and don’t want to spend even more to upgrade your motherboard.

When I install this card, my computer does not recognize it (it does not show up at all in Windows device manager, not even as "Unknown" or anything else). In addition, I know the card is doing something strange because it causes my other PCIe card (Wifi) to also not be recognized any more! When I remove this card, my Wifi card starts working again. I've tried moving it to different PCIe slots, but same behavior in all of them. I do see lights on the exterior when I plug in the network cable, so it's getting some power, but otherwise, completely not working.

Edit: as of XigmaNAS 13.1.0.5.9725 this adapter is now recognized and works as-expected! Thanks to ms49434 and zoon01 for applying a kernel patch to accept the PHY that is present. Original review follows. The adapter arrived in a small, cardboard box. The heatsink is attached securely. A hardware check indicates that the chip is revision 03. Under Windows 10/11, the adapter is usable with no additional effort or configuration on the user's side. Under Linux/FreeBSD, the adapter may or may not work depending on the version of the driver used to attempt init. Under FreeBSD specifically, support for the I225 was added in 13.1 via 𝚒𝚐𝚌, however the driver performs an unnecessary PHY vendor ID check, which may fail if the adapter reports an ID that isn't listed in an internal table. The fix (recommended by Intel themselves) is to no longer perform this check and instead assume a PHY for all I225 adapters. This fix is available in FreeBSD 13.2 and/or 14, and would need to be backported if using anything earlier. Examples; TrueNAS Scale 22.12.0 supports this adapter, while XigmaNAS 13.1.0.5.9687 (latest as of this review) includes 𝚒𝚐𝚌, but fails to init with the adapter I received.

I installed this in my old QNAP TS-563 expansion slot. I had to change to the low profile header, and then bend the header flat because QNAP decided to use a flat header. I will duct tape the header to the chassis. But the good news is that it works at 2.5G. Price of this was $17 and change, the QNAP one is $70. I will deal with the duct tape. Edit 6 months later - still working great

I eventually got it to work after hacking the driver inf file and forcing unsigned driver signature in a special boot mode in order to get this to work. There is very little good easy information out there on how to do this. It is Intel's fault and BS. Once hacked the driver works fine. These are obviously not for any production server, but work fine in my lab/test/home environment. I bought it to get a 2.5Gbps link to my Internet provider. Is working after hacking the driver on Windows Server 2022. Paid a bit much for what it is and what had to be done to make it work. Same chipset cards can be had for less if you are willing to wait for slow shipping. Steve at MichiganBroadband

Every other NIC available seems to use Realtek chips, which are an absolute nightmare when it comes to Linux compatibility most of the time. This card is plug-and-play with no drivers needed on Ubuntu and Arch, and works with the official Intel drivers on Windows (which I did need to download separately). I tested the throughput with a large file transfer through a 2.5Gbps switch, and it delivered a flawless 2.5Gbps transfer rate.

Don't bother. At first I thought it might have been the drivers, but after multiple re-installsI was getting less than 100mb network speeds on a 1G lan (90Mbps down, 30 up on what should be 300 up 900 down cable connect w / overhead). Bought after the motherboard NIC died. I replaced this POS with a Wavlink 10/100/1000 card to get the expected speeds. If I have to do this again I'll just get a brand name card.

Plug and play with unRAID (tested with 7.0). Achieves full throughput

The additional speed and compatibility with my ThinkCentre were very welcome, all file transfers etc have the hoped for boost. It seems to take 5-10 seconds to wake up and reconnect to the network after a sleep mode/ standby period with the PC, but that's long enough to make sure your tea is properly stirred.

Bought this awhile ago. I now have a use for it and it will not work ez. Don't buy this cheap !

当時のFreeBSDのバグで2022/09時点で最新のXigmaNASではI225-Vが動作しないようです。 dmesgではI225-Vとして認識されているようでしたが、次の行で 『Setup of Shared code failed, error -2』と出ていました。 現状最新版のFreeBSDでは改善されているようですが、XigmaNASの対応後に追記したいと思います。

Works well for what I needed it for

This is working great in Unraid. Showed up as an interface as soon as I installed it. I have 1.5Gbps internet service and speed test is showing 1.6Gbps from Unraid server. Price was great for an Intel card and was shipped in 1 day.