82540EP Gigabit Ethernet Controller Driver for Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 18.4 18.4
The 82540EP Gigabit Ethernet Controller Driver for Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 18.4 is a robust device driver solution designed to enhance the performance of network controllers on Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 systems.
- Free
- Windows
- Oct 30, 2026
About 82540EP Gigabit Ethernet Controller Driver for Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 18.4
The Intel 82540EP is a Gigabit Ethernet Controller released during a time where having integrated network hardware was a distinguishing feature. It was first released in Q3 2006 and was discontinued in 2014. This driver package (version 18.4) was released in May 2013 and therefore this is a very aged controller.
This is not a driver intended for new deployments. This is a maintenance driver for a Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 machine still in use with an 82540EP based adapter. This is the last official driver Intel released for this specific hardware combination. Newer drivers were released for new operating systems and the 82540EP has been removed from the support matrix completely. This is the driver you need to keep your NIC running on a machine still in service.
The package provides Intel PROSet for configuring the adapter as well as Advanced Networking Services for port teaming and VLANs. It also provides SNMP support for monitoring via a management platform. If you have an older machine in use this package provides everything needed to make your adapter manageable.
As you would expect from an Intel universal driver package this controller will work with several other models. The 82540EP, 82540EM, 82541 series, 82544/82545 series, 82546/82547 as well as a long list of PRO/100 and 10 Gigabit adapters. This makes it easy to install on a server board with multiple Intel NICs from the same generation.
The driver is specifically for Windows Server 2008 Standard x64. This is a 64-bit driver and will not work on a 32-bit system. The Itanium version is a separate file. Intel used to have separate pages for each architecture and edition of the driver. It can be confusing trying to work out which one you need. If the installer does not work or the driver does not bind then the first thing to check is that you have the x64 version.
There is no change log available. Softavox do mention that there was no change log information provided by the publisher. This is not uncommon for a driver from 2013 but means you won’t know what has changed between version 18.3 and 18.4. You can safely assume it will only contain small bug fixes and validation for the supported platforms.
The 82540EP is a 1 port controller with an integrated MAC and PHY. It is manufactured using a 150nm process and comes in a 15x15mm T-PBGA package. It uses the PCI interface and does not support Jumbo Frames or FCoE. Whilst these specifications are quite low they were sufficient for a server NIC in 2006 and are still sufficient for a legacy workload on a Server 2008 machine.
This driver is no longer available from Intel’s live download centre. It is available on third party archives. This is version 18.4. When downloading an old driver like this always scan it before installing. Whilst it should be fine as it is a self extracting executable you never know how the checksums will be on mirror sites. If the file size looks odd or the installer acts strange then try to find an alternative copy.
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Key features
- The last driver Intel published for this controller on Server 2008 x64. Version 18.4 dates to May 2013 and marks the end of the line for the 82540EP on this platform. Intel's current download pages point to 29.x and 31.x packages for modern operating systems, but none of those carry the Server 2008 x64 build. If the machine is still running Server 2008, 18.4 is what you install.
- A full management package, not a bare driver. The installer bundles the base Ethernet drivers, Intel PROSet for Windows Device Manager, advanced networking services (ANS) for teaming and VLANs, and SNMP support. That means you are not just getting the adapter to light up; you are getting the tools to configure it, team it with another port, and monitor it from a network management station.
- It covers far more than the 82540EP. The same package installs drivers for the 82540EM, 82541EI/GI/PI, 82544 series, 82545EM/GM, 82546EB/GB, 82547EI/GI, and a long list of PRO/100 and 10 Gigabit adapters. On a server with a mixed set of Intel NICs from the same era, one download handles all of them.
- Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 is the target. This is the 64-bit build for the Standard edition. The 32-bit package from the same 18.4 release will not install here, and the Itanium build is a separate file entirely. Intel shipped different executables for each platform, and mixing them up is the most common reason an install fails without a clear error.
- The controller itself is long discontinued. Intel's product database lists the 82540EP as "Discontinued," launched in Q3'06, with an expected discontinuance date of May 13, 2014, and a new-design expiration of October 26, 2022. The driver is not for building new servers. It is for keeping an existing one on the network.
- Roughly 29.3 MB, and the filename is PROWin32-18.4.exe. That is the 32-bit installer name, but the 18.4 package family includes the x64 build under a similar naming convention. Check the architecture before you run it; the filename alone does not always make the target obvious.
- No changelog was ever published. Softavox's listing for the 18.4 release states plainly that there is no changelog information available from the publisher. If you are comparing 18.3 to 18.4, you will not find an official list of what changed. The practical assumption is minor fixes and platform validation rather than new features.
- Free to download, but no longer hosted by Intel's active download center. The file survives through third-party archives. When pulling a 13-year-old driver from a mirror, verify the package before you install it, because original checksums are not always preserved.
- A note on the 82540EP's role. It is a single-port Gigabit controller with integrated MAC and PHY, built on a 150 nm process, with a PCI interface and a 15x15 mm package. It was a common onboard NIC on server boards from the mid-2000s, which is why drivers like this one still matter to anyone maintaining that hardware.
Versions
| Version | Release date | Platform | File size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82540EP Gigabit Ethernet Controller Driver for Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 18.4 18.4 Latest version | Oct 30, 2026 | Windows | Download |
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