Sample configuration of virtual machine (VM) VLAN Tagging (VGT Mode) in ESX (1004252)

Purpose

This article provides a sample configuration of a VLAN tagging at virtual machine level.

Resolution

Overview

• 802.1Q VLAN trunking driver is required inside the virtual machine.
• 64bit windows guest operating system automatically loads 802.1q E1000 driver.
• 32bit guest operating system – requires manual configuration of the VMX file to point to E1000 driver.
• Physical switch is set to trunk mode by using VLAN ID 4095.
• Windows: Only 64bit Windows ships with E1000 Drivers.
• Linux: Use dot1q module.

Configuration of VirtualSwitch (vSwitch)

To set a standard vSwitch portgroup to trunk mode:

1. Edit host networking via the Virtual infrastructure Client.
2. Click Host > Configuration > Networking > vSwitch > Properties.
3. Click Ports > Portgroup > Edit.
4. Click the General tab.
5. Set the VLAN ID to 4095. A VLAN ID of 4095 represents all trunked VLANs.
6. Click OK.

To set a distributed vSwitch portgroup to trunk mode:

1. Edit host networking via the Virtual infrastructure Client.
2. Click Home > Inventory > Networking.
3. Right click on the dvPortGroup and choose Edit Settings.
4. Within that dvPortGroup navigate to Policies > VLAN.
5. Set VLAN type to VLAN Trunking and specify a range of VLANs or specificy a list of VLANs to be passed to the Virtual Machines connected to this portgroup.
   
   Note: To improve security, virtual Distributed Switches allow you to specify a range or selection of VLANs to trunk rather than allowing all VLANS via VLAN 4095.

Configuration of Windows TCP/IP

To configure the guest operating system for VGT:

1. Download the e1000 NIC drivers from the Intel website into the 32-bit Windows virtual machine.
2. Power off the virtual machine.
3. Configure the virtual machine to use the e1000 virtual NIC. Enter a new line (or replace the existing virtual NIC) in the .vmx file of the virtual machine:
   
   Ethernet<n>.virtualDev = "e1000"
   
   Replace <n> with the number of the Ethernet adapter. For example, the entry for the first Ethernet adapter that has number 0 is:
   
   Ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
   
4. Power on the virtual machine.
5. Configure the e1000 network connection.

To install the driver manually within a Windows 20008 R2 guest operating system: 

1. Extract the Intel drivers downloaded to the temp folder using this command:
   
   Prowinx64.exe /s /e /f "C:\temp
2. Right-click the network adapter and click Update Driver Software.
3. Select Browse my computer for driver software.
4. Click Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
5. Select Have Disk.
6. Click Browse.
7. Browse to C:\temp\pro1000\winx64\ndis61\e1g6032e.inf.
8. Click Next to install the driver.
9. Repeat Steps 2-8 for each network adapter you have for the virtual machine.
10. After all the adapters are updated, run the Intel setup program. You should now be able to install the advanced network services software with VLANs.

Note: You can also find the instructions in the manual/readme file for the driver.

Source:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1004252