How to setup ESXi 6.x for home lab use from scratch for Cisco VIRL, GNS3, ETC.

00:00 – Intro
00:37 – Configuring ESXi 6.5 Network vSwitch
03:20 – Home lab switchport config for ESXi Server
07:00 – Continuing ESXi 6.5 Network vSwitch configuration
08:57 – Discovering ESXi 6.5 doesn’t have Network File System storage type
10:21 – Deploying Cisco VIRL 1.2.83 OVA in ESXi 6.5
11:28 – Using SPAN on 3750 Switch for centralized network wireshark captures, FYI
13:54 – Modifying VIRL host with more RAM and vCPU
14:47 – Validating host is configured for VM nesting
17:06 – Powering on VIRL VM and getting stuck after “Stopping Mount Network Filesystems”
17:40 – Skimming VIRL install DOC for changes since previous versions I’ve used
19:22 – Troubleshooting VIRL hung during boot on ESXi 6.5
20:35 – Continuing Troubleshooting after restarting VM
22:20 – Validating setup on another server with same CPU
26:05 – How to create an ESXi bootable USB drive with Pendrive’s Universal-USB-Installer
29:10 – Quick home lab peek-a-boo with ESXi 6.0 installation from scratch
32:37 - Adding NFS datastore in ESXi 6.0
34:29 – Configuring ESXi 6.0 Network vSwitch
35:19 – Deploying Cisco VIRL 1.2.83 OVA in ESXi 6.0
36:25 – Modifying VIRL host with more RAM and vCPU
37:00 – Murphy strikes again
38:03 – VIRL Boot issue fix… kinda
40:20 – Logging into VIRL GUI and adding license info to test
41:34 – Closing

This was supposed to be a quick how-to as I was re-installing ESXi and VIRL on my home lab server so I figured I’d make a quick video to show what I was doing. I had some issues but kept on rolling as others may have issues too so kept it all in. :)

[Hhla]

Hi, can you please point me to your next video; where you have a brief overview on Virl and what are these ports are used for please???

[ciraomp]

Hi.
I just got a new Dell notebook with i7 16gb 1T.
I'll install ESXi o top of it. then I'll test EVE/UNL, GNS3vm and VIRL.

[ciraomp]

hi there"
Great Lab.

I think you didn't mention how processor you are using and how much memory you've got to place this lab...can you please clarify that, please?
Also, I need to know which one is a good option for CCNP Sec and CCNA Wirelesscan, VIRL, GNS3, IOU among others? Can you please answer that?

KIND REGARDS.

[richardbangoura]

Thanks for sharing but how did you get that much memory. Have tried to replicate on fusion 8 but mac has only 8GB memory. Is there any other way to have like 80k GB memory

[Witcherworks]

Can you run multiple VIRL instances on EXSI?

[bodo-guyz]

Hy
I saw your interesting config on ESXi.
Could you hep me with an issue?

I run a VM Workstation on my laptop and i want to do inter vlan routing between my gns3 server (installed on esxi) and two pc's (also installed on esxi)

Inside VM Workstation i created an ESXI VM.

Inside ESXI i have installed my GNS3 server which i will operate remotely from my laptop. I have created two portgroups inside the ESXI host and two PC;s, one in VLAN 10 and one in VLAN 20.

Actually i didn't figure out how to configure the interface between a L3 Cisco switch/ router (installed in gns3 server) and the uplink from esxi.

The objective is to have inter vlan routing between the switch/ router (installed on gns3 server) and the vm's inside esxi host.
I alos know how to configure router subinterfaces or switch SVI.

[alreid]

Awesome looking guide. Just about to watch. Did you get a chance to look at my email yet?.