Home Lab Step-by-Step Part-2-Hostconfig

 

Let’s start from where we left in Home Lab Step-by-Step Part-1-HostInstallation.

Once ESXi installation is complete, you will be presented with this screen, here press F2 to start initial configuration of ESXi.

You will be asked to authenticate, enter root credentials, which we have setup while installation.

Use arrow keys and select configure management network and hit enter.

Use arrow keys and select option IPv4 Configuration and hit enter.

Navigate to set static IPv4 address option and select using space bar, provide IP address from your home network (Usually home routers use 192.168.1.x series IP range).

Once IP assignation is complete, press escape key on keyboard, and press Y to restart management network.

Once management network restart is complete, open the browser on your machine and navigate to the IP address assigned to the ESXi. You will be presented with security warning for certificate, kindly ignore this warning and select to proceed.

Now, you will be presented with login screen, use root credentials for login.

ESXi is ready to create network topology required for simulating physical datacenter.

In my next post we will create networks required for simulating physical datacenter. We will create separate vlans for separate functions, using Cisco csr1000v virtual router . If you are comfortable with other options available such as PFsense, vYos etc, then you can use them. I would recommend to download the OVA image of the router you wish to use, I have CSR1000v image ready. As highlighted by many readers that they do not have access to Cisco customer portal to download the OVA, hence I am attaching the link to download it from this link, you can download CSR1000V for free, but please be aware that its not the official link to download it.

As VMware NSX-T will need us to have BGP running on the next hop address, these virtual routers will help us facilitate the same.

                                             

Next home-lab-step-by-step-part-3-Networking

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