Posts Tagged ‘Fling’

Minisforum MS-A2 HOW TO: Install the NEW Realtek driver on ESXi 8.0

Sunday, January 11th, 2026


Minisforum MS-A2: How to Install the New Realtek Driver on VMware ESXi 8.0

Running VMware ESXi 8.0 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 8.0
  • 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 - Intro
00:06 - Welcome to Hancock's VMware Half Hour
00:31 - Today’s Video – Minisforum MS-A2
01:01 - Installing the ESXi Realtek Driver for ESXi 8.0
01:16 - Shoutout to member Henrychan1973!
02:03 - HTML Client view of network interfaces
03:00 - Broadcom engineering compiled a driver for ESXi 8.0
04:00 - Driver is available as a Broadcom Fling
05:00 - Download the driver from Broadcom Fling portal
05:44 - WinSCP – Copy driver ZIP to ESXi datastore
06:14 - Put host into maintenance mode
07:11 - Only three interfaces supported out of the box on MS-A2
07:16 - Start an SSH session using PuTTY
07:34 - Using lspci | grep Realtek
08:22 - Supported Realtek PCIe devices
08:35 - Installing the driver using esxcli
09:59 - Whoops! Typo!
10:37 - Can you spot it?
11:08 - Driver installed – reboot required
11:27 - Nano KVM issue accepting root password?
11:41 - Reboot via the GUI
12:30 - MS-A2 restarting
13:42 - Driver installed and Realtek interfaces available
14:54 - Thanks to Henrychan1973!
15:15 - 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 !!!

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

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All, computing, ExpertsExchange, Hancock's VMware Half Hour, homelab, vExpert, Virtualisation, Virtualization, VMware | Comments Off on Minisforum MS-A2 HOW TO: Install the NEW Realtek driver on ESXi 8.0

Exploring ESXi ARM Fling v2.0 with the Turing Pi Mini ITX Board

Tuesday, November 26th, 2024

As an avid enthusiast of VMware’s innovations, I’m diving headfirst into the ESXi ARM Fling v2.0, which is built on the robust VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 8.0.3b codebase. The ARM architecture has always intrigued me, and with this latest version, VMware has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with ESXi on ARM devices. It’s a playground full of potential for anyone experimenting with lightweight, power-efficient infrastructures.

 

The Turing Pi Journey

After much anticipation, my Turing Pi Mini ITX boards have arrived! These boards are compatible with the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, offering a modular, scalable setup perfect for ARM experimentation. With a few Compute Module 4s ready to go, I’m eager to bring this setup to life. However, finding a suitable case for the Turing Pi board has proven to be a bit of a challenge.

Case Conundrum

While Turing Pi has announced an official ITX case for their boards, it’s currently on preorder and comes with a hefty price tag. For now, I’ve decided to go with a practical and versatile option: the Streamcom Mini ITX OpenBench case. Its open-frame design is functional, and it’ll keep the board accessible during testing and configuration.

I’m also considering crafting my own custom case. Using laser-cut wood or acrylic is an appealing option, offering the opportunity to create something unique and tailored to my specific requirements. But for now, the OpenBench case will do nicely as I explore the ESXi ARM Fling.

Why ESXi ARM Fling v2.0?

The ESXi ARM Fling project is an exciting venture for anyone who loves to experiment with virtualization. Running ESXi on ARM hardware offers several advantages:

  • Energy efficiency: ARM boards consume far less power compared to traditional x86 systems.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Affordable hardware like the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 makes it accessible to a wider audience.
  • Flexibility: The compact form factor of ARM devices is ideal for edge computing, IoT, or even small-scale home labs.

The v2.0 update introduces enhanced support, better performance, and bug fixes, making it an excellent choice for exploring the ARM ecosystem.

What’s Next?

With the hardware in hand and the ESXi ARM Fling v2.0 ready to install, I’m planning to dive into:

  1. Setting up and configuring the Turing Pi board with ESXi.
  2. Testing the system’s stability, performance, and scalability using multiple Raspberry Pi Compute Modules.
  3. Exploring practical use cases, such as lightweight Kubernetes clusters or edge computing applications.

I’ll share updates on the build process, challenges, and performance insights in future posts. For now, I’m excited to get started and see what this setup can achieve.

Stay tuned for more! If you’ve experimented with the ESXi ARM Fling or have tips for working with the Turing Pi board, I’d love to hear from you.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All, computing, ExpertsExchange, Hancock's VMware Half Hour, homelab, Raspberry Pi, vExpert, Virtualisation, Virtualization, VMware | Comments Off on Exploring ESXi ARM Fling v2.0 with the Turing Pi Mini ITX Board