Guide: Turn your Killer E2200 NIC into Qualcomm Atheros AR8161

[Ja.KooLit]

I'd like to report the atheros AR8161 driver kinda works for Windows 10 x64. It works, but when loading webpages, there is noticeable lag. like a second or two before it loads webpages.

I tried killer suite v1.1.55.1538 and only big name sites loads; such as facebook and youtube will load with bandwidth control enabled. If I disable bandwidth control, all webpages will load. However upon reboot bandwidth control is enabled again, and I have to manually disable it.

then I tried Standard Drivers (no Killer features) and everything works perfectly. Pages loads right away, no lag.

My motherboard MSI Z87-GD65 has the Killer E2200 ethernet adapter.

New killer suite from Killer
Version 1.1.56.1590 Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, Updated On Tuesday, 06 October 2015

http://www.killernetworking.com/support/driver-downloads/item/killer-suite

 

[OolongGoat]

I am so glad they started offering the driver suite without all the bloat. The NIC is actually decent and works rather well.

 

[FeelsBadMan]

Hello guys, I've been having problems with my killer nic ever since i built my pc. I kept getting a BSOD(mostly when clicking a button to join a server and sometimes in game) saying DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. After an eternity i realised that killer nic was causing this. So i followed the guide back then in 2012 I believe(so i changed it to a normal nic) and never had any more BSOD's. But now I've upgraded to win10 and starting lasting week the BSOD's returned. I used the win8 x64 version to overwrite my killer nic after upgrading to win10(upgrading caused the killer nic to return). but now i have horrible rubber banding in rainbow six siege and I'm absolutely certain that it's nic related. (I've already tried just installing killer drivers but I still had BSOD's) I have no clue what to do, and I'd feel like an idiot if i bought a network card. Is that really my last option? thanks a lot guys!

 

[ShiBDiB]

Hello guys, I've been having problems with my killer nic ever since i built my pc. I kept getting a BSOD(mostly when clicking a button to join a server and sometimes in game) saying DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. After an eternity i realised that killer nic was causing this. So i followed the guide back then in 2012 I believe(so i changed it to a normal nic) and never had any more BSOD's. But now I've upgraded to win10 and starting lasting week the BSOD's returned. I used the win8 x64 version to overwrite my killer nic after upgrading to win10(upgrading caused the killer nic to return). but now i have horrible rubber banding in rainbow six siege and I'm absolutely certain that it's nic related. (I've already tried just installing killer drivers but I still had BSOD's) I have no clue what to do, and I'd feel like an idiot if i bought a network card. Is that really my last option? thanks a lot guys!

Remove it, try the motherboard ethernet port.

If that works than yay..


There's 0 gain for 99.5% of users in using a dedicated nic.

 

[FeelsBadMan]

What are you even saying? ofc I'm using the motherboard ethernet port already, what else would I be using?... at the moment my nic's driver is the atheros ar8131.

 

[Mussels]

What are you even saying? ofc I'm using the motherboard ethernet port already, what else would I be using?... at the moment my nic's driver is the atheros ar8131.

he shidbidoobopped that one. just grab a replacement networking device, USB wifi, PCI(-e) ethernet, doesnt matter much these days.

 

[FeelsBadMan]

hahahah ok thanks. too bad.

 

[homewai9]

hi! I found this sort of problems when i lost my connection yesterday in sudden. Can someone help me in this, please?

 

[shmadul]

Here is a small guide on how to get Windows to see your Killer E2200 NIC as a Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller....

the Killer E2200 NIC is actually more or less a Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 chip.

1. Download the Driver for the Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 on qca.qualcomm.com.

in the Download Sector this driver is called "WIN_AR816X_Windows WHQL Driver V2.1.0.21" under AR816X QCA817X Family Drivers.

DDL: AR813x_AR815x_AR816x_v2.1.0.21_WHQL.zip

Source Link: http://www.qca.qualcomm.com/resources/driverdownloads/


2. after downloading the zip file, unpack it somewhere.


