Question about the Ethernet adapter on an Intel I226-V motherboard with Z790 chipset.
Question about the Ethernet adapter on an Intel I226-V motherboard with Z790 chipset.
Hi everyone, I'm reaching out for assistance. A week ago my Ethernet connection vanished and I've been trying to resolve the problem without any success. I own an Asus Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard and haven't experienced any major issues with it in the past year. The connection just stopped, and I'm unsure what might have caused it. I've attempted various solutions that I found online, here are a few I tried:
- Reinstalled Windows 11 on five separate occasions to check for a Windows issue.
- Used four different Ethernet cables without success.
- Performed a network reset within W11 but nothing changed.
- Reset the router three times to see if it was the source.
- Updated the BIOS, yet the problem persisted.
- Deleted the Ethernet adapter through Device Manager, but when I tried to install it again, it disappeared entirely. The device manager only showed an Intel Tile Device (hidden).
- Got back online temporarily with a clean W11 installation of Armoury Crate, but then the LAN drivers wouldn't install automatically. I had to manually install them via Device Manager. Also, when the adapter was active, I received an error code 45.
I tried to reconnect the hardware device to the computer, but it seems the issue is ongoing. I'm hoping someone can help me figure out what's going on. This situation is really frustrating, and I'm hoping for advice from others who might have encountered similar problems. It feels like this started suddenly, and I don't think any recent changes caused it. I'm at my limit and would really appreciate any guidance you can provide.
always install your system's drivers from the manufacturer's support download pages.
using third-party options can often cause problems.
visit the ASUS product page for your specific motherboard
under 'Support' > 'Drivers & Tools' download the latest driver package for network-related features
install using an elevated command (right-click > 'Run as administrator')
if this doesn't result in a working setup, the motherboard might be damaged or malfunctioning.
if that's the case, when was it purchased?
Set up PCIE ethernet adapter. Expenses around $15. Integrated lan adapter may fail. This isn't the first occurrence of such issues.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pcie+eth...ci..._sb_noss_1
I completed that without any results. The device manager doesn't show my ethernet adapter, which implies it's not working. Others claim it's a driver problem, but since Windows can't even identify the adapter, it seems more like a hardware issue.
I'm considering it but I'm not sure the only free PCIE slot I have will fit or support it. Unfortunately my GPU is massive and there's one smaller slot at the bottom of the Maximus Z790 hero motherboard available but I need to figure out if I can install a network card in it.
they tend to be quite compact.
for instance, a well-known TP-Link product:
https://imgur.com/HYFdsbg
See: https://imgur.com/HYFdsbg
synchronisation lost.
The chip is overly sensitive to autonegotiation.
You need a Cat6 ethernet cable or better.
Some users restrict the adapter to 1GB or 100Mb, but it becomes too slow, or connect a Gb switch just next to the computer.
I discovered a driver solution on another website from a person named HeyAssy.
Open Device Manager (devmgmt.msc), select "Intel® Ethernet Controller I226-V", right-click and choose Properties.
Go to the 'Advanced' tab, then disable the following entries:
IPv4 Checksum Offload
Large Send Offload V2 (IPv4)
Large Send Offload V2 (IPv6)
TCP Checksum Offload (IPv4)
TCP Checksum Offload (IPv6)
UDP Checksum Offload (IPv4)
UDP Checksum Offload (IPv6)
Click OK and restart the system.
This should help resolve the problem.
The primary concern with this adapter is its relationship to Energy Efficient Ethernet, which often causes connection drops. Turning it off usually resolves the problem. Nevertheless, it appears your adapter may be damaged or your Windows setup might not be installing it properly, possibly misidentifying it as an incorrect device. To check if the issue is hardware-related or another factor, try starting a live Linux distribution such as Ubuntu or using Rufus to create a Windows To Go image on a USB drive and boot from it. Make sure to power off your PC completely before attempting to boot into the live OS. If the adapter functions in this scenario, proceed with the following steps:
1. Clear CMOS
2. Apply optimized default settings in BIOS
3. Update your motherboard’s BIOS to the most recent version
4. Ensure you have the latest Intel ME firmware installed (essential for onboard LAN)
After completing these actions, perform a thorough removal of all network drivers you previously installed. Use the command `pnputil -e` from the admin prompt to list all drivers, note down every Intel Ethernet driver, and then run `pnputil -f -d oemXXXX.inf` with the matching number to delete accumulated drivers for the adapter. After deletion, restart your system and install only drivers from the motherboard manufacturer, as newer Intel drivers may not work with certain adapters.
If this does not restore functionality, you may need to reinstall Windows.
I managed to resolve the driver problem temporarily, though it felt unusual. I observed that the drivers I downloaded from the motherboard's homepage were for version 1.1.4.38, while Armoury Crate was also using these drivers. I searched for the latest ones, which turned out to be 2.1.4.3, but I wasn't able to install them because Windows refused to accept them. This forced me to turn off everything, disconnect the power from the mains, and leave the computer for ten to twenty minutes. After restarting, I performed a clean Windows 11 installation, which finally recognized the Ethernet adapter. I then installed the 2.1.4.3 drivers and it worked smoothly for about half an hour. Unfortunately, the connection still dropped, and I kept receiving code 45 regardless of my actions. This code likely means the adapter wasn't properly connected.
In the end, I chose to buy a TP-Link 2.5 Gigabit Network Adapter from Amazon and installed it this morning. Everything is now functioning correctly. It appears the network adapter on my motherboard was indeed faulty, and based on several posts this week, it seems like a frequent problem. I don't mind if it's a budget motherboard, but since it was a £650+ model, I feel a bit upset.
Thanks for your assistance!