P225P Broadcom Dual-Port 25 Gb/s SFP28 Ethernet Interface Card

Product Snapshot — Broadcom P225P Dual-Port 25Gb SFP28 PCIe NIC

The Broadcom P225P (BCM957414A4142CC) is a high-performance dual-port 25 Gigabit Ethernet network interface card designed for demanding datacenter and cloud workloads. Built on the Broadcom BCM57414 25GbE MAC controller with integrated dual-channel SFI transceivers, this PCI Express Gen3 x8 adapter supports both optical SFP28/SFP+ modules and copper direct-attach cabling for flexible deployment.

Key Advantages

• Industry-grade 25GbE throughput across two independent ports for high-density networking.
• Flexible media support — works with 25G SFP28 and backward-compatible 10G SFP+ modules, plus DACs.
• Hardware acceleration and intelligent offloads reduce CPU load and improve application performance.
• Rich virtualization and tunneling features tailored for modern cloud and NFV environments.
• Robust enterprise features such as RDMA, DCB, and jumbo frame support for storage and HPC workloads.

Technical Highlights

Interface & Standards

• PCI Express Gen3 x8 form factor, compliant with PCIe Card Electromechanical Specification Rev. 3.0.
• Dual pluggable SFP28/SFP+ media interfaces (supports optical transceivers and copper DACs).
• Fully compliant with SFF-8402 for small form-factor pluggable modules.

Performance & Offloads

• TruFlow™ flow processing engine for sophisticated traffic steering and flow classification.
• Large Send Offload (LSO), Large Receive Offload (LRO), and TCP Segmentation Offload (TSO) to minimize CPU cycles.
• Checksum offloads for TCP, UDP and IP; IPv4 and IPv6 hardware offloading.
• Receive-side Scaling (RSS) and Transmit-side Scaling (TSS) for multi-core optimised packet distribution.
• Jumbo frame support up to 9 KB for improved throughput with large payloads.

Virtualization & Networking Features

• SR-IOV with support for up to 128 Virtual Functions (VFs) to accelerate VM network I/O.
• VSwitch acceleration and tunnel-aware stateless offloads for VXLAN, NVGRE, Geneve and GRE (encap/decap).
• Virtual Network Termination capabilities suitable for hypervisor and containerized infrastructures.

Advanced Transport & Reliability

• RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) for low-latency, high-throughput storage and HPC networking.
• Advanced congestion avoidance and multiqueue architectures (NetQueue, VMQ) to maintain predictable performance.
• Interrupt Coalescing and MSI / MSI-X support to lower interrupt overhead.

Enterprise Features & Management

Quality of Service & Data Center Bridging

• Full DCB support including PFC (Priority Flow Control), ETS (Enhanced Transmission Selection), QCN and DCBx for deterministic traffic handling.

Hardware Control & Management

• SMBus 2.0 and MCTP over SMBus for board-level management and monitoring.
• PCIe-based UART and KCS interfaces for firmware and diagnostic access.
• Function Level Reset (FLR) support for safe device resets in virtualized platforms.

Boot & Storage Integration

• Network boot support (PXE, UEFI) and iSCSI boot capability for diskless servers and remote storage deployment.

Compatibility & Deployment Considerations

Media & Module Compatibility

• Works with industry-standard SFP28 optical transceivers and is backward compatible with 10G SFP+ optics.
• Supports passive and active direct-attach copper (DAC) cables for short-reach, cost-effective links.

System & OS Support

• Drivers available for major enterprise operating systems — verify OS/drivers with vendor resources for the specific release.
• Ensure sufficient PCIe lanes and BIOS/firmware compatibility when installing in blade or high-density servers.

Physical & Environmental Notes

• Standard low-profile / full-height bracket options may be available — check the SKU for the bracket that matches your chassis.
• Confirm airflow and thermal conditions in dense server configurations when deploying multiple 25Gb NICs.

Use Cases & Workloads

Ideal Deployments

• Hyperscale datacenters requiring 25Gb uplinks to top-of-rack switches.
• Cloud service platforms and multi-tenant virtualization hosts leveraging SR-IOV to deliver near-native network performance to VMs/containers.
• Software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) environments that use VXLAN/Geneve encapsulation.
• High-performance storage and compute clusters leveraging RDMA (RoCE) for low-latency transfers.

Business Benefits

• Improves application throughput while reducing server CPU utilization thanks to rich offload capabilities.
• Flexible media options reduce inventory complexity — one adapter can support both 25G optics and 10G fallback.
• Advanced QoS and DCB features make it suitable for converged networks that carry storage, management and tenant traffic.

Comparison & Buying Guidance

How it stacks up

• Compared with single-port 25Gb NICs, the dual-port P225P doubles available links while preserving port-level redundancy.
• Versus older 10Gb adapters, it offers substantially greater headroom for east-west traffic and modern microservices patterns.

