Knowledge Base

The VMware Knowledge Base provides support solutions, error messages and troubleshooting guides
 
Search the VMware Knowledge Base (KB)   View by Article ID
 

Configuring the ESXi Management Network from the direct console

Symptoms

  • Loss of connectivity to ESXi host
  • If you change the host Management Network IP address, ESXi disconnects from VMware Infrastructure (VI) Client and VirtualCenter

Resolution

Note: To perform the steps in this section, connect to ESXi using the remote access console or KVM.

Configuring static IP settings from the console

To configure static IP settings from the console:
  1. Press F2 to examine the default configuration.
  2. Press the down-arrow key to choose Configure Management Network and press Enter.
  3. Press the down-arrow key to choose IP Configuration and press Enter.
  4. Press the down-arrow key to choose Set static IP address and network configuration and press the spacebar.
  5. Press the down-arrow key to choose IP Address.
  6. Press the backspace key to clear the current IP address, then enter a new IP address.
  7. Press the down-arrow key to choose Subnet Mask.
  8. Press the backspace key to delete the current Subnet Mask, then enter a new Subnet Mask.
  9. Press the down-arrow key to choose Default Gateway.
  10. Press the backspace key to delete the existing Default Gateway, then enter a new Default Gateway.

Configuring DNS settings

When configuring DNS settings, you can choose either manual or automatic Domain Name System (DNS) configuration of the ESXi host. By default, DNS configuration is automatic. The automatic setting enables a DHCP server to acquire DNS information. For automatic DNS to work, your network environment must have a DHCP server and a DNS server. In network environments where automatic DNS is not available or not desirable, you can configure static DNS information, including a host name, a primary name server, a secondary name server, and DNS suffixes. If you configure static IP address networking for your ESXi host, you also need to configure static DNS information.

If you are local to the host, use the direct console to configure DNS information. If you are not local to the host, use VI Client to configure DNS information.

To configure DNS settings from the console:

  1. Press the down-arrow key to choose Configure Management Network and press Enter.
  2. Press the down-arrow key to choose DNS Configuration and press Enter.
  3. Press the down-arrow key to choose Use the following DNS server addresses and hostname and press the spacebar.
  4. Press the backspace key to delete the current primary server, alternate server, and host name.
  5. Enter a static primary server, alternate server, and host name.
  6. Press Enter.
To configure DNS suffixes from the console:
 
Note: By default, DHCP acquires the DNS suffixes.
  1. Press the down-arrow key to choose Configure Management Network and press Enter.
  2. Press the down-arrow key to choose Custom DNS Suffixes and press Enter.
  3. Press the backspace key to delete the current DNS suffixes.
  4. Enter new DNS suffixes.
  5. Press Enter.
To configure DNS settings from VI Client:
  1. From VI Client, choose the host in the inventory.
  2. Click the Configuration tab > Networking.
  3. Click Properties next to Virtual Switch: vSwitch0.
  4. Click Management Network > Edit.
  5. On the General tab, click Use the following IP settings.
  6. Click Edit next to VMkernel Default Gateway.
  7. On the DNS Configuration tab, enter the static primary server, alternate server, host name, and DNS suffix details.
  8. Click OK.

Request a Product Feature

To request a new product feature or to provide feedback on a VMware product, please visit the Request a Product Feature page.

Feedback

Did this article help you?
This article resolved my issue.
This article did not resolve my issue.
This article helped but additional information was required to resolve my issue.
What can we do to improve this information? (4000 or fewer characters)
Actions
KB: