How to Fix Ethernet Controller Error Code 28 in Device Manager

In Device Manager, Ethernet Controller appears under Other devices with error code 28. As you can see, Code 28 indicates the driver for the network card is not installed. Since the Ethernet Controller driver is not installed, you can’t connect to the wired network. But don’t worry. To fix this error, you just need to install the correct driver for the device.

Two methods are available for you to install the Ethernet Controller driver:

Method 1: Reinstall the Ethernet Controller driver via Device Manager
Method 2: Download and install the Ethernet Controller driver manually

Method 1: Reinstall the Ethernet Controller driver via Device Manager

To fix the Ethernet Controller code 28 error, you can reinstall the Ethernet Controller driver via Device Manager. Here’s how:

1) Open Device Manager (learn how to access Device Manager).

2) Right-click on Ethernet Controller and select Uninstall or Uninstall device from the menu that appears.

uninstall ethernet controller from device manager

3) After the device is uninstalled, click Action on the menu bar, and then select Scan for hardware changes.

how to reinstall ethernet controller driver

4) Check to see if the driver is reinstalled.

If Method 1 doesn’t work for you, you can use Method 2 to install the driver.

Method 2: Download and install the Ethernet Controller driver manually

If you’re using a branded computer, you can download the Ethernet Controller driver from the computer manufacturer’s website (HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, etc.).

If you’re using an assembled computer, you can download the Ethernet Controller driver from the motherboard manufacturer’s website (Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, Intel, etc.).

On the manufacturer’s website, navigate to the driver download section. The driver download section will be different for different websites. Usually, you can download drivers from the “Downloads”, “Support” or “Drivers” section. After you navigate to the driver download section, you can easily download the ethernet driver.

Generally, the downloaded driver file is an “.exe” file. To install the ethernet driver, you just need to double-click on the “.exe” file and follow the on-screen instructions.

Alternatively, you can download the driver using the Hardware ID of the device. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Check the Hardware ID of the Ethernet Controller

1) Open Device Manager.

2) Double-click on Ethernet Controller.

3) Go to the Details tab. In the drop-down box under Property, select Hardware Ids.

4) Use the top line to identify the device. Just get the vendor ID and the device ID which are required in Step 2. The vendor ID and device ID display as VEN_xxxx&DEV_xxxx. For example, in the screenshot shown below, the vendor ID is 10EC and the device ID is 8168.

identify ethernet controller using hardware id

Step 2: Identify the device using the Hardware ID

1) Go to https://www.pcilookup.com/.

2) Type the vendor ID in the Vendor field, type the device ID in the Device field, and then click Submit.

identify ethernet controller with pcilookup

3) Get the device name from the Description column.

Step 3: Download the ethernet driver from the manufacturer’s website

Launch your favorite search engine, and then search keywords “device name+driver”. Usually, the top results will give you the direct link to the driver download page of the manufacturer’s website. Click that link then you can download the driver there.

search the ethernet controller driver manually

After you download the ethernet driver, you can double-click on the downloaded driver file to install the driver on your computer.

Hopefully you find this article helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below. I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Leave a Comment