How to Customize an Offline ESXI 6.7 Install with Realtek Drivers

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This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to create a customized offline bundle of ESXi 6.7 using Realtek drivers.

Prerequisites

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1. A compatible system running either Windows or Linux.

2. An empty USB drive (at least 8GB in size).

3. Access to an internet connection for downloading the necessary files and dependencies.

Step-by-Boot: Preparing Your Environment

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### Step 1: Download ESXi and Drivers

1. Visit the official VMware website at 'download.vmware.com'(http://download.vmware.com) and navigate to the ESXi section.

2. Click on Hypervisor (x86_64) and select the latest version, which should be 6.7U3b or higher.

### Step 2: Extract ESXi Bundles

1. Download both:

- `ESXi-6.7.0-20190401001s-standard.iso` for a full installation with drivers

- OR `ESXi-6.7.0-20190401001s-no-tools.iso` if you prefer without the graphical user interface (GUI) components

### Step 3: Download Realtek Drivers and Dependencies

1. Visit 'www.realtek.com'(http://www.realtek.com) to download the latest Realtek drivers for your network card.

### Step 4: Extract Driver Files

Extract all downloaded files into a dedicated directory, such as `C:\EsxiBuild`.

Creating an ESXi Bootable USB Drive

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1. Install ' Rufus'(https://rufus.akeo.ie/) from the official website.

2. Launch Rufus and select your extracted ISO file (`ESXi-6.7.0-20190401001s-standard.iso` or `ESXi-6.7.0-20190401001s-no-tools.iso`) as the ISO image.

### Step 5: Configure USB Boot Settings

1. Ensure that you have an empty USB drive with at least 8GB of free space.

2. In Rufus, select your USB stick under Device, then click on Bootable and ensure that both Create a bootable ISO file`and `Make the following files executable` options are checked.

### Step 6: Write ESXi to USB

1. Click on the Write` button in Rufus to create an ESXi bootable USB drive.

2. Wait for the process to complete; this may take several minutes depending on your system's specifications and storage device speed.

Finalizing Your Customized ESXi Installation

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### Step 7: Boot from USB

1. Insert your newly created USB stick into a compatible computer's optical (or USB) port.

2. Reboot the machine while pressing F12 or any other key to access the boot menu, depending on your system's manufacturer instructions.

### Step 8: Follow ESXi Installation Wizard

1. Select `ESXi-6.7.x` from the boot device list and press Enter.

2. Follow the guided installation wizard by selecting your language preference (English), keyboard layout (US English), network adapter type, IP address scheme (DHCP or Static), hostname, root password, time zone, NTP server(s) if required, and finally `Finish`.

Post-Installation Configuration

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### Step 9: Update ESXi to Latest Version

1. Connect your newly installed ESXi host to a working network via either Ethernet or an onboard/USB-based NIC.

2. Access the ESXi console using SSH client like PuTTY (default username/password is root/root) and run `esxcli network nic list` followed by `reboot -d`.

3. Once the system boots back up, connect via Web browser at 'https://your_esxi_ip:5488'(https://your-esiip:5488), log in with your previously set credentials.

4. Click on Manage > Patch Manager, then click on Check for updates` to fetch and apply any available patches or hotfixes.

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By following these instructions, you have successfully created a customized offline ESXi 6.7 ISO image bundled with Realtek drivers ready for installation on your target hypervisor infrastructure. Remember to always check the official VMware release notes for latest updates before proceeding with production deployment of this custom-built ESXi environment.

Offline-bundle de vmware esxi 6.7