ESXi 8.x server not passing traffic on 10Gb Intel E810 Adapters
Article ID: 437101
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
Users may encounter an issue where network traffic fails to pass through "Intel Ethernet Controller E810" 10Gb interfaces on "Dell ESXI servers" .
- The physical link is reported as "Up" in the iDRAC interface.
- The upstream switch (e.g., Cisco) shows the port as "Up"
- The link speed is manually locked to "10Gb" in the System BIOS.
- The interface is successfully added as an uplink to a VMware vSwitch or Distributed Switch.
Despite the "Up" status, no network traffic (pings, VM traffic, or VMkernel services) passes through the adapter
Environment
VMware vSphere ESXi
Cause
This issue can be caused by a faulty SFP module , to validate we need to engage the hardware vendor.
Faulty Physical Layer Components: Incompatible or defective SFP/SFP+ modules.
Resolution
If any NICs show errors, consult with the hardware vendor to troubleshoot the physical NIC errors as they are only reported to the ESXi hosts.
Verify SFP Compatibility: Ensure the SFP+ modules are on the Dell/Intel compatibility list for the E810 adapter.
Validation Needed from the Hardware Vendor on Driver and Firmware Verification
Check Driver Version: Ensure the `icen` driver is at the latest recommended version for your ESXi release.
Check `/var/run/log/vmkernel.log` for any errors or counters related to the NIC may default to a limited functional mode.
Verify that the NIC is physically installed in a slot aligned with the CPU socket handling the network processing (e.g., NSX Edge worker cores) to minimize latency.
Additional Information
Feedback
