Adding an Intel quad port network card

[sharpshout]

First let me start with my setup. I'm running esxi 5 update 1 on an old Hp xw93000 workstation. I know its not supported but hey i got the machine for free a few years back and figgured why not.

The card i'm trying to add is an intel PRO/1000 MT quadport. Everything i've found online says is should be suppored out of the box but i can not get the system to recoginze it.  Any help would be appreciated.

The card i'm trying to add -  http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/detail.php?deviceCategory=io&productid=348&deviceCategory=io&partner=46&releases=168&keyword=mt&deviceTypes=6&page=1&display_interval=10&sortColumn=Partner&sortOrder=Asc 

[john23]

Can you check esxcfg-nics -l output as well vmkload_mod -l (check the driver is loaded or not)

[sharpshout]

running esxcfg-nics -l resutls in

vmnic0  0000:00:0a.00 forcedeth   Up   100Mbps   Full   00:17:a4:98:2e:9b 1500   nVidia Corporation nVidia NForce Network Controller

vmkload_mod -l gives
Name                     Used Size (kb)
vmkernel                 61   8515
procfs                   2    16
vmkplexer                1    24
vmklinux_9               28   536
vmklinux_9_2_0_0         14   48
random                   1    32
usb                      4    128
ehci-hcd                 0    44
usb-ohci                 0    24
hid                      0    24
dm                       2    12
nmp                      17   144
vmw_satp_local           7    12
vmw_satp_default_aa      0    8
vmw_psp_lib              6    12
vmw_psp_fixed            8    12
vmw_psp_rr               0    16
vmw_psp_mru              0    12
libata                   2    140
usb-storage              0    72
vfat                     1    48
vprobe                   0    396
vmci                     0    152
iscsi_trans              3    52
etherswitch              3    208
netsched                 2    40
cnic_register            0    12
forcedeth                0    64
iscsi_linux              0    16
libfc                    1    112
libfcoe                  0    28
pata_amd                 2    16
sata_nv                  4    28
lvmdriver                0    100
deltadisk                0    128
multiextent              0    12
heartbeat                0    124
shaper                   0    40
cdp                      6    140
ipfix                    0    120
fence_overlay            0    40
tcpip3                   4    816
dvsdev                   0    16
dvfilter                 2    80
esxfw                    1    136
vmkibft                  0    28
vmfs3                    0    316
nfsclient                0    128
vmkstatelogger           0    132
migrate                  2    320
cbt                      0    12
svmmirror                0    20
hbr_filter               1    136

lspci

000:000:00.0 Memory controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Memory Controller
000:000:01.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 ISA Bridge
000:000:01.1 Serial bus controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 SMBus
000:000:02.0 Serial bus controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller
000:000:02.1 Serial bus controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller
000:000:04.0 Multimedia controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 AC'97 Audio Controller
000:000:06.0 Mass storage controller: nVidia Corporation NVidia NForce CK804 IDE/PATA Controller [vmhba0]
000:000:07.0 Mass storage controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Serial ATA Controller [vmhba1]
000:000:08.0 Mass storage controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Serial ATA Controller [vmhba2]
000:000:09.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCI Bridge
000:000:10.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation nVidia NForce Network Controller [vmnic0]
000:000:14.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge [PCIe RP[000:000:14.0]]
000:000:24.0 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
000:000:24.1 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
000:000:24.2 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
000:000:24.3 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
000:000:25.0 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
000:000:25.1 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
000:000:25.2 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
000:000:25.3 Bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
000:005:05.0 Serial bus controller: Texas Instruments TSB43AB22/A IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)
000:010:00.0 Display controller: nVidia Corporation wx4300 Workstation
002:128:00.0 Memory controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Memory Controller
002:128:01.0 Memory controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Memory Controller
~ #

so from the looks of it the server is not seeing the 4port card. Is there a way to manualy add a nic card?

[john23]

afalk, lspci should show the device (evenif driver is not there) in any case. In this lspci output card is not at all detected.

You need to check the hardware side card is properly inserted or in working condition or not.

In above link provided by you, its a inbox driver it will install by default.

[sharpshout]

Before trying out esxi the computer was running windows server 2008 r2 with the card installed and working. Just to make sure i tried booting from the old HDD and it works flawlessly.

[zXi_Gamer]

It was working in Win2k8 because, the driver was loaded or has been loaded after windows installation. The point John23 is stating is that the card is not detected by the ESXi 5, since its bus is not even registered in the lspci output.

Which again comes to the point that if the card is indeed detected during bios screen. ie. during, boot, are you able to see that the card is detected and do check if the interrupts is sharred with another device.

[zXi_Gamer]

I had this issue once with a quad port card, seems that the interrupts were shared and changing the interrupts did the trick for me. But then again, just to figure out if the card is detected firstly, do provide the output as John suggested also with lspci.