Intel’s I226-V 2.5 GbE Ethernet controller might carry the same flaw found in the I225-V Ethernet controller, occasionally dropping connections for users
The I225-V controller, the predecessor to the I226-V, was also found flawed, such as network connection drops and losses in performance. The spots were hardware-related, meaning the hardware would need replacement instead of updating the firmware. Intel released the I225-V2 controller to update the hardware and alleviate the issues from the prior version. Still, users did not want to purchase an updated board for the problems and lowered the connection to 1GbE instead of the total amount. It is reported that the current I226-V drops in connections do not last long and are quick to be solved, but they can be noticeable when gaming, large file downloads, and some conference calls. For users looking to witness the connection drops in real-time, you can look at the “Windows Logs” in the “Windows Event Viewer” and then click on “System.” Additionally, you can look at the “e2fnexpress” file and look for both Event 27 and Event 32 error mentions. There are no current driver updates that will currently fix the issue, and TechPowerUp did attempt the 1 GbE, as mentioned earlier, workaround but was unsuccessful in completely resolving the issue. Some higher-priced motherboards from the Raptor Lake 700-series have dual Ethernet controllers on the motherboard and can change to one of the third-party controller options from the company’s Realtek and Marvell or use the Wi-Fi integration on the board instead. However, if you have a less expensive motherboard, users will be expected to pay additional money to purchase a wireless adapter or a PCIe network adapter for their PC system. News Sources: Tom’s Hardware, TechPowerUP
