> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://tmediadocs.telcobridges.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://tmediadocs.telcobridges.com/other-pages/operations/various-network-adapter-types-of-vmware-interface.md).

# Various Network Adapter Types of VMware Interface

The VMware virtual network adapter types available to a FreeSBC or ProSBC guest, and which to choose for management versus VoIP interfaces.

## Types of network interfaces for FreeSBC

FreeSBC uses network interface types below,

* Intel E1000 emulated NIC card
* VMXNET3 para-virtualized driver
* PCI Passthrough
* SR-IOV

The VMware adapter types setting can be set from below,

![Vmware adapter types setting](https://docs.telcobridges.com/w/images/0/0d/Vmware_adapter_types_setting.png)

And then see [TSBC-SW:WebPortal:Initial Configuration](https://prosbcdocs.telcobridges.com/)

### E1000

E1000 makes the VM to think it is really accessing a physical NIC adapter. It is simulated (i.e. slowest of all interface types) but is universally supported.

### VMXNET3

VMXNET3 is a driver where the VM knows it runs in a virtual environment. It is faster than emulated NIC but requires the VM to have open-vm-tools.rpm installed.

### PCI Passthrough

PCI Passthrough allows a VM to access directly (using PCI bus) one physical NIC from the host.

* Very fast access
* Rx hardware buffers dedicated to one VM
* Dedicates the NIC to only a single VM
* VM cannot be migrated to another host live because of changing PCI ID of the NIC card
* DPDK needs to support the physical NIC adapter
* Host bios needs to have been enabled to support DMA remapping (IOMMU or Intel VT-d)

Network PCI device can be added to VM from below,

![Adding PCI device to VM](https://docs.telcobridges.com/w/images/6/62/Adding_PCI_device_to_VM.png%E2%80%8E)

And then see [TSBC-SW:Cloud:VMware Adding Passthrough Interfaces A](https://prosbcdocs.telcobridges.com/)

### SR-IOV

SR-IOV allows multiple VM to access directly to one portion of a physical NIC from from host.

* Very fast access
* Rx hardware buffers dedicated to one VM
* Can share a single NIC card with multiple VMs
* VM cannot be migrated to another host live because of changing PCI ID of the NIC card
* DPDK needs to support the physical NIC adapter
* Vmware host needs to have the license to allow SR-IOV
* Host bios needs to have been enabled to support DMA remapping (IOMMU or Intel VT-d)
* Physical NIC adapter needs to be SR-IOV capable

SR-IOV can be configured from below,

![Configure SR IOV in VM](https://docs.telcobridges.com/w/images/7/7e/Configure_SR-IOV_in_VM.png)

## Latest performance metrics on Vmware 6.5

| Network interface types | Nb max sessions (\*)                                     |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| E1000                   | 5,000                                                    |
| VMXNET3                 | 8,000                                                    |
| PCI Passthrough         | 36,000                                                   |
| SR-IOV                  | (no license available) Probably close to PCI passthrough |

* * Tested on a Dell R610, 3.07Ghz with 6 vCPU


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