Written 22 Aug 2026. Specs from the maker pages linked below. Prices from those stores. I haven't used these.
When one copy fills the faster house port: the 10G copper card that ships a cable
When one copy already fills the faster house port (2.5G) and the file box talks 10G over a normal ethernet jack (10GBASE-T), this card is the copper upgrade. It ships a Cat6A lead. Skip it if both ends already have fiber-style cages.
When one copy already fills the faster house port (2.5G) and the file box talks 10G over a normal ethernet jack (10GBASE-T), this is the copper card. Still a later buy. Still not a switch. Stay on 2.5G copper until a single flow is full. If both ends have cages, buy the new 10Gtek 82599 plus a 2 m DAC instead. If the included 1.5 m is too short, add Monoprice / Cable Matters Cat6A.
What to buy
| Card | What it is | Street, 22 Aug 2026 | Buy if |
|---|---|---|---|
| TP-Link TX401 | ASIN B08D71PVXG, UPC 840030701610. PCIe 3.0, low-profile bracket in box, 1.5 m Cat6A included. 10/5/2.5/1G autoneg. | Amazon $64.50–$89.99 depending on capture. Sold by Amazon on the $89.99 snapshot. Recheck the live buy box. | 2.5G is actually full and the other end is RJ45. One SKU, no optic lottery. |
Skip
Skip buying TX401 as your first NIC. Skip treating it as a switch. Skip used eBay 10GBASE-T pulls when this card is on a live Amazon ASIN.
Sources
Amazon TX401 ($64.50 / $89.99 captures). Same listing: amazon.com/dp/B08D71PVXG. SpeedTestHQ 2026 2.5G vs 10G cited a ~$50–$80 band. Treat that as secondary to the live Amazon captures.