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Mellanox NICs

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i386

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Mar 18, 2016
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@ari2asem
Mellanox has some "ethernet only" nics (type EN) and nics (type VPI) that support Infiniband (EDR) and ethernet (100GBE).


@Freebsd1976
There seem to be more problems with HPE models, will fix that in the next revision. Thank you for the feedback!

Todos for 1.01:
  • Fix models/sku numbers (hpe)
  • Add glossary
Todos for 2.0:
  • Add ConnectX-6 (& maybe special models like the bluefield nics)
 

hmw

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Apr 29, 2019
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Perhaps inviting comments from people as to which cables and optics they were able to successfully use with these NICs?

I recently got a ConnectX-LX EN - a single port 50GbE ethernet only variant - and it seems VERY finicky about cables (including ones that work fine on a ConnectX-3)
 
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dragonian

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Jan 3, 2020
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I'm pretty sure that the MCX311A-XCAT (single SFP+) is only x4 lanes of PCIe3 and not x8. It's a winner for some smaller boxes like 5019A-FTN4
 

RageBone

Active Member
Jul 11, 2017
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you could add the HPE FLR variants, especially since those Risers / adapters are out there.
Though i can't say if they can be crossflashed or what the actual mlx equivalent is, i tried many FWs, in the end, only the HPE Fw worked for me, could have done something wrong though. I had suspected it to be the 346A FCCT for the 554+FLR because the 544+ is the same but to me it seems not to be the case.
 

Robert Townley

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Dec 23, 2014
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Perhaps inviting comments from people as to which cables and optics they were able to successfully use with these NICs?

I recently got a ConnectX-LX EN - a single port 50GbE ethernet only variant - and it seems VERY finicky about cables (including ones that work fine on a ConnectX-3)
Just spent way too many hours trying to find Mellanox optical modules both SFP+ and QSFP+ because eBay basically said there were none.
I would very much appreciate what modules are known to work with Mellanox.
Does Mellanox block other brands in firmware?
Do most other brands work?
 

Robert Townley

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Dec 23, 2014
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Good to hear :)

I imagine your firmware was all updated first?

Do you have many different brands of optical modules?
Arista?
Intel?
 

i386

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2016
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I try to stay up to date, yes.

From memory:
Transceivers:
Fs.com (coded for mellanox, arista)
different branded (I think there is at least 1 intel branded) finisar 10gbe sr transceivers
cisco
mellanox (and aoc cables)
broadcom

DACs:
Broadcom
Brocade
Mellanox (vanilla, ibm & hpe branded)
Cisco
fs.com