Minisforum MS-A2: How to Install the New Realtek Driver on VMware ESXi 9.0

Running VMware ESXi 9.0 on the Minisforum MS-A2 is a fantastic option for homelabs and edge deployments, but out of the box you may notice that not all Realtek network interfaces are detected.

In this guide, based on my latest episode of Hancock’s VMware Half Hour, I walk through installing the new Broadcom-compiled Realtek driver (available as an official Broadcom Fling) to unlock additional NIC support.

What This Guide Covers

• Why Realtek NICs are limited by default on ESXi 9.0
• Where to download the official Broadcom Fling driver
• Installing the driver using esxcli
• Rebooting safely and verifying NIC availability

Supported Realtek Network Adapters

The driver demonstrated in this guide supports the following Realtek PCIe devices:

• RTL8111 – 1GbE
• RTL8125 – 2.5GbE
• RTL8126 – 5GbE
• RTL8127 – 10GbE

Driver Installation Command

Once the driver ZIP has been copied to your ESXi datastore and the host is in maintenance mode, install it using:

esxcli software component apply -d path VMware-Re-Driver_1.101.00-5vmw.800.1.0.20613240.zip

After installation, a reboot is required for the new network interfaces to become available.

Video Chapters

00:00 - Start
00:03 - Welcome to Hancock's VMware Half Hour
00:37 - Todays video - HOW TO Install Realtek driver on ESXi 9.0
00:55 - Broadcom Released the Realtek Driver fling in November 2025
01:55 - Minisforum MS-A2 - VCF 9.0 Homelab of the Year 2025 !
02:26 - Available as a Broadcom Fling - Tech Preview - not for production
02:55 - I'm not a fan of Realtek let it be known!
03:11 - Go to Broadcom Fling Portal site to download - https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/productdownloads?subfamily=Flings&freeDownloads=true
03:22 - Download the driver don't forget to Accept the Agreement!
03:51 - Enable SSH on Host, and use WinSCP to copy to local datastore
04:31 - Whoops Zoom is broke again!
05:07 - Connect to host using SSH
05:22 - Use lspci to show PCI devices in the host
06:05 - Use grep - lspci | grep Realtek
07:01 - Install the driver using esxcli software component apply -d /VMware-Re-Driver_1.101.00-5vmw.800.1.0.20613240.zip
07:59 - A reboot is required, reboot the server
08:36 - Reboot server
09:20 - The reason for the 10th Outake !
10:01 - Login to ESXi 9.0 using HTML Client
10:51 - Realtek driver is installed and network interfaces are available for use
11:07 - HenryChan1973 this video is for you!
12:23 - Thanks for Watching

Final Thoughts

This Broadcom Fling makes ESXi 8.0 far more usable on modern mini PCs like the Minisforum MS-A2, especially for homelabbers who rely on multi-gig Realtek networking.

Huge thanks to Henrychan1973 for their contribution and support.

If this guide helped you, consider subscribing on YouTube and checking out more VMware content on the blog.

– Andrew Hancock
Hancock’s VMware Half Hour