Updating Realtek NIC Drivers from net51 to net55 on ESXi

Table of Contents

ESXi stopped supporting Realtek NIC drivers from version 6.0 onward, which required installing the net51 drivers to continue using Realtek NICs up to version 6.5. However, as of ESXi 6.7, the net51 drivers are no longer compatible.

This post explains the process of updating the net51 drivers to net55 drivers, which are compatible with ESXi 6.7.

Warning:

Perform these steps with caution. If executed incorrectly, the NIC may stop functioning or the ESXi environment may become unstable. Ensure that appropriate backups are taken before proceeding.

Download and Upload net55 Drivers
#

Download the net55 Drivers
#

Download the net55 drivers Offline Bundle from the following URL: https://vibsdepot.v-front.de/wiki/index.php/Net55-r8168

Upload net55 Drivers to the DataStore
#

Enabling SSH on ESXi 6.5
#

Enable SSH by selecting Host from the left pane in the ESXi management interface, clicking Actions → Services → Enable SSH.

Uninstalling net51 Drivers
#

Since net55 drivers will not install due to conflicts with the net51 drivers, uninstall the net51 drivers first.

Stop Virtual Machines on ESXi
#

Shut down all guest operating systems and power off the virtual machines.

Enable Maintenance Mode
#

Enable Maintenance Mode by selecting Host from the left pane of the ESXi management interface and clicking Actions → Enter Maintenance Mode.

Establish an SSH Connection
#

From the client terminal, use the following command to connect to the ESXi host:

Terminal

ssh root@<ESXi_IP_Address>

Identify the net51 Drivers VIB Name
#

Use the following command to identify the VIB name of the net51 drivers:

Terminal

esxcli software vib list | grep net-51

Example output:

Terminal

net51-drivers 1.0.0-1vft.510.0.0.799733 VFrontDe CommunitySupported 2017-06-11

Uninstall net51 Drivers
#

Use the following command to uninstall the net51 drivers:

Terminal

esxcli software vib remove --vibname=net51-drivers

Example output:

Terminal

Removal Result
   Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective.
   Reboot Required: true
   VIBs Installed:
   VIBs Removed: VFrontDe_bootbank_net51-drivers_1.0.0-1vft.510.0.0.799733
   VIBs Skipped:

Installing net55 Drivers
#

Change Acceptance Level
#

The software acceptance level must be set to CommunitySupported for the installation to proceed. Use the following command:

Terminal

esxcli software acceptance set --level=CommunitySupported

Install net55 Drivers
#

Use the following command to install the net55 drivers. Adjust the path and version to match the downloaded bundle:

Terminal

esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/<DATASTORE>/net55-r8168-8.045a-napi-offline_bundle.zip

Example output:

Terminal

Installation Result
   Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective.
   Reboot Required: true
   VIBs Installed: Realtek_bootbank_net55-r8168_8.045a-napi
   VIBs Removed:
   VIBs Skipped: