Estimated reading time: 1 minutes
Add Custom Drivers to VMware vSphere in 2025
VMware vSphere 8.0 Update 2 rules virtualization in 2025, but some hardware—like Realtek NICs—still needs custom drivers, especially for homelabs. This guide walks you through injecting drivers into ESXi for modern setups.
Step 1: Gather Tools
Download the vSphere 8.0 U2 ISO from VMware Customer Connect (login required). Grab the latest ESXi-Customizer-PS script from GitHub and your driver VIB (e.g., Realtek’s net55-r8168 from VIBs Depot).
Step 2: Build the Custom ISO
In PowerShell 7.4, run:.\ESXi-Customizer-PS.ps1 -v80 -vib "net55-r8168-8.045a-napi.vib" -outDir "C:\CustomISO"
This merges the Realtek driver into the vSphere 8.0 ISO. Takes 5-10 minutes.
Step 3: Deploy
Burn the ISO to USB with Rufus 4.5, boot your server, and install as usual. Verify the NIC loads via esxcli network nic list in the ESXi shell—look for “r8168”.
2025 Context: Licensing Shift
Post-Broadcom acquisition (2023), free ESXi is gone. vSphere Essentials ($500/year) is the entry point in 2025—worth it for homelabs over hacky workarounds.
Check our PowerShell Disk Space Guide for monitoring tips.
Share this content:
Discover more from TechyGeeksHome
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.