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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchFor an RP2040 project using the Arduino-Pico core, the simplest documented route to wired Ethernet is its EthernetLWIP support. It supports several Ethernet controllers and connects them to familiar networking classes such as WiFiClient, WiFiUDP, and WebServer. The important catch: choose the library header and Ethernet object for your controller, and configure SPI pins to match your board and wiring.
Which Ethernet library should you use with an RP2040?
If your project runs the Arduino-Pico core, start with its EthernetLWIP documentation rather than assuming the Arduino Ethernet library’s examples apply unchanged. The Arduino-Pico project describes wired networking as similar to Pico W Wi-Fi: “Using these wired interfaces is very similar to using the Pico-W WiFi so most examples in the core only require minor modifications to use a wired interface.”
The documented controller list includes W5100(s), W5500, W55RP20, W6100, W6300, ENC28J60, and USB Ethernet. Wired interfaces are made available to networking libraries including WiFiClient, WiFiClientSecure, WiFiServer, WiFiServerSecure, WiFiUDP, WebServer, Updater, and HTTPClient. Consult the Arduino-Pico documentation for core context and the EthernetLWIP page for controller-specific instructions.
How to connect a W5500 SPI module
A separate W5500 module is a flexible option when you already have a Pico or want to choose the controller board and module independently. The software setup must identify the W5500 driver and the chip-select pin used in your wiring. The Arduino-Pico example follows this pattern:
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- Include the matching driver header:
#include <W5500lwIP.h>. - Create the W5500 Ethernet object with the module’s chip-select pin, for example
Wiznet5500lwIP eth(1);. In this documented example,1is the chip-select pin; use the pin actually connected to your module instead. - If your wiring uses non-default SPI pins, set the SPI pin mapping in
setup(). RP2040 pin selections must be legal SPI mappings, not simply arbitrary GPIO choices. - Start and check the Ethernet interface using the Ethernet object’s begin/connected calls, in place of the corresponding Wi-Fi calls in an example.
The include, object type, and pin example above are from the project’s documented examples, not a guarantee that a particular module or wiring arrangement will work without adjustment. Follow the pinout for your board and module, and the controller-specific instructions at Arduino-Pico EthernetLWIP support.
Choose hardware before choosing the driver
RP2040 Ethernet can mean several different hardware arrangements. These are not interchangeable driver paths:
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| Hardware route | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Pico plus a separate SPI module | A Raspberry Pi Pico wired to a W5500 or another supported controller module. | Controller-specific header and object, chip select, SPI pin mapping, power, and wiring. |
| W5500-EVB-Pico | An RP2040 board with the W5500 controller integrated into the board arrangement; Zephyr describes its W5500 as a hardwired TCP/IP controller. | Use the development environment and examples appropriate to the board; do not assume every separate-module pin example applies. |
| Pico with WIZnet Ethernet HAT | A separate Pico paired with the W5100S-based WIZnet Ethernet HAT. | Follow the HAT’s own wiring and chip-specific project instructions. WIZnet’s guide also names W5100S-EVB-Pico and W5500-EVB-Pico as example setups. |
| RMII PHY, such as LAN8720 | A different physical interface and software route from SPI Ethernet modules. | Check the documentation for the particular board, PHY, and implementation; do not use SPI-module driver instructions by default. |
WIZnet’s RP2040-HAT-C getting-started guide documents its named board and HAT setups and requires selecting the matching WIZnet chip in project configuration. That is vendor guidance for its stated development setup, not proof that its configuration transfers unchanged to Arduino-Pico. Zephyr’s W5500-EVB-Pico board documentation provides context for that integrated board.
Settings and execution constraints to watch
EthernetLWIP behavior depends on the Arduino-Pico implementation and configuration. Its documentation calls out several details that matter when adapting an example:
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- Networking code runs on core 0. Under FreeRTOS, only the setup and loop tasks may call networking libraries.
- Polling interval: the documented default is 20 ms. The documentation warns that setting the interval too low can prevent the Pico from servicing Ethernet and cause a lockup. It also describes interrupt-driven packet handling as an alternative.
- SPI clock: the appropriate speed depends on the module and wiring. A clock that is too high can lead to communication problems or hangs.
These are Arduino-Pico-specific implementation notes, not universal timing rules for every way to add Ethernet to an RP2040. The project documentation does not establish a single throughput, latency, or reliability figure that can be applied to every controller, board, and wiring setup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When RMII is a separate option
An RMII PHY approach, including modules based on LAN8720, is distinct from connecting an SPI controller such as the W5500. Raspberry Pi’s article on an early RMII implementation reported that it ran the RP2040 at 50 MHz, compiled lwIP with NO_SYS—so Netconn and Socket APIs were unavailable in that implementation—and set link speed to 10 Mbps after a transmit issue at 100 Mbps. Those details describe the implementation reported in that article, not a blanket limit on RP2040 Ethernet today. See Raspberry Pi’s RMII Ethernet article for its context.
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