In today’s high-speed networking world, the right server adapter can make a world of difference. Silicom’s Server Adapters portfolio spans traditional NICs, intelligent bypass cards, and programmable FPGA-based adapters, providing flexible, mission-critical connectivity for data centers, security appliances, and performance-sensitive systems.

Silicom offers a broad range of conventional network interface cards (NICs), spanning speeds from 1G to 400G. These are ideal for general-purpose segmentation, virtualization, and high-throughput server environments.

Port configurations:

• Gigabit (1G): Up to 6 copper ports (e.g., Intel i350-based).

• 10G: Dual, quad, and even octa ports in copper or SFP+ fiber options, powered by Intel XL710, X550, or Broadcom.

• 25G/50G: Dual and quad SFP28 fiber/copper, using Intel XXV710 or Broadcom, with breakdown possibilities.

• Higher speeds (40G, 100G): Available via PCIe with appropriate form factors, high speed support and breakdowns.

Use cases:

• Virtualized environments needing multiple NICs

• High-throughput clusters and storage systems

• Standard data center deployment with robust offload capabilities (e.g. checksum, segmentation)

Intelligent Bypass Adapters: Resilience Built In

For inline network devices—like firewalls, IDS/IPS setups, or edge security appliances—uptime is mission-critical. Silicom’s Bypass Adapters provide automatic failover and connectivity continuity if the host fails.

How bypass works:

• Normal mode: Ports function as independent NICs

• Bypass mode: Packets sent from one port loop through to the other port directly, bypassing the host

• Disconnect mode (some models): Ports simulate link drop or disconnection.

Features:

• Built-in Watchdog Timer (WDT) for automated hardware fail-over.

• Modes triggered by host failure, power loss, or software command.

Port configurations:

• Gigabit: Dual, quad, even six-port copper or fiber options

• 10 Gigabit (Fiber): Dual-port models such as PE310G2BPI71

• 40 Gigabit (Fiber): Dual-port Intel XL710-based PE340G2BPI71

Use cases:

• Ensuring continuous network path for security/monitoring appliances

• Mission-critical systems that can’t be taken offline

• High-availability requirements for inline processing

FPGA-Based Programmable Adapters: Custom Offload at Scale

Silicom also includes FPGA-based Server Adapters—programmable cards enabling users to implement highly customized logic, offloading unique networking, filtering, or packet-processing tasks.

Product families include:

• FPGA cards based on Altera (Arria, Stratix, AgileX) and Xilinx

• Available in a wide bandwidth range: Gigabit to 400 Gigabit.

Use cases:

• Custom packet manipulation

• Specialized protocols or hardware acceleration

• Deep packet inspection, content-aware routing, or advanced monitoring—not handled by standard NICs or bypass logic

• Research and prototyping in evolving networking environments