Intel PRO/1000 GT - ESXi 4 says not connected

[seanscott83]

I purchased a few of these Intel Gigabit NICs for use with VMware ESXi 4.0 and they are recognised and install fine. Once the system is up and running the server will not get an IP address. It states the network is disconnected even though it is connected and has the gigabit link light lit. I've tried a few different cards and still it doesn't think it's connected. The NICs have been tested on the system with an Ubuntu live cd and work fine.

I've also tried installing VMware ESXi 3.5 and the same issue persists. Here is the newegg link for the NIC:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106121

The cards are listed as working here:

http://ultimatewhitebox.com/nic

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

-Sean

[microkid]

First thing that comes into mind: if you use that cable on another pc or laptop, do you have network connection? Is the cable ok? (purchased or self made)?

[seanscott83]

I've tried all the basic troubleshooting steps. The cable works fine with other PCs and on the same PC when using a different O/S. The cable is store bought, and I have tried different cable.

It seems like a software issue because the NIC gets a link light and the gigabit connectivity light.

-Sean

[DSTAVERT]

There is an Intel GB driver that you will need to download. Follow the directions.

http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/drivercd/esx40-net-igb_400.1.3.19.12-1.0.4.html

[seanscott83]

Is there a way to install the driver via the actual servers CLI? Because my nic doesn't get an address I cant access it remotely to install the drivers that the instructions show.

I found that you can access the console by pressing Alt+F2 and typing unsupported but I don't think the server mounts the CD drive (or I don't know how to access it).

-Sean

[DSTAVERT]

You might need to borrow another NIC to get installed or build a new install with a custom oem,tgz http://vm-help.com/esx40i/customize_oem_tgz.php

I would try installing to a usb stick. Much easier to modify the oem.tgz.

I would spend some time browsing the vm-help.com site.

[Scissor]

The driver link above is for "Intel 82575 and 82576" ethernet adapters. I believe the Intel PRO/1000 GT uses the 82541 chipset ( http://pci-ids.ucw.cz/read/PC/8086/107c ), so it would use the included e1000 driver instead of requiring the above driver. But maybe newer Intel PRO/1000 GT cards use a different chipsets?

I would suggest moving the card to a different PCI slot to see if that makes a difference.. Check to make sure you have the latest BIOS installed for your motherboard too.

[seanscott83]

The driver the in the link above worked once I was able to get a different NIC to get the system on the network. The system works great now. It's just unfortunate that you can install the drivers on the server directly without having to remotely install it.

Thanks for everyones help.

-Sean

[DSTAVERT]

I would have to guess that those drivers will be a part of the first update. Glad things are working.

[besson3c]

I just wanted to add that I'm having this exact same problem. However, I'm having more difficulty with the driver install w/o network access.

Do any of you have a suggestion as to how I can facilitate this install w/o network access and w/o a spare NIC to play around with, or better yet, could you point me to a NIC on NewEgg that does, in fact work? Every HCL I've come across has listed this card as fully compatible, so I'm rather paranoid about ordering the wrong card again.