linux-drivers/
drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt

Broadcom NetXtreme-C and NetXtreme-E Ethernet controllers

Broadcom's NetXtreme-C and NetXtreme-E family of high-speed server Ethernet controllers, covering 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 Gigabit PCIe and OCP network adapters used in data-centre servers and cloud infrastructure from the mid-2010s through today.

keep conf=0.95 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=net category=networking-ethernet
95%

recommendation

It should stay in the kernel because this is the in-tree driver (bnxt_en) for Broadcom's current server-class Ethernet silicon, which Broadcom and OEMs like Silicom are still selling new in 2025 in 10/25/100/200 GbE PCIe and OCP form factors. Upstream activity is heavy and ongoing, with substantive fixes and refactors landing into 2026, and the hardware is widely deployed in data centres and cloud servers.

repository signals

32 files
37,997 source lines
765 commits, 5y
+24,656 / −22,722 lines added / removed, 5y
108 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 765 total · active in 60/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 13 commits · +174 −86 2021-05: 4 commits · +130 −36 2021-06: 11 commits · +1,361 −54 2021-07: 18 commits · +522 −74 2021-08: 34 commits · +3,488 −2,410 2021-09: 16 commits · +169 −125 2021-10: 24 commits · +1,614 −754 2021-11: 8 commits · +26 −10 2021-12: 10 commits · +77 −26 2022-01: 10 commits · +769 −125 2022-02: 7 commits · +90 −28 2022-03: 15 commits · +533 −416 2022-04: 14 commits · +459 −134 2022-05: 8 commits · +461 −189 2022-06: 3 commits · +4 −7 2022-07: 7 commits · +118 −29 2022-08: 6 commits · +17 −13 2022-09: 7 commits · +175 −234 2022-10: 7 commits · +300 −109 2022-11: 14 commits · +231 −79 2022-12: 8 commits · +109 −184 2023-01: 3 commits · +7 −20 2023-02: 2 commits · +11 −2 2023-03: 12 commits · +181 −84 2023-04: 8 commits · +74 −68 2023-05: 2 commits · +3 −7 2023-06: 8 commits · +35 −11 2023-07: 12 commits · +219 −119 2023-08: 11 commits · +216 −690 2023-09: 10 commits · +781 −298 2023-10: 13 commits · +690 −350 2023-11: 27 commits · +1,158 −765 2023-12: 49 commits · +2,347 −696 2024-01: 13 commits · +81 −58 2024-02: 25 commits · +978 −508 2024-03: 14 commits · +588 −153 2024-04: 24 commits · +508 −200 2024-05: 10 commits · +157 −81 2024-06: 20 commits · +1,009 −376 2024-07: 16 commits · +228 −211 2024-08: 23 commits · +598 −362 2024-09: 4 commits · +43 −17 2024-10: 6 commits · +127 −111 2024-11: 29 commits · +995 −301 2024-12: 11 commits · +251 −113 2025-01: 15 commits · +214 −57 2025-02: 11 commits · +424 −154 2025-03: 24 commits · +450 −180 2025-04: 21 commits · +297 −170 2025-05: 4 commits · +35 −16 2025-06: 10 commits · +147 −99 2025-07: 7 commits · +38 −10,948 2025-08: 15 commits · +158 −57 2025-09: 14 commits · +151 −70 2025-10: 2 commits · +38 −2 2025-11: 14 commits · +125 −32 2025-12: 2 commits · +14 −8 2026-01: 13 commits · +241 −24 2026-02: 10 commits · +150 −148 2026-03: 6 commits · +61 −34 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. git.kernel.org

    Upstream bnxt driver directory remains actively maintained in mainline Linux.

  2. cateee.net

    CONFIG_BNXT is present through current kernel series and covers Broadcom NetXtreme-C/E hardware, with module name bnxt_en.

  3. docs.broadcom.com

    Broadcom was still publishing NetXtreme E-Series ordering/specification material in 2025-2026, including 10G through 200G OCP/PCIe adapters.

  4. silicom-usa.com

    A current OEM/reseller product page shows new Broadcom NetXtreme E-Series-based 25GbE server adapters still being sold.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Real driver directory: local git grep confirmed MODULE_DESCRIPTION in bnxt.c and bnxt_en module naming. Upstream activity check used local `git log` on the directory after `git -c safe.directory=...`; it showed recent substantive bnxt_en fixes/refactors up to 2026-04-02, with no sign of dormancy. No removal/deprecation discussion was found in the limited available search budget; an attempted shell `lei` lore query failed because `lei` is not installed, so I relied on local git history plus the canonical kernel.org log URL (canonical recall). LKDDb URL was obtained via web search. Broadcom and Silicom URLs were obtained via web search/open and show the hardware family still marketed for new deployments. Because the hardware is still sold and the driver is heavily active, the recommendation is keep.