ESXi5 Command Line Reference – Networking Part1

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This post is for the  VMware administrators who started working in vSphere5 editions from vSphere 4 because ESX4 commands to configure networking is “esxcfg-” but esxi5 networking is configured with esxcli commands. Lets discuss about the detailed steps of configuring network using esxcli command.Since esxcli network has multiple sub commands under each commands. To get clear understanding of networking commands, I have posted each network sub commands under different post in different parts. This post is cover all options under esxcli network IP commands and its sub commands.

Esxcli  networking commands starts with esxcli network and it gives all the options available under network options

~ # esxcli network

Lets discuss about the detailed steps under networking options


Esxcli network IP

~ # esxcli network ip

1.To get Global IP settings


1.1 To check IPv6 status

~ # esxcli network ip get
IPv6Enabled: false

1.2 To Set IPv6 enable

~ # esxcli network ip set -e true  (reboot is required)

1.3 To set IPv6 disable

~ # esxcli network ip set -e false  (reboot is required)

2.To Configure DNS settings

~ # esxcli network ip dns

~ # esxcli network ip dns search

2.1 To List the search domains currently configured on ESXi host

~ # esxcli network ip dns search list
   DNSSearch Domains: lab.com

2.2 To add the domain to the list of domains to be searched when trying to resolve an host name on the ESXi host

~ # esxcli network ip dns search add  -d vmwarearena.com
~ # esxcli network ip dns search list
DNSSearch Domains: lab.com, vmwarearena.com

2.3 To remove search domains from the list of domains to be searched when trying to resolve an host name on the ESXi host.

~ # esxcli network ip dns search remove -d vmwarearena.com
~ # esxcli network ip dns search list
DNSSearch Domains: lab.com

~ # esxcli network ip dns server




2.4 To Print the list of the DNS server currently configured on the ESXi server

~ # esxcli network ip dns server list
DNSServers: 192.168.0.20

2.5 To Add a new DNS server to the end of the list of DNS servers to use for this ESXi host.

~ # esxcli network ip dns server add  -s 192.168.0.21
~ # esxcli network ip dns server list
DNSServers: 192.168.0.20, 192.168.0.21

2.6 To Remove a DNS server from the list of DNS servers to use for  this ESXi host.

~ # esxcli network ip dns server remove -s 192.168.0.21
~ # esxcli network ip dns server list
DNSServers: 192.168.0.20

3.To Configure IP interface Settings

 

~ # esxcli network ip interface




3.1 To List the VMkernel network interfaces

~ # esxcli network ip interface list
vmk0
Name: vmk0
MAC Address: 00:0c:29:b6:a8:41
Enabled: true
Portset: vSwitch0
Portgroup: Management Network
VDS Name: N/A
VDS Port: N/A
VDS Connection: -1
MTU: 1500
TSO MSS: 65535
Port ID: 16777219

3.2 To add  a new VMkernel network interface

To add a new vmkernel network interface, we need an existing port group. Creating port group will cover in my later part, For this example, we have an existing port group created called “VMOTION”

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup add -v vSwitch0 -p VMOTION

Now add the VMkernel network interface

~ # esxcli network ip interface add -i vmk1 -p VMOTION
~ #

3.3 To assign the IP address to the newly added vmkernel interface VMk1 using the below command

~ # esxcli network ip interface ipv4


 # esxcli network ip interface ipv4 get

Name  IPv4 Address  IPv4 Netmask   IPv4 Broadcast  Address Type  DHCP DNS
—-  ————  ————-  ————–  ————  ——–     ——————
vmk0  192.168.0.77  255.255.255.0  192.168.0.255   STATIC           false

~ # esxcli network ip interface ipv4 set -i vmk1



~ # esxcli network ip interface ipv4 set -i vmk1 -I 192.168.0.78 -N 255.255.255.0 -t static
~ # esxcli network ip interface ipv4 get
Name  IPv4 Address  IPv4 Netmask   IPv4 Broadcast  Address Type  DHCP DNS
—-  ————  ————-  ————–  ————  ——–
vmk0  192.168.0.77  255.255.255.0  192.168.0.255   STATIC           false
vmk1  192.168.0.78  255.255.255.0  192.168.0.255   STATIC           false
~ #

3.4 To set the enabled status and MTU size of a VMkernel Interface of ESXi host

~ # esxcli network ip interface set -e true -i vmk1 -m 1500
~ #

3.5 To Remove a new VMkernel network interface from the ESXi host.

~ # esxcli network ip interface remove -i vmk1
~ #

After removal , We can only see only one vmkernel interface in the below list.

