StarTech ST1000SPEX43 4-Port Gigabit PCIe Network Adapter Card

Overview

The StarTech ST1000SPEX43 is a quad-port Gigabit Ethernet adapter that installs into a single PCIe x4 slot to deliver four independent 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 ports. It is the practical answer when a server, workstation, or NVR host needs additional network interfaces — without occupying four separate expansion slots or requiring a managed switch reconfiguration. Built around the Realtek RTL8111H chipset, it provides a well-supported, driver-stable foundation across Windows and Linux environments commonly found in network adapter deployments.

At a standard profile card dimension of 5.4 × 4.7 × 0.7 inches, it fits ATX, E-ATX, and most 1U/2U rack server chassis that accommodate full-height cards. The card's low 3.2 oz weight means no bracket stress concerns during shipping or vibration-prone rack environments.

Key Features

• Four Independent Gigabit Ports on One PCIe x4 Slot: Instead of consuming four PCIe x1 slots or requiring a secondary switch, the ST1000SPEX43 consolidates four 1GbE interfaces onto a single expansion slot. That matters on dense workstations or 1U servers where slot real estate is genuinely limited.
• Realtek RTL8111H Chipset: The RTL8111H is one of the most broadly supported Gigabit Ethernet controllers available — mainline Linux kernel drivers, broad Windows Server support, and VMware ESXi community drivers all exist. Driver availability is rarely a blocker with this controller, which is important when deploying into mixed OS environments.
• 2000 Mbps Full-Duplex per Port: Each of the four RJ-45 ports operates at up to 1000 Mbps in each direction simultaneously, giving you 2 Gbps of theoretical aggregate throughput per port. Across four ports that scales to 8 Gbps of aggregate bidirectional capacity — relevant when the host is simultaneously recording multiple high-bitrate IP camera streams while pushing data to a NAS or cloud offload target.
• 9K Jumbo Frame Support: Jumbo frames reduce CPU overhead on large data transfers by allowing more payload per packet. On NVR or storage server workloads — where you are continuously writing large video files — enabling 9K MTU on connected switches can measurably lower CPU utilization compared to standard 1500-byte frames.
• IEEE 802.3 / 802.3u / 802.3ab Compliance: Full compliance with the relevant Ethernet standards means the ports will auto-negotiate correctly with any standards-compliant switch or endpoint. No proprietary handshake quirks to work around during installation.
• Auto-Negotiation 10/100/1000 Mbps: Each port independently negotiates link speed with its connected device. This lets you mix legacy 100 Mbps IP cameras on the same card as gigabit-connected storage appliances without manual speed-forcing or separate hardware.
• Standard Profile Form Factor: The card ships in standard/full-height profile. It fits the majority of desktop workstations and rack servers. If you are deploying into a small-form-factor or slim desktop, verify chassis clearance — low-profile bracket availability should be confirmed with StarTech before purchase.
• Operating Temperature 0°C to 55°C: Rated for standard indoor IT environments. Adequate for server rooms, wiring closets, and office workstations. Not rated for industrial or outdoor enclosures — plan accordingly if the host system is in a non-climate-controlled space.

Integration and Compatibility

The PCIe x4 interface is backward and forward compatible with PCIe x8 and x16 slots — so if your server's x4 slots are occupied, you can seat the card in a larger physical slot without losing functionality. The card does not require a dedicated power connector; it draws entirely from the PCIe slot, simplifying installation in systems where internal power headers are already allocated.

For network video recorder builds, the ST1000SPEX43 is a practical way to segment camera-side traffic from management or storage network traffic on a single host — assign two ports to a camera VLAN and two ports to a storage network without adding a second NIC card or consuming additional slots. Pair it with a PoE switch on the camera-facing ports for a clean, organized IP camera deployment architecture.

Jumbo frame support requires the connected switch and all endpoints in the path to also support and be configured for 9K MTU — a standard feature on most managed network switches but worth verifying before enabling it in your environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What PCIe slot sizes does the ST1000SPEX43 physically fit into?

A: The card uses a PCIe x4 connector and will seat in PCIe x4, x8, or x16 slots. It will not fit in a PCIe x1 slot due to connector length.

Q: Does the ST1000SPEX43 require a separate power connector inside the chassis?

A: No. The card draws power entirely from the PCIe slot — no SATA or Molex power cable is needed.

Q: What is the maximum frame size supported by the ST1000SPEX43?

A: The card supports jumbo frames up to 9K (9000 bytes MTU). Your connected switch and endpoints must also be configured for 9K jumbo frames to benefit from this feature.

Q: What is the operating temperature range for the ST1000SPEX43?

A: The card is rated for 0°C to 55°C operating temperature, suitable for standard server room and office environments. Storage temperature range is -40°C to 75°C.

Q: Is the ST1000SPEX43 a standard-profile or low-profile card?

A: It ships as a standard-profile card (5.4 × 4.7 inches). Verify that your chassis supports full-height expansion cards before ordering if you are targeting a compact or slim-chassis system.

Q: What is the warranty on the ST1000SPEX43?

A: StarTech covers the ST1000SPEX43 with a 2-year manufacturer warranty.

Karl Wilson

The ST1000SPEX43 comes up regularly in NVR-build conversations where someone is running a multi-camera system on a repurposed workstation and has burned through the onboard NICs trying to separate camera traffic from management traffic. Four independent Gigabit ports on a single PCIe x4 slot is a clean solution — and the Realtek RTL8111H chipset means you are not fighting obscure drivers in a Linux-based VMS appliance or a Windows Server environment.

Technical Highlights:

• RTL8111H Chipset: Mainline kernel support in Linux goes back years with this controller — no custom driver compilation needed on most current Ubuntu or Debian-based VMS installs. That matters during a deployment crunch.
• 9K Jumbo Frame Support: On a continuous-recording NVR writing to a NAS over a dedicated storage port, switching from 1500 to 9000 byte MTU reduces CPU interrupt overhead measurably. Just confirm your managed switch supports 9K on the relevant port before enabling it.
• 2000 Mbps Full-Duplex per Port: With four ports each capable of 1 Gbps in and 1 Gbps out simultaneously, this card can sustain high ingest rates from dense camera clusters while simultaneously pushing recorded footage to a backup storage target — without either stream throttling the other.

Deployment Considerations:

• The card is standard profile only at 5.4 × 4.7 inches — double-check your chassis before ordering. A 1U rack server with a riser that only accommodates low-profile cards will not work without a separate low-profile bracket, which may not be included.
• Operating temperature ceiling is 55°C — fine for a properly ventilated server room, but a concern in a sealed enclosure or poorly cooled wiring closet. Confirm airflow before mounting.

For a mid-size IP camera deployment — say 16 to 32 cameras feeding a dedicated NVR host — the ST1000SPEX43 gives you a clean way to run separate camera ingestion, storage, and management VLANs on one host without adding a second expansion card or overloading a shared switch uplink.