How to Enable Energy Efficient Ethernet in Windows 11
Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) is a built-in Windows 11 feature based on the IEEE 802.3az standard that lowers your computer’s power use by putting your network connection into a sleep state when you are not actively downloading or uploading data.
Turning off this setting can help fix stubborn internet drops and slow speeds on your PC. You need an administrator account to change these network adapter settings.
Open Device Manager, find your network adapter, select Energy Efficient Ethernet under Advanced properties, and choose Enabled or Disabled. Alternatively, use PowerShell commands, specifying your adapter name and the exact EEE property name.
Option 1Use Device Manager
You can enable energy efficient ethernet through Device Manager by finding your network adapter properties and changing the power saving settings. This built-in Windows tool gives you direct access to your hardware settings so you can turn on power-saving features for your wired internet connection without installing extra software.
Device Manager gives you direct control over your computer hardware. Use it to locate your network adapter and adjust the EEE settings.- Open Device Manager. You can search for it in the Windows search bar.
- Find and expand the Network adapters section.
- Double-click on the network adapter you want to change. It might have a name like “Intel(R) Ethernet Connection” or “Marvell AQC111C”. You can also right-click on it and choose Properties.
- Click on the Advanced tab.
- In the list of properties, find and select Energy Efficient Ethernet. The name might be slightly different depending on your network adapter. It could also say “EEE”, “Green Ethernet”, or “Power Saving Mode”.
- In the Value box, choose On or Enabled to turn it on, or Off or Disabled to turn it off.
- Click OK to save your changes.
- You can now close Device Manager.
Option 2Use PowerShell
You can enable energy efficient ethernet using PowerShell if you prefer command-line tools over graphical menus. This method lets you run specific commands to change your network adapter power settings quickly, which is helpful if you manage multiple computers or want to skip clicking through the standard Windows settings windows.
- First, you need to know the exact name of your network adapter. Open Network Connections by pressing Win+R, typing
ncpa.cpl, and pressing Enter. Note down the name of the adapter you want to change (e.g., “Ethernet”). - Open Windows Terminal as an administrator. You can do this by searching for “Windows Terminal”, right-clicking it, and selecting “Run as administrator”. Make sure you have PowerShell selected in the terminal window.
- To find the exact name of the EEE setting for your adapter, type the following command and press Enter. Replace
Ethernetwith the name of your network adapter from step 1:
Get-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty -Name "Ethernet" | Format-Table - Look at the DisplayName column in the results. Find the exact name for Energy Efficient Ethernet. It might be listed as “Energy-Efficient Ethernet”, “EEE”, “Green Ethernet”, or “Power Saving Mode”.
- Now, type one of the following commands and press Enter to turn EEE on or off.
- To turn EEE on:
Set-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty -Name “Ethernet” -DisplayName “Energy-Efficient Ethernet” -DisplayValue “Enabled” - To turn EEE off:
Set-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty -Name “Ethernet” -DisplayName “Energy-Efficient Ethernet” -DisplayValue “Disabled”
- To turn EEE on:
- Remember to replace
Ethernetwith your network adapter’s name andEnergy-Efficient Ethernetwith the exact EEE property name you found in step 4. - You can now close Windows Terminal.
Summary
Toggle Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE) using either Device Manager or PowerShell, depending on your preference. EEE helps save power, but disabling it might fix connection issues. Administrator rights are required to make these changes.
Should I enable or disable energy efficient Ethernet?
Try disabling Energy Efficient Ethernet if you experience network connection problems. If it doesn't fix the issue or you want to save power, enable it again. It helps reduce electricity use when your network isn't busy.
What does energy efficient Ethernet do?
Energy Efficient Ethernet, also known as IEEE 802.3az, makes your network connection use less power. It automatically lowers power use when little data transmits, helping to save electricity.
Should I disable power saving mode on Ethernet?
Disable the power saving mode, which is Energy Efficient Ethernet, if you encounter network issues. If your internet works fine, leave it enabled to save energy. Disable it only when problems occur.
What is energy efficient Ethernet configuration?
Energy Efficient Ethernet configuration involves turning the feature on or off. Find this setting in your network adapter's properties within Windows Device Manager. Look for 'Energy Efficient Ethernet' under the Advanced tab.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
Hello,
I noticed a possible technical error in the PowerShell section of the article about managing Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE).
The article currently shows:
To turn EEE on:
Get-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty -Name “Ethernet” | Format-Table
However, this command only displays the advanced properties of the network adapter and does not change the EEE setting.
To modify the EEE status, the command should use Set-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty instead. For example:
To enable EEE:
Set-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty -Name “Ethernet” -DisplayName “Energy-Efficient Ethernet” -DisplayValue “Enabled”
To disable EEE:
Set-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty -Name “Ethernet” -DisplayName “Energy-Efficient Ethernet” -DisplayValue “Disabled”
It may also be helpful to verify the change afterward using:
Get-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty -Name “Ethernet” -DisplayName “Energy-Efficient Ethernet”
It appears that the Get-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty command may have been mistakenly used instead of Set-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty in the “To turn EEE on” section.
Thank you for providing useful technical content. I hope this helps improve the accuracy of the article.
Thanks, updated the post.