linux-drivers/
drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e

Intel Ethernet 700 Series 10/25/40 GbE controllers (i40e)

Intel's 700 Series family of 10, 25, and 40 Gigabit Ethernet server adapters, including the X710, XL710, XXV710, and X722 controllers introduced in the mid-2010s and still shipping new in 2025. They are workhorse NICs in enterprise servers, storage appliances, and cloud hosts.

keep conf=0.92 last_sold=2026 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=net category=networking-ethernet
92%

recommendation

It should stay because the hardware is still sold by Intel as a current product line, is widely deployed in production servers, and continues to receive active maintenance — Intel issued a security advisory for it in 2025 and the in-tree code has substantive 2025-2026 fixes. The newer ice driver covers later Intel generations rather than replacing this one, so there is no successor for 700 Series silicon.

repository signals

39 files
58,496 source lines
371 commits, 5y
+10,906 / −9,718 lines added / removed, 5y
126 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 371 total · active in 58/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 9 commits · +167 −138 2021-05: 7 commits · +187 −49 2021-06: 7 commits · +114 −203 2021-07: 4 commits · +873 −27 2021-08: 2 commits · +11 −4 2021-09: 5 commits · +33 −34 2021-10: 4 commits · +8 −15 2021-11: 9 commits · +153 −34 2021-12: 17 commits · +156 −53 2022-01: 8 commits · +277 −72 2022-02: 3 commits · +11 −72 2022-03: 5 commits · +67 −23 2022-04: 6 commits · +179 −21 2022-05: 6 commits · +226 −27 2022-06: 6 commits · +108 −53 2022-07: 5 commits · +30 −34 2022-08: 7 commits · +59 −38 2022-09: 4 commits · +50 −9 2022-10: 12 commits · +281 −115 2022-11: 2 commits · +12 −11 2022-12: 4 commits · +124 −54 2023-01: 6 commits · +1,621 −1,792 2023-02: 5 commits · +16 −5 2023-03: 14 commits · +432 −278 2023-04: 2 commits · +5 −2 2023-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-06: 2 commits · +1 −7 2023-07: 9 commits · +418 −391 2023-08: 7 commits · +17 −33 2023-09: 12 commits · +261 −282 2023-10: 18 commits · +509 −217 2023-11: 27 commits · +1,520 −1,477 2023-12: 9 commits · +320 −406 2024-01: 8 commits · +66 −52 2024-02: 10 commits · +50 −40 2024-03: 8 commits · +616 −604 2024-04: 11 commits · +244 −566 2024-05: 5 commits · +148 −124 2024-06: 1 commit · +1 −1 2024-07: 5 commits · +6 −12 2024-08: 1 commit · +54 −7 2024-09: 2 commits · +3 −4 2024-10: 1 commit · +12 −2 2024-11: 2 commits · +3 −2 2024-12: 2 commits · +4 −28 2025-01: 10 commits · +113 −664 2025-02: 1 commit · +4 −10 2025-03: 1 commit · +4 −3 2025-04: 3 commits · +584 −876 2025-05: 7 commits · +166 −189 2025-06: 5 commits · +18 −29 2025-07: 2 commits · +20 −105 2025-08: 12 commits · +140 −64 2025-09: 2 commits · +8 −9 2025-10: 3 commits · +91 −11 2025-11: 5 commits · +26 −13 2025-12: 2 commits · +13 −15 2026-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-02: 6 commits · +72 −73 2026-03: 2 commits · +28 −20 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. kernel.org

    Upstream kernel documentation identifies i40e as the base driver for Intel Ethernet Controller 700 Series devices including X710, XL710, X722, and XXV710.

  2. intel.com

    Intel still markets 700 Series network adapters, including X710, XL710, and XXV710, as current products.

  3. intel.com

    Intel's 2026 supported-OS matrix lists retail Intel Ethernet 700 Series adapters using the i40e driver across current Linux distributions, indicating active product/support status.

  4. intel.com

    Intel issued a 2025 security advisory specifically for Intel 700 Series Linux drivers (i40e), recommending updates to version 2.28.5 or later.

  5. cateee.net

    LKDDb shows CONFIG_I40E present continuously through modern kernel releases, with module name i40e and XL710-family support.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Local evidence first: exec_command on the tree confirmed CONFIG_I40E, module_init/module_exit, and recent local git history with multiple substantive 2025-2026 i40e fixes, so this is actively maintained kernel driver code, not a dead subtree. Lore-specific removal check was attempted via exec_command using `lei q`, but `lei` is unavailable in this environment; a web search for lore removal/deprecation terms returned no hits, so there is no visible removal discussion from the accessible evidence. URLs were obtained by web search/open for Intel support/product/security pages and LKDDb, plus direct open of the canonical kernel.org i40e documentation page. Recommendation is keep: hardware is still sold/support-listed in 2026, deployed broadly in servers/NICs, and there is no natural in-tree replacement driver for the same hardware family (newer `ice` serves newer Intel generations, not these devices).