VMXNET3 Network Adapter Missing and VMware Tools Installation Fails on Windows Server Guest OS

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When deploying or upgrading a Windows Server virtual machine (VM) on an ESXi host, you experience the following symptoms:

• No network adapters are visible in Network Connections.

• In Windows Device Manager, an Ethernet Controller appears under Other Devices with a yellow exclamation mark warning icon.

• Attempts to install VMware Tools via the vSphere Client fail, are greyed out, or the installer ISO fails to mount/autorun inside the Guest OS.

• The virtual machine cannot authenticate or connect to the local Domain Controller (DC).

Cause

 

The VM is configured with a VMXNET3 virtual network adapter, which is missing. Windows Server does not include the driver for this adapter natively. The driver is only provided via VMware Tools.

 

Resolution

Step 1: Add a Temporary Legacy Network Adapter

To break the cycle, present a network card to the VM that Windows Server recognizes natively without VMware Tools.

1. Power off the affected virtual machine.

2. Edit the VM settings in the vSphere Client.

3. Click Add New Device and select Network Adapter.

4. Change the Adapter Type dropdown menu from VMXNET3 to E1000e (or E1000).

5. Power on the virtual machine.

6. Log in to Windows. Open Device Manager and verify that an Intel(R) 82574L Gigabit Network Connection is now successfully recognized under Network adapters.

Step 2: Configure Static IP and DNS Settings

Active Directory requires proper DNS routing to locate the Domain Controller.

1. Open Network Connections .

2. Right-click the newly populated Intel network adapter and select Properties.

3. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

4. Select Use the following IP address and input your network's static IP details (IP, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway).

5. Select Use the following DNS server addresses and populate the Preferred DNS server field with the IP address of your Active Directory DNS server.

6. Click OK and apply the changes.

Step 3: Install VMware Tools

With local network connectivity restored, clear any media locks to install the VMware drivers.

1. In the vSphere Client, right-click the VM, go to Edit Settings, and look at the CD/DVD Drive.

2. Ensure it is set to "Client Device" or "Host Device" and that any existing ISO files are unmounted. Ensure the "Connected" checkbox is clear.

3. From the vSphere VM menu, click Actions -> Guest OS -> Install VMware Tools.

4. Inside the Windows Guest OS, open File Explorer, navigate to This PC, and double-click the virtual optical drive containing VMware Tools.

5. Launch setup64.exe and follow the prompt wizard using the Typical setup option.

6. Reboot the virtual machine when prompted by the installer.

Step 4: Revert to High-Performance VMXNET3 Adapter

Now that VMware Tools has injected the proper drivers into the Guest OS, the VMXNET3 adapter can be utilized.

1. Log back into Windows and open Device Manager to verify that the vmxnet3 Ethernet Adapter is now listed with no warning icons.

2. Open Network Connections and open the properties of the VMXNET3 adapter (usually named Ethernet0).

3. Re-enter your static IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and Preferred DNS Server details onto this adapter.

4. Power off the virtual machine one last time.

5. Edit the VM settings via the vSphere Client and Remove the temporary E1000e network adapter.

6. Power on the VM.

Verification

In the vSphere Client Summary tab for the VM, VMware Tools should display a green checkmark status: Running, version:XXXXX (Current).