Persistent Ethernet Drops on ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme (Intel 2.5 Gbe / Marvell 10 Gbe) – Unresolved

[canberkd91]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been struggling with a persistent and very frustrating Ethernet issue on my ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme motherboard, and I’m hoping to both raise awareness and possibly get input from ASUS engineers or users who faced similar behavior.

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Problem Description:

My system experiences random Ethernet drops and sudden speed downgrades — the connection occasionally falls from 2.5 Gbps to 100 Mbps, or disconnects entirely for a few seconds before reconnecting.

The issue happens regardless of which port I use:

• Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE

• Marvell AQtion 10 GbE

I have already:

• Updated BIOS to the latest version (4301)

• Installed the latest Intel and Marvell LAN drivers

• Disabled power-saving features for both adapters

• Forced speed manually to 2.5 Gbps (no “Auto Negotiation”)

• Tested with multiple high-quality CAT6e cables

• Connected directly to an ASUS DSL-AX82U modem/router

Wi-Fi connection works flawlessly on the same network, so it’s definitely related to the Ethernet controllers on the board.

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How the Issue Manifests:

• It appears under heavy bandwidth load (e.g., online racing sims like iRacing, or large Steam downloads).

• The connection drops, causing the game or server session to disconnect.

• Windows Event Viewer logs show repeated link re-negotiations and warnings from both network adapters.

• The drops are not visible when simply streaming YouTube or browsing (because of buffering).

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Service Experience in Turkey:

Unfortunately, ASUS Turkey’s authorized service (Servis Point) was unable to reproduce the issue — but their testing method was far from realistic.
They only checked the LAN by:

• Watching YouTube videos,

• Performing basic speed tests,

• Running FurMark (GPU stress test, unrelated to LAN).

I even submitted Windows Event Viewer logs showing the exact timestamps of Ethernet disconnections, but the service concluded “no fault detected” and tried to return the board multiple times.

This problem is clearly not isolated. Many users in this forum and elsewhere have already reported similar behavior on Z690 chipset boards, especially those using Intel I225-V and Marvell AQtion network controllers.

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Request / Question:

@asusSupport – could you please clarify:

1. Has this Ethernet instability been acknowledged internally for Z690 boards?

2. Are there any firmware, driver, or hardware revisions addressing this behavior?

3. What is the recommended diagnostic or stress-test procedure for reproducing the issue under sustained load?

I would really appreciate guidance on how to move forward.
The local service clearly lacks the tools or methodology to identify this defect, and as a long-time ASUS ROG customer, I’m deeply disappointed with the handling of this case so far.

Thank you in advance for any official feedback or insight from other affected users.

[Silent_Scone]

Hi @canberkd91 

Intel solved similar issues with a later driver quite some time ago. Can you check the driver here?

https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/downloads-for-motherboards/drivers-intel-ethernet-wifi-bluetooth/td-p/...

[canberkd91]

Hi @Silent_Scone

Thank you for the reply.

At the moment, my motherboard is still at the ASUS authorized service center in Turkey, so unfortunately I’m unable to test the latest Intel driver you shared.
Once the board is returned to me, I will definitely install the updated Intel Ethernet driver and run the same high-bandwidth tests again.

However, I would like to clarify an important point:

🔹 The issue is not limited to the Intel I225-V controller.

I am also experiencing similar random drops and renegotiation events on the Marvell AQtion 10 GbE port.

So even if the Intel driver update solves the problem for the 2.5 GbE port, I still need a stable solution for the Marvell controller as well.

My setup requires redundant (dual) wired connections, and therefore both ports must operate reliably under sustained load, especially during:

• Online gaming simulations,

• Large Steam downloads,

• Burst traffic scenarios.

Do you know if Marvell has released any firmware, driver update, or stability fix?
Or is there an official ASUS-recommended version that specifically addresses link drops or speed renegotiation issues?

Any guidance or updated driver/firmware for the Marvell port would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your support.

[Silent_Scone]

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@canberkd91 wrote:

🔹 The issue is not limited to the Intel I225-V controller.

I am also experiencing similar random drops and renegotiation events on the Marvell AQtion 10 GbE port.

So even if the Intel driver update solves the problem for the 2.5 GbE port, I still need a stable solution for the Marvell controller as well.

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In that case, I would wait to see the outcome of the service case. My first instinct would be that it's a local issue within your own network if both adapters are experiencing similar behaviour. Did you try both NIC independently?