VMNets with ARP Problem(?)

[hjuninho]

Hi,

I have an environment with VMWare Workstation (14.1.1 build-7528167) in Windows 10.

I virtualized 02 vSpheres (Nested). In those 02 vSpheres, I delivered a network created on VMWare Workstation (it will serve as the Storage network).

In the vSphere vSwitch, I put the VLAN in this network (VLAN 100) and then the problem started.

1 - vSpheres cannot communicate when vlan tags are made.

2 - If I remove the VLAN, they can communicate.

3 - If I take the option "Connect to a virtual network adapter to this network" (VMWare Workstation - Virtual Network Editor), vSpheres can communicate.

3 - In my Windows 10, if I put the VLAN 4095 on the network card created by VMWare Workstation, vSpheres CAN COMMUNICATE (But I can not communicate with Windows 10 with vSpheres).

3 - On my Windows 10, if I put VLAN 100, vSpheres DO NOT COMMUNICATE (But I can communicate with Windows 10 with vSpheres).

4 - If I make any changes that allow the vSpheres to communicate and then undo the change, vSphere CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE.

5 - After step 4, they only lose communication when I restart any of the vSphere.

Before test 4 and 5, and with the help of verifying the ARP table of vSpheres, I conclude that the problem is really Layer 2 (ARP).

VMWare Workstation (more precisely VMNET) is preventing ARP packets from passing between vSpheres (If you have VLAN TAGs). Has anyone had a similar problem?

I already did the following steps (and did not work):

- Enabled the "promiscuous mode" in vSwitch vSwitch.

- Enabled "forget transmitions" in vSwitch vSwitch.

- Enabled the "promiscuous mode" in the .VMX of VMs.

Any other suggestions?

[pwilk]

Promiscuous mode should be enabled on the host virtual switch (in this case Workstation) - have you done that?

[hjuninho]

Thanks for the reply, pwilk.

I tried now, but it did not succeed.

It's funny, because with the promiscuous interface running Wireshark (On my Windows 10 "host", I get the ARP request from VM1 looking for VM2 and VM2 looking for VM1. However, this arp request does not reach their destination (VM1 -> VM2, VM2 -> VM1). any other idea?

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-NetAdapter | Format-List -Property ifAlias,PromiscuousMode

ifAlias         : Ethernet

PromiscuousMode : True

ifAlias         : VMNet-9-STG2-10.101.101.0 (28)

PromiscuousMode : True

[root@vm1:~] ping 10.100.100.11

PING 10.100.100.11 (10.100.100.11): 56 data bytes

--- 10.100.100.11 ping statistics ---

3 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss

[root@vm1:~]

[root@vm2:~] ping 10.100.100.10

PING 10.100.100.10 (10.100.100.10): 56 data bytes

--- 10.100.100.10 ping statistics ---

3 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss

[root@vm2:~]