The Arduino Ethernet Shield allows an Arduino board to connect to the internet. It is based on the Wiznet W5100 ethernet chip (datasheet). The Wiznet W5100 provides a network (IP) stack capable of both TCP and UDP. It supports up to four simultaneous socket connections. Use the Ethernet library to write sketches which connect to the internet using the shield. The ethernet shield connects to an Arduino board using long wire-wrap headers which extend through the shield. This keeps the pin layout intact and allows another shield to be stacked on top.

The Ethernet Shield has a standard RJ-45 connection, with an integrated line transformer and Power over Ethernet enabled.

The latest revision of the shield adds a micro-SD card slot, which can be used to store files for serving over the network. It is compatible with the Arduino Uno and Mega (using the Ethernet library). The onboard microSD card reader is accessible through the SD Library. When working with this library, SS is on Pin 4. The latest revision of the shield also includes a reset controller, to ensure that the W5100 Ethernet module is properly reset on power-up. Previous revisions of the shield were not compatible with the Mega and need to be manually reset after power-up. The original revision of the shield contained a full-size SD card slot; this is not supported.

The 6-pin serial programming header is compatible with FTDI USB cables and the Sparkfun and Adafruit FTDI-style basic USB-to-serial breakout boards. It features support for automatic reset, allowing sketches to be uploaded without pressing the reset button on the board. When plugged into a FTDI-style USB adapter, the Arduino and Ethernet shield are powered off the adapter.