540-BDOJ Dell Intel Dual Ports PCIe 3.0 x16/PCIe 4.0 x16 Ethernet QSFP28 Adapter

540-BDOJ Dell Intel E810-CQDA2T Dual Ports PCIe Ethernet Adapter Overview

The 540-BDOJ Dell Intel E810-CQDA2T is a high-performance dual-port Ethernet adapter designed for data centers and enterprise environments that demand ultra-low latency, high throughput, and multi-gigabit connectivity. This advanced networking solution utilizes the Intel E810-CQDA2T chipset and supports PCIe 3.0 x16 and PCIe 4.0 x16 interfaces, enabling versatile compatibility with modern and legacy server architectures.

With support for QSFP28 ports, the adapter delivers blazing-fast speeds of up to 100GbE per port, totaling 200Gbps in full-duplex operation. Its cutting-edge hardware offloads, robust scalability, and enterprise-grade reliability make it ideal for high-density virtualization, storage traffic, cloud workloads, and edge computing deployments.

Performance and Architecture

Intel E810-CQDA2T Chipset Capabilities

At the heart of the 540-BDOJ is the Intel E810-CQDA2T controller, a next-generation silicon that supports 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) with advanced packet processing and latency-sensitive application optimization. The chipset is engineered with Dynamic Device Personalization (DDP), allowing it to tailor traffic management and parsing to specific workloads such as NFV, AI/ML, and high-frequency trading.

Advanced Virtualization Support

The adapter enables deep virtualization with support for SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization), providing direct I/O access to virtual machines. This significantly enhances performance by bypassing software overhead and granting VMs near-native throughput and low latency.

NVMe over Fabrics and Storage Optimization

Designed to complement modern storage frameworks, the E810-CQDA2T adapter supports NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) protocols, enabling low-latency, high-bandwidth storage networking across RDMA-enabled fabrics. This makes it a top choice for mission-critical database and storage array environments.

PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 Interface Support

Flexibility in interface compatibility is key. This model supports both PCIe 3.0 x16 and PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, ensuring backward compatibility with older systems while also taking full advantage of the higher data throughput in PCIe 4.0-equipped servers.

QSFP28 Port Configuration

Dual-Port High-Speed Networking

Each of the two QSFP28 ports on the 540-BDOJ adapter supports link speeds of up to 100Gbps, enabling robust network aggregation and redundancy. The ports are configurable for 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, and 100GbE depending on deployment needs and switch compatibility.

Hot-Swappable and Flexible Connectivity

QSFP28 ports support a variety of fiber and copper transceivers, allowing users to adapt the network interface card (NIC) to different cabling standards. This ensures seamless integration into existing data center topologies, with minimal disruption during upgrades or migrations.

Use Cases and Applications

Enterprise and Cloud Data Centers

Data centers require immense bandwidth to handle large-scale compute and storage requirements. The Dell Intel E810-CQDA2T adapter enables efficient traffic routing, load balancing, and throughput optimization for cloud-native, containerized, and virtualized environments.

High-Performance Computing (HPC)

In HPC environments, every microsecond matters. This adapter delivers low-latency packet transmission and high determinism, critical for compute clusters running scientific simulations, financial modeling, or AI training workloads.

Edge Computing and 5G Networks

With the explosion of 5G and IoT, edge devices must process high volumes of data locally. The E810-CQDA2T's compact form factor and scalable bandwidth make it suitable for deployment in edge nodes and multi-access edge computing (MEC) platforms.

Key Features and Benefits

Programmable Pipeline for Network Optimization

Intel's programmable pipeline in the E810 chipset allows for fine-tuned parsing, filtering, and classification of packets. This enables hardware-level traffic steering, crucial for implementing policies in software-defined networking (SDN) environments.

Telemetry and Monitoring

Integrated telemetry provides visibility into adapter performance, traffic flows, and error diagnostics. IT teams can use these insights for proactive network management and troubleshooting.

Telemetry Features:

• Real-time traffic statistics
• Queue monitoring and buffer usage
• Error counters and hardware diagnostics
• System-wide health integration

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Management

Designed for optimal power efficiency, the E810-CQDA2T features dynamic power management and thermal sensors. These enable the NIC to operate at peak performance while minimizing heat output and power draw, making it ideal for environmentally-conscious data centers.

Compatibility and Deployment

Compatible Dell Server Platforms

The 540-BDOJ adapter is compatible with a broad range of Dell PowerEdge server models, including:

• PowerEdge R750, R740, R650
• PowerEdge C6525 and C6520
• PowerEdge MX series
• PowerEdge XE and XR edge models

Supported Operating Systems

This adapter offers broad OS compatibility for seamless deployment across mixed environments. Supported platforms include:

• Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.x, 8.x, 9.x
• Ubuntu Server LTS versions
• VMware ESXi 6.7, 7.0, and later
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES)

Security Features

Secure Boot and Firmware Verification

Built-in firmware protections prevent unauthorized modifications by verifying digital signatures during boot. This ensures the adapter firmware cannot be tampered with, protecting network infrastructure from low-level threats.

MACSec and TLS Capabilities

The adapter supports Media Access Control Security (MACSec), a layer 2 security protocol that encrypts data on the wire, protecting it from eavesdropping and tampering. Support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) offloading further enhances security for encrypted traffic workloads.

Comparison to Other Dell Network Adapters

540-BDOJ vs. 540-BBWL

While the 540-BBWL is a popular choice for dual-port 10GbE environments, the 540-BDOJ offers a massive performance leap with dual 100GbE support. Enterprises seeking future-proof networking will find the BDOJ model more suitable.

Reliability and Support

Dell Enterprise-Class Quality Assurance

As part of Dell’s enterprise-grade hardware lineup, the 540-BDOJ adapter is rigorously tested for compatibility, endurance, and performance across a wide range of scenarios. Dell’s support ecosystem ensures you get continuous updates, firmware patches, and diagnostics tools.

Service and Support Options:

• ProSupport and ProSupport Plus available
• Firmware lifecycle management
• Auto-discovery and telemetry integration via iDRAC
• Dell OpenManage compatibility

Long-Term Product Availability

Dell ensures long product lifecycle availability for enterprise hardware like the 540-BDOJ, making it a stable choice for organizations seeking standardization and extended deployment across datacenters or global offices.

Buying Considerations

The 540-BDOJ Model

The 540-BDOJ is ideal for organizations that:

• Need to deploy 100GbE backbones
• Are transitioning to PCIe 4.0 infrastructure
• Operate high-performance virtualization clusters
• Require secure, encrypted links via MACSec
• Leverage SDN or programmable networking