D-Link DFE-520TX Network Adapter

[anandmsv]

I have ESX 6.0 with single on-board NIC that works fine. I needed a second NIC for additional testing. Found a cheap D-link DFE-520TX in the nearby store. It is a PCI 10/100 Fast Ethernet Single NIC card.

Card fits the slot, LEDs turn up and the "lspci" command shows up the second NIC with right manufacturer details.

However, I am unable to add the second NIC from the ESX client networking configuration. Does this mean the drivers are NOT loaded?

[MrCaseyJames]

The drivers are not loaded, correct. That adapter uses the Realtek 8139 chipset which is not on the HCL list for ESXi.

You can however load the drivers to support it with this VIB located at https://vibsdepot.v-front.de/wiki/index.php/Net-r8139too‌

You can install it following the directions I wrote in a blog entry on my neglected website here: http://mrcaseyjames.com/?p=33#more-33 just make adjustments from net-e1000e driver I installed to the net-r8139too driver. Make sure you follow the part about setting acceptance level to community.

Let me know how it works out.

[anandmsv]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried what you explained in those links and my LAN card is still not getting detected.  Here's more information:

1) There's only 1 LAN port currently active:

[root@hpz600:~] esxcfg-nics -l

Name    PCI          Driver      Link Speed     Duplex MAC Address       MTU    Description                  

vmnic0  0000:01:00.0 tg3         Up   1000Mbps  Full   00:25:b3:d0:e8:5c 1500   Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5764M Gigabit Ethernet

2) However, there are 2 other PCI Cards detected:

[root@hpz600:~] lspci -v |  grep -A1 -i ethernet

0000:01:00.0 Ethernet controller Network controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5764M Gigabit Ethernet [vmnic0]

  Class 0200: 14e4:1684

--

0000:37:04.0 Ethernet controller Network controller: Intel Corporation 82558B PRO/100+ PCI (TP)

  Class 0200: 8086:1229

--

0000:37:09.0 Ethernet controller Network controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. DFE-520TX Fast Ethernet PCI Adapter

  Class 0200: 1106:3106

3) I can also confirm that the VIBs you wanted me to install are in place:

[root@hpz600:~] esxcli software vib list | grep net-e

net-e1000e                     3.1.0.2-glr2                          GLRoman  CommunitySupported  2016-04-22 

net-e1000                      8.0.3.1-5vmw.600.0.0.2494585          VMware   VMwareCertified     2016-04-09 

net-enic                       2.1.2.38-2vmw.600.0.0.2494585         VMware   VMwareCertified     2016-04-09 

Any other suggestions on how to fix this?

[MrCaseyJames]

You are just showing me that you installed the VIB listed in the second link. I said to install the VIB from the first link based off the instructions in the second link.

esxcli software vib install -d "/vmfs/volumes/Datastore/DirectoryName/net-r8139too-0.9.28-1-offline_bundle.zip

esxcli software vib list | grep net-r8139

[amiralnar]

Hello! Thank you for you answers and ideas!

I tryed to do it and i got from esxcli message that vib is installed:

Installation Result

   Message: Host is not changed.

   Reboot Required: false

   VIBs Installed: Realtek_bootbank_net-r8139too_0.9.28-1

   VIBs Removed:

   VIBs Skipped:

But  when i execute command "esxcli software vib list | grep r8139" i got nothing.

Then when i try to install vib again is says

VIBs Skipped: Realtek_bootbank_net-r8139too_0.9.28-1

So i think that vib is installed.

But arter restarting ESXi there is no NIC DFE-520 in the network cards configuration list.

I run it on ESXi 5.1.0 U1

lspci | dfe says:

00:09:0d.0 Network controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. DFE-520TX Fast Ethernet PCI Adapter

and

vmkchdev -l | grep 00:09:0d.0

00:09:0d.0 1106:3106 1186:1405 vmkernel

As i see in "Supported Devices / PCI IDs" in your first ilnk this NIC PCI IDs is not supported by this bundle.

MrCaseyJames, help me plase! Is there another solution?