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hazxxx
Contributor
Contributor

Losing network connection

Currently i am running ESXi 3.5 update 2 with x4 intel nics and x2 broadcom nics. Originally i installed esxi with just a single network cabled plugged into one of the intel cards and i was able to connect to the host fine via vmware infrastructure client. After plugging in a further two network cables into the broadcom the server was still working fine, then a day later i went to plug another network cable into one of the remaining 3 intel network sockets and i would lose connection to the host instantly!!! upon pulling the cable out again the connection would resume. strange huh! It seems i first lost connection to the host after adding all the network cards to my virtual switch in vmware infrastructure client, but i rebooted and it all worked so i thought nothing of it. I have tried teaming/unteaming network devices and nothing seems to work. If anyone has any idea i could try please tell???

Thanks

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kjb007
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How are you physically connected to the switches in your network? Are all of these interfaces connected to the same physical switch, or to multiple? What is the load balancing algorithm on your virtual switch and your portgroups? Do you have port security on your physical switch and/or switches?

-KjB

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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hazxxx
Contributor
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Not that i think it is effecting it, but the physical connection is as follows. x1 from internal network switch, x1 from DMZ switch x1 from 10mbit line. I have set my port group to have x3 intel teamed up and a port group seprate for the 10mbit line and DMZ. And no port security on the physical switches. I have a dell R900 that is connected in the exact same way. The main problem i am having here is when ANY network cable is plugged into the switch it will just drop out all the other connections on the esx server. BUT if i plug in a network cable in and then reboot it will come up fine and that network port will all be working.

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kjb007
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Do you have portfast on the physical switch? If not, how long have you left the server alone after plugging in a cable? Does it eventually come back? Some switches have a problem when you connect an interface, and the same MAC is seen over multiple ports. Not to say this is exactly what is going on, but it's another thing to check.

Also, have you modified the default load balancing algorithm on the vSwitch settings?

-KjB

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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hazxxx
Contributor
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Well the second the a cable is plugged in it drops, does not matter which switch the cable is coming from, and ive tried mutiple switches. All the vSwitch settings are still as default. After it is plugged in the interface will never come up for any of the network ports until the network cable that was just plugged in has been pulled out again or the box is rebooted in which case that network port will then be working! Another thing is when i installed esx it was first installed and THEN a second intel 82571EB gigabit ethernet controller was added (same as the other intel card) after the install. This card registed fine and all, so i went into the vSwitch network addapters and added the x4 intel adapters. After clicking OK i lost connection to the box but after the reboot the cards were present in the vSwitch as physical cards and all seemed well.

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jengske
Contributor
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Hello all,

i have a likewise problem, i'm testing out the free esxi version and its loosing connection afther a while.

it now just runs on a pc 2years old 4GB ram 1 nic/onboard nothing special.

the installation went fine no errors and i configured the network and installed the client console onto a same pc only less ram but all works.

so i created some ubuntu vm's and converted a xp machine to a vm, but for some reason afther a while not alway's same period its loosing the network.

"connection to server ended" and no responce from the server ping.

and wen i come in my office the pc is running, afther reboot everything is ok for a while.

its the default configuration for the server, and got now 3 vm's installed all 512MB ram.

wen its running all goos well only that it lost his connection .

i test it from

- home treu a vpn connection>remote desktop connection to vm client console pc, but that is how it must be later only treu vpn

- local on the vm clent host

- vpn > my home pc with the vm client

don't now wy it dus it

thanks

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