Network card missing

[haseeb36]

HI

When I am installing the ESXI 5.1 U2 on MY PowerEdge T20 server the installation is successful then after that, a new window opens an a message is been displayed that no network card is connected please connect the network card physically or try third party applications

When there is already a network card in the server why it is unable to read the card,

please help with this issue ASAP

my email id is [e-mail]

[rcporto]

The network card was not detected because the ESXi image you utilized don't have the network driver.

Check this blog post for instructions of how to install ESXi on PowerEdge T20: http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/05/08/no-network-adapters-were-detected-error-message-…

[haseeb36]

HI Richardson

Do you want me to download driver and what else after that, it is a new server how can I  install the application on the server

Please tell me which version of ESXI I have to use that it can detect the Network card

Please help me

Regards

Haseeb

[ramkrishna1]

Hi

Welcome to communities.

before downloading driver please check your NIC are in vmware HCL list ,

If no then you can try hit and trail method, Install the VMXNet driver, located at C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\Drivers\vmxnet.

[haseeb36]

hi

please understand my problem it is a new server, there is no OS installed on that server and it is DELL POWEREDGE T20  and I am installing ESXI 5.1 U2 and it is unable  detect the network card so please help me in providing me the correct version that will helpful for me to install ESXI

Regards

Haseeb

[JPM300]

Hey haseeb36.

Dell only has recovery ISO's for ESXi 5.1 for systems that are on the HCL.  Aside from that you have to build your own custome ISO for ESXi installation.  I'm guessing your T20 has a nic that VMware doesn't have a driver for in the base image.  What kind of NIC's does your T20 have in it.

Also when I did a search on VMwards Hardware Compatability List the PowerEdge T20 didn't show up, so its possible you may have problems or have to do more hackary to get a driver to work for that nic.

Let us know which NIC it is and we can see what we can do

[haseeb36]

Hi

The NIC card is Intel I2xx/825xx Gigabit Ethernet

please help me with the best solution what I can do that ESXI can detect my network card

Regards

Haseeb

[JPM300]

Hey,

It would look like the chipset for the onboard nic on the T20s are not supported or there is no Vmware driver for them:

Looking here: http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/poweredge-t20/pd">http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/poweredge-t20/pd">http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/poweredge-t20/pd

The chipset of the network adapter is an Intel I217-LM: http://ark.intel.com/products/60019/Intel-Ethernet-Connection-I217-LM">http://ark.intel.com/products/60019/Intel-Ethernet-Connection-I217-LM">http://ark.intel.com/products/60019/Intel-Ethernet-Connection-I217-LM

Looking at the compatibility chart: http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php">http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php">http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php for ESXi 5.5u1 I don't see the I217-LM chipset listed anywhere as being supported

You may have to buy a PCIe card that is supported by ESXi and use that instead of the onboard NIC.

Installing ESXi 5.5 on Dell PowerEdge T20 - Spiceworks

It appears you will need to buy a PCI network card that is supported and on VMwares HCL and then you should be good to go

Hope this has helped