What is the deal with lack of Server 2012 R2 Drivers?

[ugle43]

I am looking at setting up a Windows Server 2012 R2-build, but there is a disturbing lack of drivers to the system. Even a lot of server/workstation motherboards don't have server 2012 R2-drivers, and things like the intel network-cards don't support it either, what is the deal? Why is the driver support so poor?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Use Windows 2012 drivers.

 

[ugle43]

Use Windows 2012 drivers.

That always works without trouble?

This list seems to indicate that you need support to get the advanced driver features for the network adapters.

http://www.intel.com/support/network/sb/CS-034449.htm

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Yes they will work. Also, that list contains some old NICs that probably don't have great driver support in vanilla 2012.

My server has 3 dual port Intel NICs and I upgraded from 2012 to 2012 R2 with no problems and without manual driver updates.

 

[ugle43]

Yes they will work. Also, that list contains some old NICs that probably don't have great driver support in vanilla 2012.

My server has 3 dual port Intel NICs and I upgraded from 2012 to 2012 R2 with no problems and without manual driver updates.

But did you then get the advanced driver control-panel? Quite a few of the cards are old, that is true, but the PCIe Gigabit-cards isn't that old, and haven't really been superseded by better products either.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

But did you then get the advanced driver control-panel? Quite a few of the cards are old, that is true, but the PCIe Gigabit-cards isn't that old, and haven't really been superseded by better products either.

My dual port NICs are the older Intel PRO/1000 PT Dual Port NICs and here is what I see on my 2012 R2 server:

I don't recall installing any Intel-specific drivers for the PRO 10/1000 PT cards and I believe they are using the default driver that came with 2012 and 2012 R2, but I have a Supermicro board with the I350-T2 NIC and I believe the Intel utility was loaded with those. If you look on Intel's site, you will see that the 2012 R2 version of the Intel tool supports a ton of NICs:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=4237&lang=eng&OSVersion=%0A%09%09%09%09%09%09%09%09%0A%09%09%09%09%09%09%09&DownloadType=Utilities%2C%20Tools%20and%20Examples

 

[ugle43]

Nice, thank you for the info, it has been very helpful