542-BBCF Dell Ethernet X710 BNDc 10GB Quad Port Blade Network Daughter Card

Advanced Networking Capabilities

• Equipped with a robust quad-port 10GbE Blade Network Daughter Card (BNDC) for enhanced connectivity.
• Delivers high-speed data transfer and exceptional bandwidth efficiency across demanding environments.
• Designed to seamlessly integrate with Dell PowerEdge blade servers.

Brand & Model Details

• Manufacturer: Dell
• Model Number: 542-BBCF
• Product Category: Network Adapter

High-Performance Architecture

• Utilizes PCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 interface with x8 or higher lane support for faster throughput.
• Optimized for Intel Xeon processor platforms to ensure optimal server synergy.
• Features hardware-assisted traffic steering via Intel Ethernet Flow Director.

Next-Gen Virtualization Support

• Supports advanced offloads such as VXLAN, GENEVE, and NVGRE for efficient network virtualization.
• Perfect for environments relying on Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN).
• I/O Virtualization technologies enhance multi-tenant cloud and data center performance.

Optimized Packet Handling and Performance

• Impressive small packet performance, essential for next-gen network appliances.
• Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) ready — enabling fast, efficient packet forwarding.
• Minimizes CPU load while maintaining throughput under heavy traffic loads.

Energy-Efficient Design

• Engineered for low power consumption without compromising performance.
• Ideal for eco-conscious data centers seeking power-optimized hardware.
• Reduces thermal output and power requirements in blade server setups.

Purpose-Built for Enterprise Environments

• Delivers consistent, reliable performance for enterprise-scale workloads.
• Perfect fit for scalable infrastructure requiring high-speed, low-latency networking.
• Supports both traditional data center and cloud-first hybrid environments.

Reliable, Scalable, and Future-Ready

• Robust architecture ensures long-term deployment across evolving IT infrastructures.
• Built-in features that support rapid deployment and simplified management.
• Backed by Intel’s trusted networking technology for peace of mind and scalability.

Overview of the 542-BBCF Dell Ethernet X710 BNDc 10GB Quad Port Blade Network Daughter Card

The 542-BBCF Dell Ethernet X710 BNDc is a high-performance, quad-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network daughter card (NDC) designed for blade servers. Built on Intel's X710 chipset, this card is engineered to deliver scalable, efficient, and reliable network connectivity for modern data center environments. As a blade server NDC, it integrates directly into compatible Dell PowerEdge blade servers, offering exceptional throughput, low latency, and advanced networking features for enterprise workloads.

Optimized Network Performance with Intel X710 Chipset

The card is based on the proven Intel X710 Ethernet controller, offering advanced offload capabilities and superior performance for high-throughput applications. The quad-port configuration ensures efficient traffic handling and optimal load distribution. Each 10GbE port supports large send offload (LSO), receive side scaling (RSS), and data plane development kit (DPDK) optimizations.

Advanced Offload Features

• TCP/UDP/IP checksum offload
• Large Receive Offload (LRO)
• Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV)
• VXLAN and NVGRE hardware offloading
• iSCSI boot support for SAN environments

Network Virtualization Support

This NDC supports advanced network virtualization standards such as VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) and NVGRE (Network Virtualization using Generic Routing Encapsulation), enabling flexible overlay networking in software-defined data center (SDDC) architectures.

Form Factor and Integration in Dell Blade Servers

The 542-BBCF is specifically designed as a network daughter card, or NDC, which means it is embedded into the blade chassis and does not occupy a traditional PCIe slot. It provides a space-saving solution that is critical for high-density server environments, especially in modular Dell PowerEdge blade platforms such as the M630, M640, or FX2 chassis.

Compatible Dell Blade Server Models

• Dell PowerEdge M630
• Dell PowerEdge M640
• Dell FX2 and FX2s modular infrastructure
• Dell PowerEdge VRTX with M-series blade support

Seamless Backplane Connectivity

The network daughter card interfaces with the blade server’s midplane or backplane architecture to streamline cabling, reduce complexity, and improve airflow. This seamless integration helps minimize downtime and simplifies deployment in enterprise server farms.

High-Speed 10GbE Quad Port Throughput

Each of the four ports on the 542-BBCF Dell Ethernet X710 BNDc NDC supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet speeds, allowing for a total potential throughput of up to 40Gbps. This is especially crucial for I/O-intensive applications, virtualization workloads, and cloud-native environments that demand high data transfer rates.

