Posted by James Burgess on 16th Sep 2026
Network speeds are increasing, but building a higher-performance network isn’t simply a matter of replacing 10G with 25G and then moving everything to 100G.
For many organisations, 10G, 25G and 100G can work alongside each other, supporting different parts of the network and different workloads.
The key is understanding where additional capacity will deliver real benefit.
10G: Still doing an important job
10G remains well suited to many enterprise access, server, storage and network connections. If existing 10G infrastructure is comfortably supporting current traffic, there may be little reason to replace it simply because faster technology is available.
GBICS supports 10G environments with a wide range of compatible SFP+ transceivers, DACs and AOCs, covering different platforms, fibre types and distances.
The case for moving beyond 10G becomes stronger when traffic growth starts putting pressure on individual connections, uplinks or aggregation.
25G: More than a stepping stone
25G provides 2.5 times the bandwidth of 10G and can be particularly useful for higher-performance server, storage and network connections.
Importantly, it can also work alongside 100G.
For example, the NETGEAR M4350-16V4C combines 25G SFP28 ports with 100G QSFP28 uplinks – a useful example of an architecture where 25G handles individual connections while 100G provides greater capacity as traffic is aggregated.
In data-centre and compute environments, NVIDIA ConnectX network adapters also support 25GbE connectivity.
GBICS can support these connections with compatible 25G SFP28 transceivers and high-speed DAC/AOC solutions.
100G: Capacity where it matters
100G becomes particularly valuable where larger volumes of traffic converge.
That can include core and aggregation networks, high-capacity uplinks, data centres, AI infrastructure, AV-over-IP and broadcast environments.
But that doesn’t mean every connection needs to become 100G.
NETGEAR’s M4350 and M4500 managed switching families provide configurations combining 10G, 25G and 100G, allowing organisations to introduce additional capacity where it’s required.
The M4500-48XF8C, for example, combines 10/25G connectivity with 100G QSFP28 ports, making it possible to build higher-capacity aggregation without making the entire network 100G.
Enterprise or AI? The workload matters
The type of environment also affects the technology required.
For enterprise, campus, Pro AV and broadcast networks, NETGEAR’s higher-capacity switching portfolio provides a route from established 10G environments into 25G and 100G.
For data centres, AI, HPC and accelerated computing, NVIDIA networking provides high-performance switching and ConnectX network adapters, with requirements extending from 25G and 100G into 200G, 400G and beyond as infrastructure scales.
So it’s not simply a case of NETGEAR for lower speeds and NVIDIA for higher speeds.
100G can be relevant to both – but for very different workloads.
Don’t forget the connection
Switches and network adapters are only part of the upgrade.
Moving to higher speeds also means considering transceivers, DACs, AOCs, fibre type, connectors, distance and compatibility.
GBICS provides compatible connectivity across 10G SFP+, 25G SFP28 and 100G QSFP28, including solutions for NETGEAR and NVIDIA environments.
At 100G, for example, the right optic will depend on factors such as whether the connection uses multimode or single-mode fibre and the distance it needs to cover.
Getting these decisions right can have a significant impact on both the cost and complexity of a network upgrade.
So, do you need 10G, 25G or 100G?
The answer may well be all three.
Rather than starting with the fastest available technology, consider:
Where is traffic growing? Where are the bottlenecks? Which connections need more bandwidth? And what will your infrastructure need to support in the next few years?
That will help determine where 10G remains appropriate, where 25G adds value and where 100G capacity should be introduced.
Gbics can help identify the right combination of switching solutions, NVIDIA high-performance networking and compatible GBICS optics and cables to build a network with the right capacity in the right places.
Planning a network upgrade?
Talk to Gbics about your 10G, 25G and 100G requirements.