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thecoffeeshop
Contributor
Contributor

ESXi - Network setup/segmentation - possible to do the following?

Forgive me for my lack of knowledge, but I am researching and looking more into how to do more robust networking on my ESXi home server.

Small lab server that I setup for now, work related stuff.

(3) NIC's in the server, only one being used.

I want to keep those VM's on their own isolated network, off of my home network (stuff like ROKU, TV, Acces Points etc.).

However, I would like my home PC to be able to access those VM's on that isolated network. Just keep them separate.

I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction on how to set this up.

I appreciate the help.

7 Replies
daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

One word:  VLANs

thecoffeeshop
Contributor
Contributor

Kinda wondered about that.

Anything special I need to do on my uplink switch?

or is it really just done all within vsphere setup? (sounds like it)

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diegodco31
Leadership
Leadership

The uplink you can configure as trunk.

No portgrups to set the VLAN.

Diego Oliveira
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dcodiego
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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

Well, yes, if you only have a switch (L2 device) and not an L3 device then you can't use VLANs. You need to perform routing (somewhere) in order for VLANs to talk to each other. So depending on what you have, it may or may not work.

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thecoffeeshop
Contributor
Contributor

Yep. Uplink switch is L2. I did have thoughts about dropping in a VM as a router between the two networks. Only way I can think of doing it, but not sure how. Smiley Happy

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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

Then, yeah, you'll have to get an L3 device somewhere.

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thecoffeeshop
Contributor
Contributor

So I have been doing some reading, thinking about how I could possibly do this.
i have the idea of using pfsense that can act as a router between the two networks i want to create: my home network and my isolated dev network.

Is that possible?

I have been trying to dig around for docs on how to properly set this up (6.5 FYI), but I cannot seem to find what I am looking for.

Fumbling big time here.

Anyone that has a lifeline that can help out, point me to docs on this? Conceptually, i get it. But configuring it on my ESXi server is where i am struggling (i get two NIC's for the router, but how to define IP addresses on the NIC's?)

Cheers

TCS

EDIT: Possible in the free version?

EDIT: THink I got it. I was able to get pfsense VM up and running and after playing around a bit, i was able to get a VM 'behind it' and have it successfully communicate internally, but block to my 'home LAN'.

Still need to do some research/reading on networking in ESXi...feel like i can do a lot more.

Thx for help!

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