Add a real nic card

[dmsousa]

Hi,

I have a legacy server that runs a licensing application that uses the mac address of the nic card.

I created a new vm with a newer SO and I want to transfer the licensing application and.

Can I install the nic card on the new server and add it directly to the vm?

If yes how?

Thanks in advance

[bshubinsky]

As long as you have an open PCI slot for the NIC you can add it in. When you go to networking, just add the NIC to it's own vSwitch and assign the NIC to be dedicated to that VM that you placed in that vSwitch.

[DSTAVERT]

Take the MAC address and apply it to the NIC inside the OS. Then throw away the NIC.

[DSTAVERT]

The physical NIC is only an uplink.

[dmsousa]

Hi,

Doesn't the mac range of the virtual nics in the guest os in a specific range?

Or can I change the mac address to match the mac of the "real" nic in the legacy server?

If so how?

Thanks for the help

[DSTAVERT]

You can edit the registry in Windows or use this tool from Microsoft. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272/

In Linux just edit the ethernet config file directly.

This replaces the ESXi supplied MAC.

[dmsousa]

Hi,

I have a open slot in a server and my first ideia was to add the nic card the new host.

If I do this then I would create a new vswitch and assign the nic to the VM? And the NIC with it's mac be avaliable in the vm?

I ask this because when I tried to add a new nic to the vm only the E1000, VMNEXT2 and 3 where avaliable.

Thanks for the help

[DSTAVERT]

It is commonly used for the purpose you describe. As I said earlier throw the old card away. If it get plugged into the network anywhere else you will have problems.

[DSTAVERT · Accepted solution]

You would need to do passthrough to make the card directly accessible. You couldn't migrate the VM. Simple to change the MAC inside the VM. One minute or less.