r8169

r8169 is the Linux kernel device driver for Realtek RTL8169/RTL8168 family gigabit Ethernet controllers. It provides in-kernel support for Realtek PCI and PCIe network devices and is part of the mainline Linux kernel, enabling standard Ethernet operation across a wide range of distributions.

Hardware support and capabilities: The driver covers Realtek RTL8169, RTL8168, and compatible network controllers on PCI and PCIe buses, delivering 10/100/1000 Mbps operation with auto-negotiation. It integrates with the kernel’s networking stack, supports common offloads and features such as VLAN tagging, and relies on the hardware and kernel version for the exact feature set.

Development and licensing: r8169 is maintained as part of the Linux kernel’s network driver suite and released under the GPL-2.0 license. Realtek historically distributed a separate vendor driver (r8168) for some kernels or chip revisions, and in certain environments users may opt to switch to that driver, but the in-kernel r8169 remains the default in most distributions.

Usage and troubleshooting: The driver is loaded automatically for compatible devices and can be managed with standard kernel module tools. If issues arise, some users choose to replace or supplement it with the vendor-provided r8168 driver or upgrade to a newer kernel version, as certain revisions or power-management states historically caused stability or performance problems that subsequent updates have addressed.

See also: Realtek Semiconductor Corp., Linux kernel network drivers, r8168.