Marvell/Aquantia AQtion Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Controllers
PCIe Ethernet adapters supporting 2.5, 5, and 10 Gbps over copper, originally designed by Aquantia and now sold by Marvell under the AQtion brand. The AQC100, AQC107, AQC108, and newer AQC11x parts show up in enthusiast desktops, workstations, NAS boxes, routers, and embedded systems, and remain a common way to add multi-gigabit networking to consumer hardware.
recommendation
It should stay because the hardware is still being sold new by Marvell in 2025 and the driver is actively maintained, with core files receiving fresh upstream patches as recently as 2026. Deployment is moderate rather than huge, but these chips are a popular mainstream choice for multi-gigabit Ethernet on PCs and NAS systems, and there is no sign of any removal effort.
repository signals
sources
- lore.kernel.org
Core file aq_nic.c was still receiving upstream net-next fixes in 2026, indicating ongoing maintenance rather than retirement.
- docs.kernel.org
Kernel documentation describes atlantic as the driver for Marvell/Aquantia AQtion multi-gigabit PCIe adapters and lists supported AQC-100/AQC-107/AQC-108 families.
- cateee.net
LKDDb shows CONFIG_AQTION/atlantic remains present through current kernel series and covers multiple Aquantia PCI device IDs beyond the earliest AQC107/AQC100 entries.
- marvell.com
Marvell was still marketing AQtion-family parts for PCs, workstations, NAS, routers, gateways, and embedded applications, with Linux support, indicating new-hardware availability into the mid-2020s.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Keep: static metadata already showed 64 substantive commits in the last 5y, and lore_file_timeline on aq_nic.c/aq_main.c confirmed fresh 2025-2026 patch traffic on core files, including a 2026 net-next fix (URL from lore_file_timeline). A removal/deprecation subject scan via lore_regex timed out, and fallback `lei q` was blocked by local socket permissions, so there is no positive removal evidence. Deployment is medium, not high: these are niche but current multigig NICs used in enthusiast/workstation/NAS/embedded designs rather than vanished legacy hardware. docs.kernel.org, LKDDb, and the Marvell product brief URLs were obtained via web search.