ASUS just launched the first sub-$100 NBASE-T adapter using Aquantia silicon. This adapter supports 100 Mbps “Fast Ethernet”, Gigabit Ethernet, 2.5 and 5 Gbps NBASE-T and regular 10GBASE-T. It will scale performance based on the port on the other end of the wire as well as the quality of that wire.
Aquantia Brings Fast(er) Ethernet to Consumers
In the enterprise, it’s been interesting to follow the debates between 10/40/100GbE and the alternative 25/50/100GbE roadmaps. As the data center demands more bandwidth, we’ll see this debate shake out in practice. But those kinds of speeds are completely irrelevant to the needs of consumers in any kind of foreseeable future. We’re just really starting to see use of the now ubiquitous 1GbE that’s standard on most devices. That’s what made the announcement that Aquantia is launching a consumer focused line of chips with NBASE-T support intriguing.