Software & Apps > Windows How to Fix Windows 10 Ethernet Driver Problems Get your computer back on the network By Jon Martindale Jon Martindale Twitter Writer Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He's written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 9, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Wireless internet has its benefits, but nothing matches the speed and reliability of a solid, wired Ethernet connection. Ethernet isn't immune to problems. So when you run into difficulties with the network adapter driver in Windows 10, try some standard quick-fix solutions to resolve networking errors. VisualField / Getty Images How to Fix Windows 11 Ethernet Driver Problems What Causes Ethernet Driver Problems? Ethernet driver errors are not too distinct from driver problems related to other facets of a system. Sometimes driver files become outdated. Other times, drivers become corrupt because of an operating-system glitch, and in some cases, failing hardware breaks drivers. How to Fix Problems With Windows 10 Network Drivers Start with the easiest and most common solutions until you find an approach that works: Restart the computer. Most problems relate to glitches with memory allocation, so a reboot flushes the memory and often resolves the error. Use the Network Troubleshooter. Windows has a built-in network troubleshooter utility. It can help you find and repair the cause of the issue. To run it: Search for Network Troubleshooter, then select the corresponding result.Let it run for a moment to see if it discovers the Ethernet problem.If it does, select Try these repairs as an administrator, then give admin approval if requested. If you are unable to find the Network Troubleshooter you can also go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. Then select from Internet Connections or Network Adapter. Reinstall Ethernet drivers automatically. If Windows can't fix Ethernet driver problems, give it a gentle nudge. Select Network Adapters to expand it in Device Manager, right-click (or tap and hold) the Ethernet adapter, and select Uninstall Device > Uninstall. Then reboot Windows. If you're not sure which is your Ethernet adaptor, it will probably have the company name of Realtek or Intel in its name or GBE. Reinstall Ethernet drivers manually. If the drivers that Windows 10 installs don't fix the driver problem, manually update the drivers. Alternatively, you can use a driver updater tool to fix the problem drivers. Reset the network adapter. Even with driver problems, the Windows network adapter sometimes generates additional mischief on its own. Reset the Winsock. Open an elevated Command Prompt, then perform a Netsh Winsock Reset. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit