I often get asked to to recommend a network card for use in a work or home VMware ESX(i) home lab.  As well as the onboard NICs of my HP Proliant ML110/ML115’s,  that I generally use for the service console traffic, I use either a PCIe based dual port Intel Pro 1000 PT or HP NC380T.  Both are on the VMware ESX I/O compatibility list.

I have used both in anger for sometime now and have found them both to offer solid performance event under heavy load.  I bought my cards off of EBay which I found to regularly have both cards available for sale.

Can’t beat a picture of kit (brings out the anorak in me ) so here they are (even took the photos myself)…

Intel Pro 1000 PT

HP NC380T

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