You've been hearing me mention that Multi-GigE has been stuck in the 1 Gbps era for much too long now in my articles. While there are some alternatives from Realtek and Aquantia, there was one name missing for the consumer market. And when intel implements it, it'll become a standard. Intel is outting a 2.5G chip for the mainstream market.

The new Intel 2.5G Ethernet Controller will be called Intel I225-LM/I225-V 2.5G, and already has been spotted in Linux kernels for support. The new controller works via a standard ethernet jack and you can use your existing CAT5E/CAT6 cable. "Foxville" 2.5G Ethernet support hasn't yet been officially released by Intel but 2500 Megabit per second will get you in that 300 MB/sec range performance wise, which is the new sweet spot especially with a compatible NAS in your household of SOHO.

Intel Working on mainstream Ethernet with 2.5G (Foxville ) controller