QNAP TVS-1282 Cheap Dual port 10gb SFP+ NIC with free 2 port switch.

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Mike W

Kuntrolphreak
Jun 29, 2018
75
29
18
Suffolk, Va
So I had been looking to install 10gb from my QNAP to my desktop for quite a while. And while I could get 10gb cards relatively cheap for my pc finding one that was compatible and inexpensive for the QNAP is what kept me from pulling the trigger. Regardless of where I researched they were all over $100 and any that weren’t on the Qnap compatibility list always had some kind of issues. So I found one that’s smokin fast and is dual port.
So it is a HP NC552SFP. Which is a rebranded Emulex OCE11102 which is listed on the compatibility list for my TVS-1282. So when I got it I did nothing to it except install it in my Qnap. Didn’t have much hope on it being discovered but figured I would try. Booted up the nas and it was discovered. Show both ports (NICs 5 and 6) with 10gb speed. So if your like me and want to make that move these cards are as low as $20 on eBay

Part 2.
Free 2/3 port 10gb sfp+ switch using a QNAP. So I now have my Qnap and PC connected using static ip’s and direct attached copper but I have a new server with 12 bays and it’s sole purpose is to back up my QNAP. So I install a 10gb card in it also and plug it into the 2nd SFP+ port still open on the hp card installed in the QNAP. Bridge the 2 ports together on the Qnap and assigned a static to my server. So I still had the original 1gb connections still going to all three machines also for access to the internet and home network. Well the new configuration worked but had some issues. Not sure but I think it was causing confusion due to multiple routes on my networks to local machines. Hostnames stopped working for access connections and web servers. I would have to use the Ip’s and some other strange things so I disconnected the 10gb side and it started working correctly. So i start over and long story short I discovered something pretty cool. The QNAP has a software switch that mimics a layer 2 switch. So here is what discovered if I create a software switch in the QNAP and attach it to one of the 1gb connections (this works if your doing port aggregation/trunking also) then bridge the two 10gb NICs in the Qnap to that software switch it will work just like any other dumb switch. I plug my 2 other computers into the 10gb ports on the hp card installed in the Qnap and it assigned addresses to both via DHCP and presto I got a 10gb network at no additional cost. Also the Qnap is 10gb also you just have to use the ip of the 1gb connection you attached the software switch to. Been running for about to weeks now with out issue. And I’m getting sustained transfer rates at 950mb+ with files as large as 22gb. Transfer time on a file that large is around 20 seconds and that is moving it from computer 1 connected to port 1 on the 10gb NIC to the computer connected to port 2 on the 10gb NIC. Tested doing this also while monitoring resources on the Qnap and as far as I can tell this traffic never even touches the Qnap when transferred across the two ports either. You can see it when transferring to the Qnap in the resource monitor
I am wondering now if there would be any loss speed if I installed another 2 port 10gb NIC into one of the other available PCIe slots in the Qnap and transferred data to and from computers connected on the separate cards. Also wondering if all of that traffic would be processed by the Qnap then and if it would affect performance if so.

Been wanting to get 10gb for a while for my Qnap and I hope this helps someone that is out there researching the same as I was knowing there was a way.
 
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Jeff Robertson

Active Member
Oct 18, 2016
429
115
43
Chico, CA
Awesome. I had a 1282 as well and I found you can use almost any sfp+ nic even if it's not listed as compatible. I've run various mellanox cards, intel, emulex, they generally all seem to have drivers as long as you are using the latest qts version. I would also look at microtik for 10Gbps networking, they have a couple of VERY inexpensive 4/8 port sfp+ switches.
 

Mike W

Kuntrolphreak
Jun 29, 2018
75
29
18
Suffolk, Va
Had some issue's with mellanox cards not being recognized. Tried a few different types/makes before i found the Emulex / HP card and nothing else would show up. Were you running re-branded cards. I always ran re-branded cards since i could get them for so cheap. $10-20 a card at the time vs $100 a card. Funny you mentioned the Microtik. I recently got the Microtik 4 port 10gb x 1 port 1gb switch and love it. Have it in switch mode and its just a dumb switch on my network and rocks. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a 10gb small local solution.
 

Jeff Robertson

Active Member
Oct 18, 2016
429
115
43
Chico, CA
I've been going back and forth on buying one of those switches, the price is just so damn low compared to everything else out there. I was using non-rebranded cards so maybe that made a difference? I think I settled on some older intel nic. I like the emulex nics and have been using them more, they just seem to be the most stable, no weirdness like I experience with mellanox cards.
 

Mike W

Kuntrolphreak
Jun 29, 2018
75
29
18
Suffolk, Va
Only had issues with theHP/ melanox in my QNAP. Running them in my servers and desktop with no issues. After I found the emulex that worked in the QNAP I haven’t tried any others.
I got the mikrotik MikroTik
Little thing rocks. Has a router mode and a switch mode. Have only used switch mode but love it. 1gb uplink with all my 10gb equip on the sfp+ ports. Xfers are usually limited by drive speed. Honestly need either NMVE pcie or a raid-0 or raid -10 to get full throughput.
I would recommend getting it.
 
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