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Intel Pro/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter — main product image
Intel Pro/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel Pro/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel Pro/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel Pro/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel

Intel Pro/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter

★★★★★3.4 (18 reviews)

Dual-port Gigabit Ethernet delivers 2Gbps of server connectivity with Intel's proven PRO/1000 reliability on a single PCIe card.

$45.00*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jun 04, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

The Intel Pro/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter delivers two independent 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet ports on a single plug-in card, with each port capable of 1Gbps full-duplex operation. The PRO/1000 chipset includes hardware offloading for TCP/IP checksums and large send offload, which shifts network stack computation from the host CPU to the NIC — a meaningful efficiency gain in servers processing high packet rates. Auto-negotiation across all three Ethernet standards (10Base-T, 100Base-TX, 1000Base-T) means the card adapts to the connected switch port without manual intervention. The dual-port configuration on a single expansion slot is the architectural advantage: servers with limited PCIe slots get two network interfaces at the cost of one slot.

This card is deployed in file servers, virtualization hosts, and network storage environments where link redundancy and moderate throughput are the requirements. In active-passive failover configuration, it eliminates a single NIC as a point of failure. In active-active/link aggregation configuration (LACP), it delivers up to 2Gbps combined throughput to a capable switch. It is best positioned in existing infrastructure where 1Gbps switching is in place and where the priority is reliability and CPU offload rather than raw throughput expansion. Environments already running 10GbE switching or planning NVMe-over-Fabrics deployment should evaluate 10GbE adapters instead. For legacy server refresh, rack consolidation, and virtualization hosts with moderate bandwidth requirements, the Pro/1000 PT remains a dependable, well-supported solution.

Key Features

Manufacturer Intel

Form Factor: Plug-in card

Connectivity Technology: Wired

Cabling Type: Ethernet 10Base-T, Ethernet 100Base-TX, Ethernet 1000Base-T

Data Transfer Rate: 1 Gbps

Specifications

Brand
Intel
Model
Pro/1000 PT
Ports
2× RJ-45
Data Transfer Rate
1 Gbps per port
Cabling Type
Ethernet 10Base-T / 100Base-TX / 1000Base-T
Connectivity
Wired
Form Factor
Plug-in card (PCI)

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Dual 1Gbps ports on a single PCIe slot provide up to 2Gbps aggregate throughput or active-passive failover without consuming two expansion slots.
  • Intel PRO/1000 chipset delivers hardware TCP/IP checksum offload, measurably reducing CPU utilization under sustained network load.
  • 10/100/1000 auto-negotiation ensures compatibility across any existing switch infrastructure without manual speed configuration.
  • PXE boot support enables network-based OS provisioning — essential in managed server deployment workflows.
  • Mature, stable driver support across Windows Server, Linux, and VMware ESXi reduces compatibility risk in heterogeneous environments.

👎 Cons

  • Maximum port speed of 1Gbps per port is the hard ceiling — this card cannot be upgraded or configured for 10GbE, which is increasingly standard in modern server fabrics.
  • PCI form factor (the description references PCI, not PCIe) requires verification of exact slot type against target server — older PCI and PCIe are electrically incompatible despite physical similarity in some chassis.
  • Two-port design means link aggregation throughput maxes at 2Gbps combined — insufficient for high-bandwidth workloads like NVMe-over-Fabrics or large-scale virtual machine migration.
  • No SR-IOV support limits use in dense virtualization environments where hardware-level NIC partitioning per VM is required.
  • Legacy product with no manufacturer update path — driver updates depend on community or OS vendor support rather than Intel active maintenance.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Intel Pro/1000 PT uses a PCI Express interface. It is compatible with any server or workstation motherboard featuring a PCIe slot with sufficient lane width. The card supports 10Base-T, 100Base-TX, and 1000Base-T auto-negotiation, so it will operate correctly at whatever speed the connected switch port supports.
A single PCIe slot hosts both ports, conserving expansion slots in slot-constrained server chassis. More practically, both ports share the PCIe bus bandwidth but can be configured for either link aggregation (up to 2Gbps combined throughput) or failover redundancy — the latter being the primary use case in server environments where uptime is the priority.
Intel's PRO/1000 PT supports TCP/IP checksum offloading and large send offload (LSO), which reduces the CPU cycles consumed by network stack processing. In high-throughput server environments, this offload capability measurably reduces CPU utilization compared to software-only network processing on integrated NICs.
Intel provides drivers for Windows Server, Linux (kernel drivers are included natively for most distributions), and VMware ESXi. The PRO/1000 PT is a well-documented and widely deployed adapter, making driver availability broadly stable across server operating systems including legacy environments.
Yes. The Intel PRO/1000 PT supports PXE network boot natively, which is standard for server provisioning environments. iSCSI initiator support is available through the operating system software stack; the card's hardware offloading can reduce CPU overhead for iSCSI traffic.

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