~ # esxcli network ip interface ipv4 get
Name  IPv4 Address  IPv4 Netmask   IPv4 Broadcast  Address Type  DHCP DNS
—-  ————  ————-  ————–  ————  ——–
vmk0  192.168.0.77  255.255.255.0  192.168.0.255   STATIC           false

3.6 To list active TCP/IP Connections in ESXi host

~ # esxcli network ip connection

~ # esxcli network ip connection list
Proto  Recv Q  Send Q  Local Address       Foreign Address     State        World ID  World Name
—–  ——  ——  ——————  ——————  ———–  ——–  —————
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:52491     ESTABLISHED      2916  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:52491     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      2918  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:443       127.0.0.1:61917     ESTABLISHED      3002  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:61917     127.0.0.1:443       ESTABLISHED      7425  python
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:57296     127.0.0.1:8307      TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:59288     127.0.0.1:443       TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:55429     127.0.0.1:8307      TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:55883     127.0.0.1:443       TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  192.168.0.77:80     192.168.0.20:55739  TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:5988      127.0.0.1:49781     FIN_WAIT_2          0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:49781     127.0.0.1:5988      CLOSE_WAIT       2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:60217     127.0.0.1:8307      TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:58746     127.0.0.1:443       TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:5988      127.0.0.1:61163     TIME_WAIT           0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:60307     ESTABLISHED      6991  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:60307     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      4728  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:80        127.0.0.1:58060     ESTABLISHED      4728  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:58060     127.0.0.1:80        ESTABLISHED      3600  sfcb-vmware_bas
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:49981     ESTABLISHED      4728  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:49981     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  192.168.0.77:443    192.168.0.20:55265  ESTABLISHED      2916  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:52263     ESTABLISHED      2916  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:52263     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      3002  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  192.168.0.77:443    192.168.0.20:64951  ESTABLISHED      2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:51110     ESTABLISHED      3493  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:51110     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      2916  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  192.168.0.77:443    192.168.0.20:64689  ESTABLISHED      4728  hostd-worker
tcp         0    1383  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:62423     ESTABLISHED      3493  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:62423     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      3220  vpxa-worker
tcp         0       0  192.168.0.77:22     192.168.0.20:63005  ESTABLISHED         0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:80        127.0.0.1:52409     FIN_WAIT_2       3492  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:52409     127.0.0.1:80        CLOSE_WAIT       3592  sfcb-vmware_bas
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8089      0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           3203  vpxa-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:12000     0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           3203  vpxa-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:52405     ESTABLISHED      2916  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:52405     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      3220  vpxa-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:52401     ESTABLISHED      2918  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:52401     127.0.0.1:8307      ESTABLISHED      3221  vpxa-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      127.0.0.1:52395     CLOSE_WAIT       2916  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:52395     127.0.0.1:8307      FIN_WAIT_2       2916  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:5988      0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN              0
tcp         0       0  0.0.0.0:5989        0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN              0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8889      0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           3277  openwsmand
tcp         0       0  192.168.0.77:427    0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN              0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:427       0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN              0
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8307      0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:8309      0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  0.0.0.0:80          0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  0.0.0.0:443         0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  127.0.0.1:12001     0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           2890  hostd-worker
tcp         0       0  0.0.0.0:22          0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN              0
tcp         0       0  192.168.0.77:51225  192.168.0.20:389    ESTABLISHED      2694  lsassd
tcp         0       0  0.0.0.0:902         0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN              0
tcp         0       0  0.0.0.0:8000        0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           2603
tcp         0       0  0.0.0.0:8100        0.0.0.0:0           LISTEN           2603
udp         0       0  192.168.0.77:427    0.0.0.0:0                               0
udp         0       0  0.0.0.0:427         0.0.0.0:0                               0
udp         0       0  192.168.0.77:52846  192.168.0.88:514                        0
udp         0       0  0.0.0.0:8200        0.0.0.0:0                            2603
udp         0       0  0.0.0.0:8301        0.0.0.0:0                            2603
udp         0       0  0.0.0.0:8302        0.0.0.0:0                            2603
~ #

3.7 To list arp table entries

~ # esxcli network ip neighbor list
Neighbor      Mac Address        Vmknic    Expiry  State
————  —————–  ——  ——–  —–
192.168.0.20  1c:6f:65:db:ff:6c  vmk0    1200 sec

Please refer my post ESXi5 Command Line Reference – Networking Part 2

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