Allied Telesis AT-DNC10SP-901 TAA SFP 10G NIC LF TAA SFP 10G NIC LF

Product Overview

The Allied Telesis AT-DNC10SP-901 is a TAA-compliant 10 Gigabit PCIe NIC featuring an SFP+ slot that accepts user-selectable 1G or 10G optical transceivers. This Allied Telesis 10G PCIe NIC SFP+ fiber adapter provides maximum flexibility for fiber connectivity by allowing the administrator to choose the appropriate optic for each deployment — a key distinction from the DNC10LC which ships with a fixed LC optic, and from the DNC10T which uses copper RJ45. The DNC10SP-901 is designed for server-to-switch 10GbE connectivity in data center, enterprise core, and high-performance computing environments where optical fiber is required and future optic upgrades are anticipated.

Product Description

The DNC10SP-901 plugs into a PCIe x4 slot and delivers up to 10 Gbps full-duplex throughput to the host server or workstation. It is powered by an energy-efficient Aquantia (Marvell) AQC10x series chipset that draws under 2W at normal operation, minimizing heat generation in dense server environments. The SFP+ slot supports both 1G and 10G-compatible SFP/SFP+ transceivers, giving network teams a clear upgrade path: deploy today with 1G optics and upgrade to 10G optics without changing the NIC. This is the primary differentiator versus the DNC10LC, which has a fixed LC fiber optic connector and cannot accept alternate transceivers. The DNC10T variant serves environments where existing Cat6A/Cat6 structured cabling is in place, using copper RJ45 at up to 10GBase-T. The DNC10SP-901 carries TAA (Trade Agreements Act) compliance, making it eligible for US federal government procurement. The PCIe x4 host interface provides up to 2000 MB/s bandwidth between the NIC and the motherboard, ensuring the network interface never becomes the bottleneck. The card also supports Wake-on-LAN (WoL) for remote power management of servers and desktops.

Key Features

• SFP+ Slot (User-Selectable Optic) — Accepts 1G SFP or 10G SFP+ transceivers, providing flexibility to match fiber type and distance requirements and enabling future upgrades without hardware replacement.
• TAA Compliant — Meets Trade Agreements Act requirements for US federal, DoD, and government procurement programs.
• PCIe x4 Host Interface — Up to 2000 MB/s bus bandwidth; compatible with PCIe x4, x8, and x16 slots (backward compatible).
• Aquantia (Marvell) AQC10x Chipset — Energy-efficient design drawing under 2W at normal operation, reducing server thermal load.
• 10GBase-X Optical Fiber Support — Ideal for long-distance server-to-switch and server-to-storage optical fabric links.
• Wake-on-LAN (WoL) — Remote wake capability for servers and managed workstations.
• Broad OS Compatibility — Validated across multiple operating systems and server platforms for reliable deployment in heterogeneous environments.

Typical Applications

• Data center server-to-ToR (top-of-rack) switch 10GbE connectivity over fiber
• High-performance computing (HPC) cluster interconnects requiring flexible optic selection
• Enterprise core server uplinks where fiber infrastructure is in place
• Federal and government deployments requiring TAA-compliant 10G NICs
• Environments planning a phased upgrade from 1G to 10G optics on existing NIC hardware

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between the DNC10SP, DNC10LC, and DNC10T?

The DNC10SP has an SFP+ slot and accepts interchangeable 1G SFP or 10G SFP+ transceivers chosen by the user. The DNC10LC has a fixed LC fiber optic connector — the optic is built in and cannot be swapped, which enhances physical security but limits flexibility. The DNC10T uses a copper RJ45 port with 10GBase-T for use over Cat6A cabling, supporting multi-gig speeds (100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G). Choose DNC10SP for flexible fiber deployments, DNC10LC for fixed-optic security requirements, and DNC10T for copper infrastructure.

Q: What SFP+ transceivers are compatible with the DNC10SP-901?

The DNC10SP accepts standard 1G SFP and 10G SFP+ transceivers. Allied Telesis offers a range of compatible transceivers for short-reach (SR), long-reach (LR), and direct-attach copper (DAC) applications. Consult the Allied Telesis compatibility matrix for validated optic options.

Q: Is the AT-DNC10SP-901 TAA compliant?

Yes. The -901 suffix designates TAA (Trade Agreements Act) compliance, making this card eligible for US federal government, DoD, and GSA schedule procurement.

Q: Which PCIe slot sizes does this card support?

The card uses a PCIe x4 edge connector but is electrically and physically backward compatible with PCIe x8 and x16 slots. It requires at least a PCIe x4 slot for full bandwidth.

Q: What operating systems are supported?

Allied Telesis DNC10 Series cards are validated across major operating systems including Windows Server, Linux (multiple distributions), and VMware ESXi. Refer to the Allied Telesis driver and compatibility documentation for specific version support.

Q: Where can I purchase the AT-DNC10SP-901?

Available from Creation Networks at creationnetworks.net, an authorized Allied Telesis reseller.