How to Download Realtek Ethernet Drivers

Realtek is a large Chinese manufacturer of semiconductors and related electronic products. Their chips are found in a huge range of motherboards running Intel processors and include both audio chips and ethernet or LAN components.

Your computer's ethernet driver is responsible for handling the Internet connection that comes into your computer, commonly through cable if you are on a desktop. Without a working ethernet driver, you will not be able to access the web normally and have a working connection.

In most cases, especially if you are running Windows 10, you will not need to jump through hoops to install your ethernet drivers, regardless of whether you have a Realtek ethernet adapter or some other brand. Windows 10 has an excellent automated driver setup process and an incredibly rich driver database that covers a huge range of hardware.

However, in rare cases and especially on older versions of Windows, you might need to download and install your Realtek ethernet drivers manually. If you need to do that, follow those simple steps.

If you are running a laptop computer, find the disk that came with it. It will contain all the drivers necessary for the normal operation of your laptop. Where the driver is located will depend on your laptop's brand, but the Realtek ethernet driver will certainly be on the disk. Locate and run its installer to finish your driver setup.

If you need to download the driver package from the web, simply visit Realtek's website. Once there, click the hamburger menu in the upper left corner of the website, then select Downloads -> Communications Network ICs.

This will bring up a page containing a link to the Realtek ethernet driver package.

Download and run the driver installer package to complete the driver install, following all steps of the install wizard until it's finished.