Realtek USB GbE Family Controller driver (RTL8153, RTL8156)

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What is RTL8153?

Realtek RTL8153 is the chip inside most USB 3.0 and USB-C Gigabit Ethernet adapters and in many laptop docking stations and USB-C hubs. Its siblings are the RTL8156 (2.5 Gigabit) and the RTL8152 (Fast Ethernet). Windows names them Realtek USB GbE Family Controller, Realtek USB 2.5GbE Family Controller and Realtek USB FE Family Controller.

• USB\VID_0BDA&PID_8153 — RTL8153
• USB\VID_0BDA&PID_8156 — RTL8156
• USB\VID_0BDA&PID_8152 — RTL8152

Adapters sold under other brands (Lenovo, Dell, Microsoft Surface, TP-Link, UGREEN and others) often use their own vendor IDs with the same chip; search for the exact hardware ID if yours is different.

When to install the driver

Windows 10 and 11 recognise these adapters with a built-in driver. Install the latest Realtek driver if the adapter shows up without a driver, keeps disconnecting, is limited to low speeds, or does not wake up after sleep. ARM64 builds exist for Windows on ARM laptops.

Troubleshooting

• Plug the adapter into a USB 3.x port directly — through a USB 2.0 port or hub the speed is limited to about 300 Mbps.
• In Properties → Power Management clear “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”.
• For docking stations, also update the dock firmware from its manufacturer.

Linux uses the in-kernel r8152 driver for all three chips.

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Hardware IDs

Compare these IDs with Device Manager → Properties → Details → Hardware Ids of your device (how to find them).