In this web content, the author discusses the peculiar CCR2004-1G-2XS-PCIe 25gbps NIC by Mikrotik. The author questions why Mikrotik included routing and firewall capabilities in a NIC designed for file servers and workstations, considering it excessive for basic NIC requirements. The author also notes that the product seems to be targeted towards small businesses and may not be suitable for large infrastructure deployments. The lifecycle state of the product is unclear, with limited availability and lack of proper reviews. However, the author suggests that the ideal use case for the NIC could be single server co-location. The article provides specifications, testing results, and concludes that the NIC is a cost-effective option.
https://alyx.sh/posts/mikrotiks-weird-smartnic/