Knowledge Base

• In ESX 4.0 Update 2, a new command-line tool, console-setup, was included to simplify the process of creating or restoring networking in the ESX service console. For more information, see Configuring or restoring networking from the ESX service console using console-setup (1022078).
• In ESXi 4.x and 5.x, you can restore the network to a Standard vSwitch using the Restore Standard Switch option from the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) console screen (press F2 from console). Note that this results in a blank network configuration (1 x vSwitch with 1 x vmkernel port group) on the ESXi host. Any existing vSwitch, portgroup, and VMkernel information is removed. VMware recommends taking a screenshot of your network configuration from the vSphere client or saving the output from the esxcfg-vswitch -l and esxcfg-vmknic -l commands before using this option.

In ESXi 5.x:

• View the current vSwitch configuration and vmkernel interface configuration using these commands:
  

     esxcli network vswitch standard list      # list current vswitch configuration
  esxcli network vswitch dvs vmware list    # list Distributed Switch configuration
  esxcli network ip interface list          # list vmkernel interfaces and their configuration
  esxcli network nic list                   # display listing of physical adapters and their link state

• Add or remove network cards (known as vmnics) to or from a Standard vSwitch using these commands:

esxcli network vswitch standard uplink remove --uplink-name=vmnic vswitch-name=vSwitch    # unlink an uplink
esxcli network vswitch standard uplink add --uplink-name=vmnic vswitch-name=vSwitch       # add an uplink

• Add or remove network cards (known as vmnics) to or from a vNetwork Distributed Switch (vDS) using these commands:
  
  esxcfg-vswitch -Q vmnic -V dvPort_ID_of_vmnic dvSwitch    # unlink/remove a vDS uplink
  esxcfg-vswitch -P vmnic -V unused_dvPort_ID dvSwitch      # add a vDS uplin
  
  Note: f connectivity was lost when migrating management networking to a Distributed Switch, it may be necessary to remove or disable the existing management vmkernel interface and recreate it in a Standard vSwitch port group with the same IP configuration.
     
  
• On a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS), delete an existing VMkernel port using the following command:

esxcli network ip interface remove --interface-name=vmkX

Note: The vmk interface number used for management can be determined by running the esxcli network ip interface list command.

 

Once the unreachable vmkernel port has been removed, it can be recreated on a Standard Switch.

• If an existing Standard Switch does not exist, you can create a new one as well as a port-group to use with the following commands:

esxcli network vswitch standard add --vswitch-name=vSwitch
esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup add --portgroup-name=portgroup --vswitch-name=vSwitch
   
Note: When creating a virtual switch, there are no linked vmnics by default. You will need to link vmnics as described earlier in this article.

• To create a VMkernel port and attach it to a portgroup on a Standard vSwitch, run the command:

esxcli network ip interface add --interface-name=vmkX --portgroup-name=portgroup  
esxcli network ip interface ipv4 set  --interface-name=vmkX --ipv4=ipaddress --netmask=netmask --type=static

Note: By default, the ESXi, the management vmkernel port is vmk0 and resides in a Standard Switch portgroup called Management Network.

• If the vmnics associated with the management network are VLAN trunks, you may need to specify a VLAN ID for the management portgroup. To set or correct the VLAN ID required for management connectivity on a Standard vSwitch, run the command:

 esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup set -p portgroup --vlan-id VLAN

•  It may be necessary to restart the host's management agents if network connectivity is not restored despite a correct configuration:

services.sh restart

In ESXi 3.x and 4.x:

• View the current vSwitch configuration and vmkernel interface configuration using the following commands:

esxcfg-vswitch -l      # list current vswitch configuration
esxcfg-vmknic -l       # list vmkernel interfaces and their configuration
esxcfg-nics -l         # display listing of physical adapters and their link state

• These commands allow you to add or remove network cards (known as vmnics) to or from a Standard vSwitch:

esxcfg-vswitch -U vmnic vSwitch     # unlink an uplink
esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic vSwitch     # add an uplink

