Question : ESXi 3.5 - 153875 - Two identicals network cards / only one working

Hello,

I am experiencing some weird problem with an ESXi server, I am using a HP Proliant ML 350 G5 server and I have recently install a additional NICs to connect more VMs.

Since the ESXI have been working like a charm with the NetXtreme BCM5703 1000Base-T NICs, I installed another one NIC, yesterday and something apparently is not good with my ESXi server.

My NIC is detected and has active uplink (shown below)

Name    PCI      Driver      Link Speed    Duplex MTU    Description
vmnic1  14:01.00 tg3         Up   100Mbps  Full   1500   Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5703 1000Base-T
vmnic0  03:00.00 bnx2        Up   100Mbps  Full   1500   Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5708 1000Base-T
vmnic3  0c:02.00 tg3         Up   100Mbps  Full   1500   Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5703 1000Base-T

Below is the lspci command output for reference

~ # lspci
00:00.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:02.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:03.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:04.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:05.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:16.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:16.01 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:16.02 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:17.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:19.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:21.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:22.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:28.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:29.00 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation
00:29.01 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation
00:29.02 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation
00:29.03 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation
00:29.07 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation
00:30.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82801BA/CA/DB/EB PCI Bridge
00:31.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
00:31.01 Mass storage controller: Intel Corporation 631xESB/632xESB IDE Controller [vmhba0]
01:03.00 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc
01:04.00 Generic system peripheral: Compaq Computer Corporation
01:04.02 Generic system peripheral: Compaq Computer Corporation
01:04.04 Serial bus controller: Hewlett-Packard Company
01:04.06 : Hewlett-Packard Company
02:00.00 Bridge: ServerWorks
03:00.00 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5708 1000Base-T [vmnic0]
04:00.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
04:00.03 Bridge: Intel Corporation
05:00.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
05:01.00 Bridge: Intel Corporation
12:02.00 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5703 Gigabit Ethernet [vmnic3]
18:00.00 Bridge: ServerWorks
19:04.00 Bridge: ServerWorks
19:08.00 Mass storage controller: Hewlett-Packard Company Smart Array E200 [vmhba1]
20:01.00 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5703 Gigabit Ethernet [vmnic1]



On the VMware Infrastructure Client, I'm able to assign it to a vswitch but the VM does not have access to the network!!!!. My other NICS are working just fine, but this one is not!..

I have tried to change the PCI slot, switch places with where other NICS are working and nothing seem to work.

I thought that the NIC have something wrong and I install it on another ESXi server and it work like a charm on the other hardware!!!!, how is this possible?

Is there some kind of limitation of the ESXI package that do this?

Comments or questions, please let me know.

Harold

Answer : ESXi 3.5 - 153875 - Two identicals network cards / only one working

From the above I assume you have installed the BCM5708 card?

In ESXi network setup can you create a new vSwitch, tie it to the BCM5708  card and then move your vm onto a port group on this vswitch and see what happens with the network traffic?