Ideal for Virtualized Workloads

With native support for SR-IOV, VMware NetQueue, and Microsoft VMQ, the daughter card is ideal for virtualized server environments. These features offload network traffic directly to the card, reducing CPU load and improving VM performance.

Bandwidth Allocation and Load Balancing

Its quad-port configuration allows network administrators to allocate bandwidth efficiently, balance network loads, and implement high availability with link aggregation (LACP). This maximizes uptime and ensures consistent network performance.

Redundancy and Failover Options

Using NIC teaming and failover protocols, businesses can leverage the quad-port setup for redundancy, providing uninterrupted network services in case of port or path failure.

Security and Manageability Features

Security and manageability are critical for enterprise-grade network components. The 542-BBCF NDC includes robust features that ensure data integrity, secure access, and simplified IT operations.

Security Enhancements

• Secure Boot and UEFI compliance
• MACsec (Media Access Control Security)
• PXE boot support for network-based deployment
• Firmware updates and secure configuration through Dell Lifecycle Controller

Remote Management Integration

The NDC integrates with Dell iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller), allowing system administrators to remotely manage firmware, monitor network health, and push configurations across large-scale server deployments.

Out-of-Band Management

Out-of-band management capabilities enable monitoring and servicing of servers regardless of their power state or OS availability. This supports faster troubleshooting and minimizes downtime.

Use Cases and Application Scenarios

The 542-BBCF X710 10GbE NDC is a key enabler for several enterprise IT strategies, ranging from cloud computing to network function virtualization (NFV) and high-performance computing (HPC).

Cloud and Virtual Infrastructure

Its virtualization-ready features, high throughput, and low latency make it suitable for both private and hybrid cloud deployments using platforms like VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and OpenStack.

High-Frequency Trading and Financial Applications

With support for low-latency features and Intel DPDK, the card suits high-frequency trading environments that demand near-zero packet loss and microsecond-level performance.

Data Center Network Upgrades

Businesses transitioning from 1GbE to 10GbE networks can use the 542-BBCF card as a cost-effective upgrade to improve bandwidth without replacing entire server hardware.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

With support for thousands of concurrent sessions and enhanced throughput, the card is also effective in VDI scenarios that depend on responsive network connectivity.

Environmental Standards and Certifications

• RoHS compliant
• CE, FCC Class A certified
• Energy-efficient Ethernet (EEE) support
• IPv6 support and compliance

Category-Related Products and Substitutes

Besides the 542-BBCF, Dell offers a range of network daughter cards and mezzanine modules for different bandwidth, port configuration, and chipset needs.

Alternative Dell NDC Options

• Dell 0V62V 10GbE 2-Port NDC
• Dell 430-BCNE Intel X520 Dual Port 10GbE
• Dell 540-BBGS Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 25GbE

Upgrade Paths and Cross-Compatible Models

For customers considering scalability, the X710 chipset also comes in PCIe adapter formats and dual-port configurations. These can complement blade server environments or be deployed in rack-mounted counterparts for consistent networking across infrastructures.

Firmware and Driver Support

The 542-BBCF card benefits from regular firmware and driver updates directly from Dell and Intel, ensuring compatibility with the latest OS versions and security patches. Dell's repository provides drivers for Windows Server, Linux distributions, and VMware ESXi hypervisors.

Driver Compatibility List

• Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.x / 8.x
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 12 / 15
• VMware ESXi 6.7 / 7.0 / 8.0

Firmware Management Tools

Firmware updates can be managed via:

• Dell Repository Manager (DRM)
• Lifecycle Controller (LC)
• OpenManage Enterprise (OME)
• Redfish API for automated deployments

Buying Considerations and Deployment Tips

Before purchasing the 542-BBCF Dell Ethernet X710 NDC, IT buyers should consider their specific server model compatibility, existing switch fabric architecture, and redundancy requirements. The NDC form factor reduces clutter and enhances airflow but is not interchangeable with standard PCIe cards.

Deployment Best Practices

• Verify blade chassis model and midplane configuration
• Implement link aggregation for higher availability
• Use VLAN tagging for network segmentation
• Apply QoS settings for traffic prioritization

Return on Investment (ROI)

The high port density and 10GbE throughput offer long-term ROI by reducing the need for multiple adapters and supporting high-bandwidth applications for years to come.