3. Go into Device Manager. (Right click on Computer-->Properties then on the left side under "Control Panel Home" you see "Device Manager"

4. When "Device Manager" opens locale and expand "Network Adapters", you do that by clicking on the arrow head or double click on it.

5. When "Network Adapters" is expanded you show see your Killer E2200 NIC

6. Right click on the "Killer E2200 NIC" and choose "Update Driver Software..."

7. These Next steps are important so follow them carefully....

Choose "Browse my computer for driver software"

8. Now choose "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer

if you just do it as you normally with with "Search for a driver software in this location:" you will get that "Windows was unable to install the driver" (And no this isn't because i already have the driver installed it's because Windows see's the card as a Killer E2200 NIC):

9. Click on the "Have Disk..." button:

and then hit the "Browse" button, and go into where you have unpacked the driver, then find the folder called "Common_Dri" as u can see in the picture below...

Choose the folder that matches your OS like for Windows 7 32bit u take "Win7_32", for Windows 7 64bit u take "Win7_64", for Windows 8/8.1 32bit u take "Win8_32", for Windows 8/8.1 64bit u take "Win8_64".


11. When u find the correct inf file, you either double click on it or mark it and hit "Open":

Then you click "OK" here.

12. Then you get this window with a selection of drivers since this is a multi driver you get more then one, but scroll down in the window until you find "Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (NDIS 6.30)" mark it and hit "Next":

13. Then you will get this "Update Driver Warning" that the driver ain't verified to the hardware bla bla bla, and it can be unstable or stop working completely which it won't because it works fine...

14. Then let Windows install the driver and you will get the message "Windows has successfully updated your driver software":

hit "Close" and you will see your "Killer E2200 NIC" is now called "Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (NDIS 6.30) as shown below:

I am using this driver with my MSI Z87I Gaming AC motherboard and it works like a clam, i never had any issues with my Windows 8.1 Professional 64bit.



I decided to add the links for the Killer™ Cleaner since Qualcomm's side appearently don't exist anymore.

Link:

32bit: KillerCleaner_32bit.exe
64bit: KillerCleaner_64bit.exe

THANK YOU , Worked on my 970 series motherboard which kept crashing with all versions of windows! this fixed it and now i have internet and no crashing

 

[Shou Miko]

hi! I found this sort of problems when i lost my connection yesterday in sudden. Can someone help me in this, please?

View attachment 73025

The guide in the start of this thread should work, if Windows 10 ain't satisfied start it with in Safe Mode with "Disabled driver signature enforcement" than it should install the driver and when that's done and u see no more error reboot and ur system should work fine, if ur network card ain't busted for some other reason.

 

[trentseven]

Attempting to download the attached KillerCleaner_64bit.exe results in the following message from Google Drive:

 

[P4-630]

LOL!! "Only the owner is allowed to download infected files"

 

[Shou Miko]

Hmm I don't face any problems at work or at customers computers even on mobile internet so I dunno what's from here and no I haven't logged into my drive account from these pc's...

KillerCleaner_32bit.exe: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByuH_vYWa7JlVDZfRTlRemlkVFk
KillerCleaner_64bit.exe: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByuH_vYWa7JlNzNiRXctTTF5YVk

 

[Steve-007UK]

Hmm I don't face any problems at work or at customers computers even on mobile internet so I dunno what's from here and no I haven't logged into my drive account from these pc's...

KillerCleaner_32bit.exe: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByuH_vYWa7JlVDZfRTlRemlkVFk
KillerCleaner_64bit.exe: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByuH_vYWa7JlNzNiRXctTTF5YVk

Just tested and i also get the message about a virus lmao and i am 100% sure this is just BS from google or firefox as i dont have anything blocking anything like a lot of people do.

 

[Caring1]

I get the download page when I look

 

[Mussels]

download page for me too

 

[Steve-007UK]

I can get on the download page but its when downloading the file it pops up with that virus thing but no idea what is causing it.

