Advanced: Pre-boot static IP configuration (VMware only)¶

Learn how to configure a static IP address before first boot using cloud-init for VMware ESXi deployments.

Overview¶

Use this method when a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server is not available in your management network and you must assign a static IP before the virtual machine (VM) boots for the first time.

Important

This method works only with VMware OVA deployments. The network interface name must be ens192. For other platforms, deploy the VM first and use f5insight-netconfig from the console.

Before you start¶

Prerequisites:

VMware vSphere 6.7 or later.
Access to the vSphere client with permissions to edit VM settings.
A Linux or macOS workstation with base64 and genisoimage installed (for Option B).

Required network values:

Collect the following values from your network team:

Static Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address and prefix length (for example, 192.0.2.54/24).
Default gateway (for example, 192.0.2.1).
One or more Domain Name System (DNS) servers (for example, 203.0.113.53).

Option A: VMware guestinfo properties (recommended)¶

This method lets you configure a static IP by setting VM properties directly in vSphere without creating a disc image (ISO).

1. Create configuration files¶

Create a file named network-config:

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    ens192:
      addresses:
        - 192.0.2.54/24
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 192.0.2.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 203.0.113.53

Create a file named meta-data:

instance-id: f5insight-01
local-hostname: f5insight-01

Encode files to Base64

METADATA_B64=$(base64 -w0 meta-data)
NETWORK_CONFIG_B64=$(base64 -w0 network-config)

Note

The -w0 flag disables line wrapping and is specific to GNU base64 (Linux). On macOS, use base64 -b 0 instead.

Set VM properties in vSphere

Right-click the VM → Edit Settings.
Go to VM Options → Advanced → Configuration Parameters.
Click Edit Configuration.

Add the following parameters:

Name	Value
`guestinfo.metadata`	Paste your `METADATA_B64` value
`guestinfo.metadata.encoding`	`base64`
`guestinfo.network-config`	Paste your `NETWORK_CONFIG_B64` value
`guestinfo.network-config.encoding`	`base64`

Click OK and power on the VM.

Option B: Cloud-init ISO¶

This option creates a bootable ISO that contains the network configuration.

Create configuration files

Create a working directory:

mkdir cloud-init-config && cd cloud-init-config

Create three files in this directory:

meta-data

instance-id: f5insight-01

user-data

#cloud-config

network-config

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    ens192:
      addresses:
        - 192.0.2.54/24
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 192.0.2.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 203.0.113.53

Replace the example values with your actual network settings.

Generate the Cloud-Init ISO

genisoimage -output f5insight-seed.iso -volid cidata -joliet -rock \
  user-data meta-data network-config

Note

If genisoimage is not installed, install it with your package manager. For example: sudo apt install genisoimage (Debian/Ubuntu) or sudo dnf install genisoimage (RHEL/Fedora).

Deploy the VM

Upload the F5 Insight OVA to vSphere.
Before you power on the VM, edit the VM settings. Attach f5insight-seed.iso to the CD/DVD drive.
Power on the VM.
After boot completes, detach the ISO.

Verify the configuration¶

Connect to the VM and confirm that the static IP was applied:

sudo f5insight-netconfig show

Sample output:

Current network configuration:
  IPv4: 192.0.2.54/24
  IPv4 Gateway: 192.0.2.1
  IPv6: none
  DNS: 203.0.113.53

Dual-stack example (IPv4 and IPv6)¶

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    ens192:
      addresses:
        - 192.0.2.54/24
        - 2001:db8::54/64
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 192.0.2.1
        - to: default
          via: 2001:db8::1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 203.0.113.53
          - 2001:db8::53

Troubleshooting¶

Issue	Cause	Solution
VM boots with no network	ISO not attached before first boot	Redeploy the VM with the ISO attached before you power on.
VM boots with no network	Incorrect interface name	Verify `ens192` is used in `network-config`.
VM boots with no network	Guestinfo properties not set	Verify configuration parameters are set before first boot.
YAML parse error	Invalid YAML syntax	Validate YAML. Use spaces, not tabs, for indentation.
Base64 encoding error	Incorrect encoding	Ensure `base64 -w0` is used on Linux (no line wrapping). On macOS, use `base64 -b 0`.
Cannot reach gateway	Wrong gateway address	Verify the gateway is correct for your subnet.
DNS resolution fails	Incorrect DNS servers	Verify DNS addresses and confirm your firewall allows port 53.

Notes¶

The OVA sets the interface name to ens192. If you remove and re-add the VM network adapter in vSphere, the interface name may change. If that happens, use f5insight-netconfig after boot instead.
Cloud-init configuration is applied only on first boot.
To modify network settings after deployment, use f5insight-netconfig.
Keep a copy of your configuration files for future redeployments.