Set Virtual Switch to Accept Promiscuous Mode

Once you have deployed the NetScope OVA template, covered in the previous step, you’ll need to set up your virtual switches so that NetScope can monitor network traffic. One can add a virtual switch to connect to a managed switch so that Netscope can monitor the managed switches’ mirror/SPAN port. Also one can set up a virtual switch that has connected to it a Linux Gateway VM that is used to firewall and route all the other virtual machines on the ESXi host. Whatever virtual switch you’ve set up, Netscope needs the Promiscuous Mode on the virtual switch set to ‘Accept’. Netscope’s capture port interface has its promiscuous mode enabled and therefore needs this setting.

To set the virtual switches’ Promiscuous Mode to ‘Accept’:

1. Select the ESXi host from the left-hand side menu.
2. Click ‘Configuration’ from the tabbed menu.
3. Select ‘Networking’ from the left-side menu within ‘Configuration’.
4. Click ‘Properties’. In this case, we’re editing vSwitch0 but you must choose the virtual switch you’re setting up.

A new window will then appear.

1. Choose ‘vSwitch’ from the ‘Ports’ tab.
2. Click ‘Edit’. The vSwitch Properties window will appear.
3. From the drop-down list next to ‘Promiscuous Mode’ choose ‘Accept’.
4. Click ‘OK’ and then click ‘OK’ again to finish this part of the configuration.