What to check before purchasing

• Confirm the required bracket (low-profile vs full-height) and PCIe slot lane availability (Gen3 x8 recommended).
• Verify firmware/driver compatibility with your hypervisor or OS version, especially for SR-IOV and RoCE.
• Decide on optics vs DAC based on link distance and cabling budget.

Port: Dual-Port

Unleash the Power of Dual-Port Connectivity

The Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card is equipped with a remarkable feature that sets it apart from other networking solutions – the Dual-Port capability. With this cutting-edge technology, users can experience enhanced performance, improved reliability, and increased flexibility.

Enhanced Performance

The Dual-Port functionality of the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card allows for simultaneous data transmission and reception on two separate ports. This means that users can achieve higher throughput and reduced latency, resulting in faster and more efficient data transfers. Whether you are downloading large files, streaming high-definition videos, or engaging in online gaming, the Dual-Port feature ensures smooth and uninterrupted performance.

Improved Reliability

By utilizing two ports, the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card provides redundancy in case one of the ports fails or encounters issues. This redundancy ensures that your network remains operational even if one of the ports experiences a temporary disruption. This feature is particularly crucial for businesses that rely heavily on network connectivity to carry out their operations.

Furthermore, the Dual-Port capability also enables load balancing, distributing network traffic evenly between the two ports. This load balancing mechanism optimizes resource utilization, prevents bottlenecks, and minimizes network congestion. As a result, users can enjoy a stable and reliable network connection.

Increased Flexibility

The Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card's Dual-Port functionality offers users incredible flexibility in network deployment. Whether you need to connect to multiple devices or establish redundant connections to critical network components, this feature allows you to configure your network infrastructure according to your specific requirements.

Additionally, the Dual-Port capability enables users to segregate network traffic, providing isolation between different types of data or applications. This segregation ensures that sensitive data remains secure and unaffected by other network activities.

Speed: 25 Gb/s

Unleash the Blazing-Fast Speed of 25 Gb/s

The Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card boasts an impressive speed of 25 Gb/s, making it an ideal choice for users who demand high-performance networking solutions. This lightning-fast speed offers numerous benefits, including faster data transfers, increased bandwidth, and improved overall network efficiency.

Faster Data Transfers

With a speed of 25 Gb/s, the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card ensures rapid data transfers, reducing waiting times and improving productivity. Whether you are transferring large files, performing data backups, or running bandwidth-intensive applications, this high-speed capability guarantees quick and efficient data transmission.

Increased Bandwidth

The 25 Gb/s speed of the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card provides users with a substantial increase in available bandwidth. This expanded bandwidth allows for the seamless handling of high volumes of data traffic, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted network operations. Users can enjoy lag-free streaming, real-time collaboration, and fast internet browsing without experiencing any slowdowns or bottlenecks.

Improved Network Efficiency

By leveraging the 25 Gb/s speed, the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card optimizes network efficiency and performance. The increased bandwidth enables more concurrent connections and allows for efficient multitasking across various network applications. This enhanced efficiency translates into improved user experiences and higher productivity levels.

Interface: SFP28

Experience Versatility with SFP28 Interface

The Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card features an SFP28 interface, offering users unparalleled versatility and compatibility. This industry-standard interface ensures seamless integration into a wide range of networking environments, providing hassle-free connectivity and enhanced performance.

Wide Compatibility

The SFP28 interface of the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card ensures compatibility with various networking equipment, including switches, routers, and servers. This compatibility allows users to effortlessly integrate the card into their existing network infrastructure without requiring any major modifications or upgrades. Whether you are upgrading your network or building a new one, the SFP28 interface guarantees a smooth transition.

Flexible Deployment Options

With the SFP28 interface, users have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of compatible transceivers and cables. This flexibility enables users to tailor their network setup according to their specific requirements, such as different cable lengths or optical connectivity. The ability to select from various options ensures that the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card can adapt to different network architectures and configurations.

Reliable Performance

The SFP28 interface is known for its reliable performance and low latency. This interface allows for high-speed data transmission, ensuring minimal delays and optimal network responsiveness. Users can rely on the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card to deliver consistent and reliable performance, even in demanding networking environments.

Conclusion

The Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card offers an impressive array of features that cater to the evolving needs of modern network users. With its Dual-Port capability, users can experience enhanced performance, improved reliability, and increased flexibility. The 25 Gb/s speed ensures lightning-fast data transfers, increased bandwidth, and improved network efficiency. Additionally, the SFP28 interface provides versatility, compatibility, and reliable performance. Whether you are a business owner seeking reliable networking solutions or an individual looking for high-performance connectivity, the Broadcom P225P Ethernet Interface Card is an excellent choice that delivers on its promises.