Networks not appearing on ESXi host

Products

VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides information on why standard switch networks or distributed switch port groups are not showing up on an ESXi host.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Resolution

Potential Network Issues:

After adding an ESXi host to a Distributed Switch, the host's virtual switch topology does not show all the Distributed Switch port groups
New ESXi host that has been added to the vCenter Server is not getting listed under "Hosts" on the network tab in the vCenter Server.
The Virtual Switch Topology tab is empty for a newly added ESXi host that has been added to the vCenter Server

Issue

After adding an ESXi host to a Distributed Switch, the host's virtual switch topology does not show all the Distributed Switch port groups .

Explanation

For example, the ESXi host below is added to the Distributed Switch, but has no vmkernels or virtual machines attached to the Distributed Switch.

Solution

This is an expected behavior. When an ESXi host is added to a Distributed Switch, it is given what is called a host proxy switch, which is a switch that resides on every host that is associated with a vSphere Distributed Switch. The host proxy switch replicates the networking configuration set on the vSphere Distributed Switch to the particular host.

The topology diagram of a host proxy switch only shows the adapters attached to the switch ports on the host, and any VMs and vmkernels attached to the Distributed Switch's port groups. The topology diagram of the host proxy switch does not show port groups of the Distributed Switch if they are unused by the host. The user can see the entire Distributed Switch by viewing the topology of the distributed switch directly.

To see the Distributed Switch's topology:

Select the Networks tab in the left sidebar of vCenter.
Select the Distributed Switch.
Select Configure > Topology.

Issue

New ESXi host that has been added to the vCenter Server is not getting listed under "Hosts" on the network tab in the vCenter Server.
The Virtual Switch Topology tab is empty for a newly added ESXi host that has been added to the vCenter Server.

Explanation

For example, this datacenter has three hosts- d49, d50, and d51. When the Networks tab is selected in the left sidebar of vCenter, there are port groups listed, one of which is called VM Network. When VM Network is selected, there is a tab in the middle of the screen for "Hosts". Host d51 is clearly missing:

Any time an ESXi host is missing from this tab, it means the host has not been given this switch or port group yet. When a host is added to vCenter Server, it is not automatically given networks. You must configure the host for them.

Solution

If the network is a Distributed Switch, the ESXi host needs to be added to the Distributed Switch. This can be accomplished by:

Select the Distributed Switch in the Networks tab in the left sidebar of vCenter,
Click Actions > Add and Manage Hosts. Follow the wizard and the host will now be added to every network of that Distributed Switch.

If the network is on a Standard Switch, then the network needs to be added to the host individually. If there are other working hosts in the datacenter, it is best practice to copy those hosts, adding port groups with the same name on the new host. Follow the Port Group Configuration documentation for more information.

Note: These network labels must be the same across hosts to allow the VMs to vMotion.

Additional Information

For more information, see the vSphere Networking Guide.