Issue: Windows Server 2019 GuestOS is experiencing vNIC reboots with a windows event 10400.
System Info:
GuestOS: Microsoft Windows Server 2019 (64-bit)
Compatibility: ESXi 7.0
VMware Tools: 11.3.5
Issue Details:
Events:
GuestOS (Win Server 2019) will begin throwing a warning event of 10400 stating that "The network interface has begun resetting. There will be a momentary disruption in network connectivity while the hardware resets. Reason: The network driver detected that its hardware has stopped responding to commands. This network interface has been reset X times since it was last initialized."
GuestOS will also list warning event of 27 e1iexpress stating that the network link is disconnected.
Symptoms:
After throwing that first error, the vNIC will begin to reboot nearly every 60 seconds until the vNIC is either disabled and then re-enabled via the device manager, or until the server itself has been rebooted. It [vNIC] can reboot as many as 6000 times in a single night, all with only a warning level event, causing the server to be completely network isolated.
Frequency:
The issue has taken as much as a week to re-present itself, and as little as less than 24 hours after a fresh reboot.
Troubleshooting already completed:
- Ensured GuestOS is not "sleeping" the vNIC in order to save power
- Upgraded VMware tools to most current version
- Upgraded ESXi version to most current version
- Removed extra unused ports from virtual network in order to avoid broadcast storm
Looking for any insight or personal experience with this 10400 vNIC reboot issue. Hoping to find the "why" as much as I'm hoping to find a fix action.