The FastFrame NS11 LC SFP+ SR optical interface NIC is best suited for users interested in utilizing high-quality pluggable optical SFP+ transceivers. iSCSI support with Lossless Ethernet, provided at a premium by competitors, is available free of charge with ATTO FastFrame NICs. Lossless Ethernet (CEE)/data center bridging (DCB) is a collection of enhancements to the Ethernet standard that make Ethernet, a lossy protocol, suitable for use in SANs, VoIP and other applications with stringent performance requirements. Before the introduction of the CEE/DCB enhancements, customers were leery of entrusting their storage needs to Ethernet. However, with CEE/DCB, a correctly configured iSCSI SAN can approach FCoE reliability, while remaining affordable and allowing for routable traffic over long distances. While Lossless Ethernet provides improved iSCSI quality of service for reliable block storage access, RJ45 connectivity allows use of affordable structured Cat6a cabling. Cat6a cabling spares users the cost and compatibility concerns associated with optics and twin-ax direct attach cabling, and is already widely deployed in many environments.