It's as if google is blocking it once you try and download it, something is scanning it then saying virus detected.

 

[Dracconis]

I apologize if for some reason the picture does not show up, however the link provided here will show the image that the possibility people are receiving the virus message is due to chrome's privacy settings and if searching through the other major browsers they may have a similar option that is causing the same problem. In times past when trying to download a file I have received the same type of error message but after disabling that option in the browser settings I was allowed to download it.

 

[ToflixGamer]

Just registered to ask something.

I have the Killer e2400. Is this the same driver? I don't want this "Killer Bandwith Control"-Shit, because many Websites are loading sooo slow...

 

[trentseven]

I apologize if for some reason the picture does not show up, however the link provided here will show the image that the possibility people are receiving the virus message is due to chrome's privacy settings and if searching through the other major browsers they may have a similar option that is causing the same problem. In times past when trying to download a file I have received the same type of error message but after disabling that option in the browser settings I was allowed to download it.

I tried disabling this, but unfortunately it still displays the following:

Upon clicking "Download" it goes to this URL ( https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0ByuH_vYWa7JlNzNiRXctTTF5YVk&export=download ) and displays the following error message:

 

[Shou Miko]

Just registered to ask something.

I have the Killer e2400. Is this the same driver? I don't want this "Killer Bandwith Control"-Shit, because many Websites are loading sooo slow...

Unfortunately I don't have a mobo with a Killer E2400 chip on, but doing some research and from what I can read that it might be possible to turn it into a AR817x (AR8171) which is included in the driver on my google drive link but I can't tell u if it's gonna work.

I got 2 Zippyshare links for the Killercleaners now that google seems to still think they r infected.

Zippyshare: KillerCleaner_32bit.exe
Zippyshare: KillerCleaner_64bit.exe

Looks like I need a staff member to edit the links in the first post...

*EDIT*

@HammerON fixed post #1 with links so the dl links r always there in guide

 

[whitefalcon]

awesomeness.
i got this MSI GE60 OND laptop which did its free upgrade from the bundled win8.1 to win10
ever since i had NIC issues with IPv4
after lots of tweaks and uninstalling and reinstalling drivers from the MSI site, it would work for a day or so or until as soon as there is a windows update and the card will be there but no traffic possible.

finally downloaded the killer suite from the links in this (deleted word: post) thread and so far it works.

 

[TheGuruStud]

Driver started memory leaking really bad (wasn't too bad before). Installed newest atheros driver only to be greeted with a BSOD under load. POS.

 

[Shou Miko]

Driver started memory leaking really bad (wasn't too bad before). Installed newest atheros driver only to be greeted with a BSOD under load. POS.

On what system u installed this driver on? I haven't had any BSOD issues with this driver with the MSI Z87I Gaming and Z97I Gaming and today my special girl is running with a system using the MSI Z97I Gaming and still using Windows 8.1 Pro she don't want Windows 10 so no forcing her to

 

[TheGuruStud]

On what system u installed this driver on? I haven't had any BSOD issues with this driver with the MSI Z87I Gaming and Z97I Gaming and today my special girl is running with a system using the MSI Z97I Gaming and still using Windows 8.1 Pro she don't want Windows 10 so no forcing her to

POS win10 that I should have never installed (b/c I know it's a pos and DX12 does nothing). I just had another crash sitting idle, so it's irrespective of load (even worse). What a pile. Guess what the biggest mem leak was? MFing worthless intel RST.

At least I haven't updated to the anniversary update which would make it completely unstable LOL (so much for all the "win10 is stable now" balogney from certain members).

Zen can't come soon enough. Haswell sucks, then this ethernet can go bye bye, which is a shame b/c the chip itself is good.
I might as well install the official driver and not the extra killer crap (which is what causes the leak, at least on win8).

edit: Can't install official drivers, now. Bill Gates needs shot in the face.