BROADCOM BCM957414A4142CC Dual-port 25Gb/s Sfp28 Pcie Ethernet Card BCM57414

The Broadcom BCM957414A4142CC is a dual-port 25GbE SFP28 PCIe x8 network card for servers and data-center systems that need high-speed wired connectivity and compatible SFP28 networking equipment.

Recommended For

• Server operators moving large datasets between storage, compute, or backup systems can use the two SFP28 ports for 10/25GbE links, provided the rest of the network can support those speeds.
• Virtualization and cloud-server administrators who need features such as SR-IOV, virtual-switch acceleration, or RoCE can consider it for compatible hosts and software stacks.
• Homelab builders linking a few servers or workstations can use the dual ports for SFP28 25GbE or compatible SFP+ 10GbE connections, including direct-attach cabling where supported.
• Linux server users deploying a supported BCM57414-based card can use the bnxt_en driver; confirm the exact card variant, OS support, and firmware before relying on it in a production system.

Real-World Use Scenarios

• In a VMware server using iSCSI storage, an IT team can move network traffic from 10GbE to 25GbE; Broadcom-sponsored testing compared these speeds in a PowerEdge environment, though results depend on the storage, server, and network setup.
• When upgrading a server from 10GbE, a 25GbE switch connection can provide more capacity for busy virtualization or storage traffic, provided the other network equipment and cabling support the faster link.
• For a NAS or storage server moving large files to another 25GbE-connected system, the card can reduce network transfer bottlenecks; actual transfer speeds still depend on the drives, other endpoint, and network path.
• In a virtualized server, administrators can use the two network ports to carry separate types of traffic, such as virtual-machine and storage traffic; the network configuration must be set up to keep those paths separate.
• For a small lab linking two servers, a compatible SFP28 direct-attach cable can provide a high-speed connection without routing traffic through a switch; both endpoints and the cable must support the intended link speed.

Spec Summary