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Zyxel XGN100C 10G Network Adapter

Single-port 10GBASE-T PCIe card with multigigabit fallback. The manufacturer’s public sheet does not identify the silicon stepping, so this record does not assign a guessed controller variant.

Original local schematic of the Zyxel XGN100C PCIe multi-gigabit Ethernet adapter
UNIQUE LOCAL SVG // SCHEMATIC, NOT TO SCALE

IDENTIFICATION: Exact Zyxel model XGN100C. The product name is the published SKU; verify the hardware label and device ID for a particular revision.

Exact SKU, interface and compatibility

Exact model / SKU / revisionZyxel XGN100C 10G Network Adapter; public datasheet does not assign a separate hardware revision to the retail model.
ControllerMarvell AQtion 10GbE controller family, commonly identified with the AQC107 on this model; Zyxel’s public datasheet does not state the ASIC stepping. Verify PCI vendor/device ID and chip marking rather than treating the inferred family as a board-revision guarantee.
Bus, ports and connectorPCI Express Gen 3 x4 (the datasheet also allows compatible Gen 2 x4 operation); one 8P8C/RJ-45 copper port; standard and low-profile bracket options.
Per-port link rates10GBASE-T, 5GBASE-T, 2.5GBASE-T, 1000BASE-T and 100BASE-TX according to the XGN100C datasheet.
Driver and operating systemsZyxel’s archived package lists Windows 7/8/8.1/10 and Windows Server 2012, plus selected Linux 3.x and 4.2/4.4 kernels. Use the XGN100C driver from Zyxel’s download library; this older matrix does not certify later Windows or Linux releases.
Cabling and compatibility caveatsUse a standards-compliant cable and channel length for the target speed, a multi-gigabit link partner and a PCIe slot with four usable lanes. Thermal clearance and NAS/server qualification are chassis-specific.
Controller/revision caveatThe official user guide and datasheet do not document a controller stepping. Do not claim every card bearing XGN100C uses the same silicon revision without inspecting the card.

Field qualification

Check the link partner’s advertised rate, cable path, PCIe lane allocation, OS driver and card temperature. A link falling back to 1GbE can be caused by the peer or cabling and does not by itself establish a defective adapter.

Zyxel datasheet and quick-start guide

  1. Zyxel XGN100C datasheet (PDF)Manufacturer link-rate, interface and compatibility reference.
  2. Zyxel XGN100C Quick Start Guide (PDF)Manufacturer installation and product identification guide.
  3. Zyxel XGN100C download libraryManufacturer drivers, documentation and release-specific support.