Neither of the X540-AT2 C-NICs is expired.
Neither of the X540-AT2 C-NICs is expired.
I've received a pair of X540-AT2 based 10GbE C-NICs that failed unexpectedly, both showing identical failure patterns. They remained idle for months before one stopped working while the other continued briefly when I actually used them. Both devices ceased detecting cables in their ports. The Intel PROSet utility confirmed hardware integrity, including loopback tests. Running the "identify adapter" command triggers port lights to blink, yet connecting Ethernet cables has no effect. Could it be the PHYs are defective despite being integrated into the chip? Are the port magnets non-functional? The JT4-1108HL models from PulseJack were built using these parts, possibly due to manufacturing flaws causing simultaneous failure? I'm not very experienced with networking and accept any assumptions I made. PS: Both appear operational in Device Manager, drivers are up-to-date, and I've reinstalled them without success.
My main idea so far is that an ESD event destroyed the PHYs on the X540-AT2 chips because the PHY creates the link pulses needed for cable connections. I tend to ground myself through the PC case—usually this works if the PC is properly grounded. However, I remember several instances where touching the chassis caused a shock and forced the system to restart. I attribute much of that to electrical issues from past work in China, which made me question whether the grounding was actually reliable. Still, the ESD likely ended one unit and severely damaged another, leading to its failure a few months later.