Technical Paper: RD9700 USB 2.0 to Fast Ethernet Adapter Driver Acquisition and Installation for Windows 11 1. Overview The RD9700 is a low-cost, mass-produced chipset manufactured by Realtek (formerly Corechip) used in many generic USB 2.0 to Fast Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) adapters. It is commonly found in unbranded or white-label networking dongles. Critical Note for Windows 11: Unlike Windows 7/8, Windows 10 and 11 do not include native inbox drivers for the RD9700. The operating system may recognize a new USB device but will fail to enable the Ethernet adapter without a manual driver installation. 2. Identifying the Adapter Before downloading drivers, verify your adapter uses the RD9700 chipset:
Open Device Manager ( devmgmt.msc ). Look under Network adapters or Other devices . An unrecognized device may show as:
Unknown device USB 2.0 to Fast Ethernet Adapter (with a yellow exclamation mark)
Alternatively, check the Hardware IDs in device properties → Details → Hardware Ids: Technical Paper: RD9700 USB 2
USB\VID_0FE6&PID_9700 USB\VID_0FE6&PID_9702 USB\VID_07A6&PID_8511 USB\VID_1905&PID_9700
If you see VID_0FE6 or PID_9700 / 9702 , the driver below is applicable. 3. Official & Reliable Driver Sources Warning: Do not download from generic “driver update” websites (DriverGuide, DriverEasy, etc.), which often bundle adware or outdated unsigned drivers. Only use the following sources: | Source | Link / Path | Notes | |--------|-------------|-------| | Realtek Official (Acquired RD9700 IP) | https://www.realtek.com → Search "RD9700" → Download RD9700_USB_LAN_Driver_vX.X.X.zip | Most reliable, digitally signed | | Microsoft Update Catalog | https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com → Search RD9700 | Signed CAB files for Windows 10/11 | | OEM support (rare) | Check adapter packaging / CD-ROM | Often outdated | Recommended direct driver:
Driver version: 3.0.0.0 or newer Date: 2019 or later (ensures Windows 11 compatibility) Signature: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher Critical Note for Windows 11: Unlike Windows 7/8,
4. Step-by-Step Installation on Windows 11 Method 1: Manual .INF Installation (Most Reliable)
Download the ZIP file from Realtek. Extract to a folder (e.g., C:\Drivers\RD9700 ). Open Device Manager → Other devices → Unknown device / USB Ethernet adapter. Right-click → Update driver → Browse my computer for drivers . Browse to the extracted folder (look for a Win10 or Win11 subfolder containing .inf files, e.g., netrd9700.inf ). Click Next → Windows will install the driver. If warned about unsigned driver (rare for Realtek):
Restart Windows → Advanced Startup → Disable Driver Signature Enforcement → Retry. 3. Official &
Method 2: Have Disk Method
In Device Manager → Update driver → Browse my computer → Let me pick from a list . Have Disk → Browse to extracted .inf file → Select RD9700 USB Fast Ethernet Adapter . Confirm installation.