Official support for the RTL8139/810x family largely ended with Windows 7, but drivers can still be found for Windows 10.
Issue 2: Speed is capped at 100 Mbps on a Gigabit connection
The Realtek RTL8139/810x family driver on Windows 10 exemplifies the balance between legacy support and modern performance. For everyday users, Microsoft’s inbox driver provides a stable, zero-effort solution. For power users—gamers, home server operators, or those running legacy industrial PCs—installing Realtek’s official driver unlocks Gigabit speeds, power management, and security updates. As long as the hardware remains functional, this driver stack ensures that even two-decade-old Ethernet chips can navigate the modern internet without compromise. Windows 10, in turn, benefits from this continued compatibility, reducing e-waste and preserving the usefulness of millions of systems worldwide.
Official support for the RTL8139 family generally ended with Windows 7/8. However, these cards can often still work on Windows 10 using the following methods: Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Realtek RTL8139D 10/100Mbps Ethernet Card - PCI realtek rtl8139 driver 810x family pci-e gigabit windows 10
One important limitation: neither the RTL8139 nor the 810x family supports fully in older hardware revisions. Windows 10’s heavy reliance on IPv6 (for Cortana, Store, and updates) can increase CPU usage slightly—by 2–5%, barely noticeable on modern CPUs.
For (including 810x family), use the official Realtek PCI-E Ethernet Drivers package:
However, because the architecture of Windows 10 shares core components with its predecessors, to make the card function perfectly on Windows 10. 3. How to Install the Driver on Windows 10 (Step-by-Step) Official support for the RTL8139/810x family largely ended
: The RTL8139 series is limited to 100 Mbps . If you have a Gigabit connection, the card itself may be the bottleneck, regardless of the driver.
While you can usually force the Realtek RTL8139 810X family to work on Windows 10, the hardware is fundamentally limited to 100 Mbps. Modern internet plans frequently exceed this speed.
The Realtek RTL8139 chip was engineered in the late 1990s and early 2000s, long before Windows 10 was conceived. Realtek officially classified the RTL8139 series as "End of Life" (EOL) prior to the launch of Windows 10. Consequently, Realtek never released an official, dedicated Windows 10 driver for the RTL8139. For power users—gamers, home server operators, or those
Select the specific model matching your hardware from the list, click , and Windows 10 will force-install the driver.
It typically uses the older PCI interface. If you have a PCI-E card that identifies as part of this family, it is often a newer iteration like the RTL810x series (e.g., RTL8101E or RTL8102E) which can fit in PCI-E slots but remains limited to Fast Ethernet speeds. Compatibility with Windows 10