VLAN Tagging issues with Intel X710 network adapters

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• When pinging from a virtual machine (or from a vmkernel adapter) in a VLAN tagged portgroup, the ping response may return into ESXi (through the pNic) without a VLAN tag
• Running the pktcap-uw command displays entries similar to:
  
  #pktcap-uw --capture Drop --srcip #.#.#.#
  The session capture point is Drop
  The session filter source IP address is #.#.#.#
  No server port specifed, select 5710 as the port
  Output the packet info to console.
  Local CID 2
  Listen on port 5710
  Accept...Vsock connection from port 1025 cid 2
  19:31:54.848571[1] Captured at Drop point, Drop Reason 'VlanTag Mismatch'. Drop Function 'NetPollWorldCallback'. TSO not enabled, Checksum not offloaded and verified, length 62.
  Segment[0] ---- 9088 bytes:
  
  

• If you are using an Intel X710 nic, when you run the esxcli software vib list | grep -i i40 command, you see entries similar to:
  
  #esxcli software vib list | grep -i i40
  net-i40e 1.4.28-1OEM.550.0.0.1331820 Intel VMwareCertified 2017-03-17
  i40en 1.1.0-1vmw.650.0.0.4564106 VMW VMwareCertified 2017-03-17

• Running the esxcli network nic get -n vmnic0 command, you confirm that the older i40en (1.1.0) driver is used instead of the newer net-i40e (1.4.28) driver similar to:
  
  #esxcli network nic get -n vmnic0
  Advertised Auto Negotiation: false
  Advertised Link Modes: 1000BaseT/Full, 10000BaseT/Full, 10000BaseT/Full
  Auto Negotiation: false
  Cable Type:
  Current Message Level: -1
  Driver Info:
  NICDriverInfo:
  Bus Info: 0000:01:00:0
  Driver: i40en
  Firmware Version: 5.04 0x800024bc 17.5.11
  Version: 1.1.0
  Link Detected: true
  Link Status: Up
  Name: vmnic0
  PHY Address: 0
  Pause Autonegotiate: false
  Pause RX: false
  Pause TX: false
  Supported Ports:
  Supports Auto Negotiation: false
  Supports Pause: false
  Supports Wakeon: true
  Transceiver:
  Virtual Address: ##:##:##:##:##:##
  Wakeon: MagicPacket(tm)

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0

Cause

This issue occurs because the older native i40en (1.1.0) driver is used

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

Use the newest Native driver i40en which is recommended from Broadcom Compatibility Guide 

https://compatibilityguide.broadcom.com/search?program=io&persona=live&column=brandName&order=asc

 

Additional Information