Sometimes, after you have freshly installed Windows 10, or have updated it, and you can’t access the internet. This problem usually happens because the installation removes some network drivers at times. Or, some viruses might delete or corrupt the drivers.
Go to the Device Manager for checking the status of the driver. If the driver is not available, there will be a yellow mark next to the device. If the ethernet driver is missing, the mark will be next to the ethernet device named as an Ethernet Controller. You can find it under other or unknown devices.
If the driver is there and still you are unable to access the internet, chances are it has become corrupted. In that case, you will have to uninstall the driver and reinstall the same again. Here’s how to download ethernet controller driver.
Download From The Manufacturer’s Website
The best way to get a driver and install it is from the manufacturer’s website. Here’s how you can download the driver for branded and assembled systems.
The Branded System
If you are using a branded system, you can go to the website of the system manufacturer for downloading the latest driver for ethernet controller. Identify the model name and its OS while searching for the driver. You will be taken to the page with drivers compatible with your system configuration. You can download and install them. All the drivers you need.
The Assembled System
If you have an assembled computer, go the website of the brand of motherboard used in your system. Enter the model details of your motherboard, and you will find the compatible driver for your ethernet controller.
Update Ethernet Controller Driver
An old driver can have compatibility issues with the updated OS. Hence, you should update the driver as well in a regular interval. Go to the device manager by using the Windows and X keys and pressing them together.
Expand the option of network adapters and select the ethernet controller. Right-click on it and choose to update. Click on the Automatically search and update driver option and follow the on-screen instructions. When the update is complete, close the window and see if you can connect to the internet now.
If there are no updates available, check the manufacturer’s website as well using a different internet connection.
Use Command Prompt
You can also use command prompt for troubleshooting this problem. First, restart your system. Remember, restart and not shut down and see if you can access the internet.
If not, launch the command prompt by typing cmd in the search bar of the start menu. Type ipconfig and hit enter. From the display, note your IP address that is displayed against default gateway.
Now, type ping 192.168.1.1 and hit enter. If you can successfully ping the router, and yet not able to connect, there could be an issue with the router.
Use The Network Troubleshooter
Windows 10 comes with a network troubleshooter option. It can diagnose and repair many connectivity issues. In the start menu, search for the network troubleshooter and select the Identify and repair network problems option. Once the troubleshooter completes the work, you can check to see if the problem is resolved and your ethernet controller is working or not.
Reset the TCP/IP Stack
You can also try to reset the TCP/IP stack and clear any DNS information on your system. Launch the command prompt as an administrator and type in netsh winsock reset. Hit enter and then type ipconfig /release for releasing the current IP address and hit enter.
To clear the DNS, type ipconfig /flushdns and hit enter. To let the changes take effect, restart your system and see if the issue with the ethernet controller is resolved.
Revert to the Previous Ethernet Controller Driver
If right after updating the ethernet controller driver, the issue started you can roll back the update and see if you can connect to the internet now.
Launch the device manager by pressing Windows and X keys together. Go to the network adapter options and expand it. Select ethernet controller and right-click on it. Click on the properties option and go to the driver tab.
There you will find the roll back driver option, click on it and finally hit the ok button. If the button is gray, it means you don’t have a previous driver to which you can roll back. After the roll-back is complete, restart your system and see if the issue is resolved.
Other Measures
If these measures don’t work and you are still facing the issue with ethernet controller, you can also try disabling the antivirus and firewalls. Sometimes they create problems with internet drivers.
And you can also reset the network adapters from the status option under network and internet option in the settings. Usually, these methods will help you resolve any issue with the Ethernet controller driver in Windows 10.
