I'm struggling to connect my network, but I need assistance with PFSense and ESXi.
I'm struggling to connect my network, but I need assistance with PFSense and ESXi.
Hi! You're asking about setting up ESXi and PFSense on a server with two network cards, using the same port for ESXi WebUI and PFSense WAN. You want to know if connecting your ISP WAN to the WAN/ESXi WebUI port will work, or if you need to forward it to your public IP. Also, you're wondering if a router is necessary or if there are any adjustments needed. Let me break this down for you.
Avoid exposing the server management interface publicly on the internet. Either reassign the WAN interface for pfsence (ensure you have several physical Ethernet ports) or modify the LAN interface used for the WebUI. A dedicated physical port should be assigned to the WAN interface. Esxi controls need to be shared with the LAN interface or operate on a separate management LAN.
I'm using HP DL120 G6 with VMware ESXi 6.5. Can I disable the ESXi web UI on the PFSSL WAN interface since I already have a VMKernel in the PFSSL LAN port? Also, if PFSSL crashes, can I open the ESXi web UI without PFSSL running? On the LAN port? Sorry, bad Swedish English from Sweden. Ops forgot to mention @Windows7because I also have a web UI VMKernel on the LAN port too. I can't test it right now because my ESXi is on my dad's network and my parents are moving to another house soon. My server should be in my mom's house, and I plan to control the internet there. I have two physical NICs.
I’m currently using a standard network configuration with multiple virtual machines hosted on a cloud provider. The setup includes a primary server connected via a dedicated network interface, several VM instances running in separate virtual environments, and a monitoring tool linked to the main network for performance tracking. I’m following a tutorial that outlines deploying applications across these resources, which helps ensure consistency and clarity in the process.
I'm a kid and I don't understand much English. But I think you have two physical network connections—one for your regular internet and another for ESXi. The VMKernel is set up on the same place, but you want to change it so that the physical one is for the ESXi LAN and the other is for your PFSense router. If PFSense goes down, can I open the web interface from the physical ESXi port or do I need a router with DHCP to access it? Please help me because I'm not sure how to do this. Sorry if I'm confusing you, I'm from Sweden and I'm a child.
Avoid placing the vmkernel behind a virtual machine router or firewall. Ensure connectivity to the Esxi host remains possible even if VMs are unavailable. Using a VMKernel IP on the same portgroup as a VM is acceptable, but attempting routing inside a VM and depending on that for the VMkernel is risky and could lead to issues down the line.