Changing the network adapter type for a virtual machine in VMware is typically done through the VM's settings. The most common reason to change adapter types is to improve network performance or compatibility.
Changing a Virtual Machine's Network Adapter Type
To change the network adapter type assigned to a virtual machine in VMware vSphere or Workstation, you generally follow these steps:
- Shut down the virtual machine: You cannot change hardware settings, including the network adapter type, while the VM is running or suspended.
- Edit the virtual machine settings:
- vSphere Client: Right-click the virtual machine and select "Edit Settings".
- Workstation/Fusion: Select the virtual machine, go to "VM" > "Settings".
- Select the network adapter: In the VM settings window, select the existing network adapter you want to modify.
- Remove the existing adapter: Click the "Remove" button to delete the current network adapter.
- Add a new network adapter: Click the "Add" button.
- Select the device type: Choose "Network Adapter" and click "Next".
- Select the desired adapter type: From the dropdown menu, choose the new virtual network adapter type (e.g., VMXNET3, E1000, E1000E, SR-IOV pass-through).
- Configure network connection: Select the virtual network (port group or virtual switch) the adapter should connect to.
- Configure other settings: Adjust settings like MAC address (usually automatic), status (connect at power on), etc.
- Finish and power on: Click "OK" or "Finish" to save the changes. Power on the virtual machine.
Note: After changing the adapter type, you may need to uninstall the drivers for the old adapter and install drivers for the new adapter within the guest operating system. VMware Tools typically includes drivers for VMXNET3 and other adapter types.
Common Virtual Network Adapter Types
| Adapter Type | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| E1000 | Emulates the Intel 82545EM Gigabit Ethernet controller. Widely compatible. | Older OS, broad compatibility |
| E1000E | Emulates the Intel 82574L Gigabit Ethernet controller. Improved performance. | Newer OS where VMXNET3 isn't supported yet |
| VMXNET3 | Paravirtualized NIC designed for performance. Requires VMware Tools drivers. | Modern OS, high performance workloads |
| SR-IOV Pass-Through | Direct access to a physical NIC port for a VM. Bypasses the hypervisor switch. | Applications needing extremely low latency |
For most modern operating systems running on recent VMware versions, VMXNET3 is the recommended adapter type due to its superior performance and features like LRO (Large Receive Offload) and TSO (TCP Segmentation Offload).
Adding Network Connections on the Host (vSphere)
While the above covers changing a VM's adapter type, the provided reference discusses adding network connections or switches at the host level within vSphere. This process involves configuring the virtual switch infrastructure that VMs and vmkernel adapters connect to.
According to the reference:
- In the vSphere Client, navigate to the host.
- On the Configure tab, expand Networking and select Virtual switches.
- Click Add networking.
- Select a connection type (like VM Kernel Network Adapter or Virtual Machine Port Group) for which you want to use the new standard switch and click Next.
- Select New standard switch and click Next.
This process does not change the type of an existing adapter but rather helps in setting up new network connections on the host, potentially using new virtual switches or vmkernel adapters for specific purposes like vMotion, IP storage, or VM traffic. You define the type of traffic (vmkernel or VM) and whether to use an existing or new standard switch during this process.
In summary, changing a VM's adapter is a setting on the virtual machine object itself, while adding networking per the reference is a configuration task performed on the host's virtual switch infrastructure.