• These commands allow you to add or remove network cards (known as vmnics) to or from a vNetwork Distributed Switch (vDS):

esxcfg-vswitch -Q vmnic -V dvPort_ID_of_vmnic dvSwitch  # unlink/remove a vDS uplink
esxcfg-vswitch -P vmnic -V unused_dvPort_ID dvSwitch    # add a vDS uplink

• On a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS), delete an existing VMkernel port using the following command:

esxcfg-vmknic -d -s DVswitchname -v virtual_port_ID 

Note: The virtual port ID and Dvswitchname can be obtained using the esxcfg-vswitch -l command.

• Once the unreachable vmkernel port has been removed, it can be recreated on a Standard Switch. If an existing Standard Switch does not exist, you can create a new one as well as a port-group to use with the following commands:

esxcfg-vswitch -a vSwitch
esxcfg-vswitch -A portgroup vSwitch

Note: When creating a virtual switch, there are no linked vmnics by default. You will need to link vmnics as described earlier in this article.

• To create a VMkernel port and attach it to a portgroup on a Standard vSwitch, run the command:

esxcfg-vmknic -a -i IP_address -n netmask -p portgroup

Note: By default, the ESXi, the management vmkernel port is vmk0 and resides in a Standard Switch portgroup called Management Network.

• If the vmnics associated with the management network are VLAN trunks, you may need to specify a VLAN ID for the management portgroup. To set or correct the VLAN ID required for management connectivity on a Standard vSwitch, run the command:

esxcfg-vswitch -v VLANID -p portgroup vSwitch

• It may be necessary to restart the host's management agents if network connectivity is not restored despite a correct configuration:

services.sh restart

In ESX 3.x and 4.x:

• View the current vSwitch configuration and vmkernel interface configuration using the following commands:

esxcfg-vswitch -l      # list current vswitch configuration
esxcfg-vmknic -l       # list vmkernel interfaces and their configuration
esxcfg-nics -l         # display listing of physical adapters and their link state

• These commands allow you to add or remove network cards (known as vmnics) to or from a Standard vSwitch:

esxcfg-vswitch -U vmnic vSwitch     # unlink an uplink
esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic vSwitch     # add an uplink

• These commands allow you to add or remove network cards (known as vmnics) to or from a vNetwork Distributed Switch (vDS):   

esxcfg-vswitch -Q vmnic -V dvPort_ID_of_vmnic dvSwitch  # unlink/remove a vDS uplink
esxcfg-vswitch -P vmnic -V unused_dvPort_ID dvSwitch    # add a vDS uplink

• On a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS), delete an existing service console port using the following command:

esxcfg-vswif -d -V DVSwitch_Name -P DVPort_ID vswifX

Note: The virtual port ID and Dvswitchname can be obtained using the esxcfg-vswitch -l command.

• Once the unreachable vmkernel port has been removed, it can be recreated on a Standard Switch. If an existing Standard Switch does not exist, you can create a new one as well as a port-group to use with the following commands:

esxcfg-vswitch -a vSwitch
esxcfg-vswitch -A portgroup vSwitch

Note: When creating a virtual switch, there are no linked vmnics by default. You will need to link vmnics as described earlier in this article.

• To create a service console port and attach it to a portgroup on a Standard vSwitch, run the command:

esxcfg-vswif -a -i ipaddress -n netmask -p portgroup vswif0

Note: By default, the ESX service console port is vswif0 and resides in a Standard Switch port group called Service Console.

• If the vmnics associated with the management network are VLAN trunks, you may need to specify a VLAN ID for the management portgroup. To set or correct the VLAN ID required for management connectivity on a Standard vSwitch, run the command:

esxcfg-vswitch -v VLANID -p portgroup vSwitch

• It may be necessary to restart the host's management agents if network connectivity is not restored despite a correct configuration:

service network restart