It is hard to do labs when you are on a budget. Let me share with you guys my current set-up for my VMware lab as I study for my VCP-NV.
- Dell Precision T3500 running Windows 7, 12G ram, 2T hard drive
- 2 2950 Cisco switches
- 4 Gb NIC cards
- vmware workstation 10
- vmware vshere client
- vmware esxi 5.5
- Dell Optiplex 755 running Free NAS (I have yet to set this up)
- CBTNuggets VCP-DCV course by Keith Barker
- online white paper resource from mylearn.vmware.com website.
I am basically doing a Type 2 install for my esxi, I have 2 esxi hosts having 4G of ram each. Each esxi host, has so far 3 VMs of Darn small linux. Today I just installed the NICs so I can start doing VLANs and maybe some Etherchannel. I am still far away from configuring the awesome stuff like vMotion, DRS, storage vMotion, DPM etc.
Will keep you guys posted with this new adventure….
Running-Config 
Hi there,
I am preparing for VCP-DCV and I am intending to build a lab as demonstrated by Keith barker in cbt nugget’s vcp-dcv series.
I just wanted to know whether we require 4 physical NIC’s or one is enough? As far as I remember KB was using one physical adapter on his win-7 machine and then 4 NIC’s on each esxi host.
I tried to do this but the esxi host detects only one vmnicm.So I am little confused as how KB was able to get 4 vmnics when he had only one physical adapter on his win-7 machine?
Thank you.
SJM
Hi SJM,
Thank you for your comment.
As far as I remember on Keith Barker’s videos, his server has 4 NICs dedicated for each ESXI host. Just make sure that the chip on the NIC is VMware certified, I learned the hardway building a white box server that you just can’t use just any NIC. You are safe to go for Intel NICs.
I hope that helps.
Thanks for the reply delanajero…
I checked the compatibility of my NIC and it indeed is listed on Vmware’s NIC compatible guide.
I assigned 4 NIC to each exsi host but either with DCUI or desktop client I can see only one NIC on each host. I am not sure why the other 3 vmnic’s do not show up.
I have not found any solution for this with my search on internet. 😦