Do hardware manufacturers directly provide drivers to OEMs?

[im_ishida]

Do hardware manufacturers like Mediatek and Realtek, directly send their latest drivers to OEMs like HP instead of uploading them to their own website? (I know i should ask this from the hardware manufacturers themselves but i never get a reply from them.)

Im looking for answer from someone who is absolutely sure that this is true, which i believe only employees at HP can give. I dont want answers based on what you "heard".

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Sorry but since this is a peer-to-peer forum, you won't get an answer from anyone here that works for HP.

HP does get the drivers directly from the hardware manufactuers.

Whether or not the drivers are given to HP before or after they are uploaded to the hardware manufacturer's websites, I would have no idea.

If you want the latest Mediatek and Realtek Wi-Fi drivers that HP has, here they are:

MediaTek Wireless LAN Driver

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp150501-151000/sp150933.exe

Realtek RTL8xxx Wireless LAN Drivers

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp150501-151000/sp150994.exe 

[im_ishida]

even if u dont work for HP, i just wanna know if its true (believing ur answer isnt based on what u "heard")

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Of course it's true.

HP doesn't write the drivers.

The hardware manufacturers develop, revise and release hardware drivers to HP.

Then HP tests the drivers and once they are validated, they upload them to the support pages.

[im_ishida]

do they just validate it or add customizations too?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

They don't to the wifi or Bluetooth drivers.

HP  may customize some audio and graphics drivers.