ESX4i - VLAN Question

[CNenzel]

I'm trying to configure the Virtual Switch to tag its traffic with a VLAN ID. What I've done on the ESX server thus far is to access the network properties, VMNetwork then added the appropriate VLAN ID number at the switch. On the Catalyst 4500 switch that it's connected to I've set the encapsulation type to dot1q and changed the switchport mode from access to trunking. When this is completed I lose connectivity to the ESX server. When I put the interface on the Catalyst switch back into access mode with the appropriate VLAN I am able to ping the ESX server.

I have read the trunking guide at this link: but adding the native tagging command doesn't seem to fix my problem. The interface is in unconditional trunk mode when I issue the switchport mode trunk command and the output of show interface trunk shows that all VLANs are allowed.

Does the free version of ESX4i support virtual switch VLAN configuration? If it does then I could use a hand figuring out why the steps I'm performing to try to get the VSwitch to tag traffic with a VLAN ID and pass that along to the switch aren't working.

Finally, is there a way to configure multiple gateways in the free version of ESX4i? Each VLAN on our network has a different gateway IP so as I add new VSwitches each will need to forward traffic to a different IP address.

Thanks!

[whynotq]

What Teaming mode is the vSwitch set to? it should be using "route based on IP hash" for tagged VLANS.

so, "networks - properties - vswitch - nic teaming" click OK.

[elazar]

Are you tagging the management traffic as well? Additionally, dot1q does not tag native frames, ESXi may have some issues with this. Try the following:

IOS: vlan dot1q tag native

CatOS: set dot1q-all-tagged enable

ref: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_vlan_wp.pdf

elazar

[jbogardus]

RE: is there a way to configure multiple gateways in the free version of ESX4i

No, the default gateway is only used by the VMkernel management interface. You can set up multiple management networks on multiple vSwitches and mulitple VLANs, but only the one on the same subnet as the default gateway will be used to communicate with vSphere Clients on subnets that don't have a management network configured.

The default gateway configuration is not used at all in connecting VMs to the network, only for connecting the VMware management interface.