# Install VMware ESXi 9: Complete Step-by-Step Setup Guide Source: https://srvscripts.com/guides/install-vmware-esxi-9/ Updated: 2026-10-03 Publisher: srvScripts (https://srvscripts.com/) This guide shows how to install VMware ESXi 9 on a physical server and get it ready for virtual machines. ESXi is Broadcom’s bare-metal hypervisor; a single host is managed from its built-in web host client, and several hosts are usually joined to vCenter. The steps below cover a fresh install on bare metal. To move an existing ESXi 8 host, use the upgrade guide instead. **Short answer:** Confirm the server is on the Broadcom Compatibility Guide, enable VT-x/AMD-V and UEFI in the BIOS, and write the ESXi 9 ISO from the Broadcom support portal to a USB stick. Boot it, press Enter, accept the EULA with F11, pick the boot disk, set a root password and install. After the reboot, press F2 in the DCUI to set a static management IP, then open `https://HOST-IP/ui` to add a datastore, NTP and your first VM. In short: Confirm the server is on the Broadcom Compatibility Guide, enable VT-x/AMD-V and UEFI in the BIOS, and write the ESXi 9 ISO from the Broadcom support portal to a USB stick. ## Hardware requirements | Component | ESXi 9 requirement | | --- | --- | | CPU | 64-bit x86 with at least 2 cores, SSSE3/SSE4.1/SSE4.2 and hardware virtualisation (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) enabled | | Memory | 8 GB minimum; plan for the VMs you will run on top | | Boot disk | 32 GB minimum; 100–128 GB on SSD or NVMe is recommended so ESX-OSData has room | | Network | At least one supported 1 GbE NIC; two or more for redundancy | | Firmware | UEFI boot recommended; legacy BIOS boot is deprecated | Check the exact server model, storage controller and NIC against the Broadcom Compatibility Guide before you start. Consumer NICs and some RAID controllers have no ESXi 9 driver, and the installer will stop with “No network adapters” or show no disks. ## Step 1: get the installer Log in to the Broadcom support portal, open My Downloads » VMware vSphere, and download the ESXi 9 ISO for your entitlement. Server vendors (Dell, HPE, Lenovo) also publish custom ISOs with their drivers included; use those on branded servers. Write the ISO to a USB stick with Rufus or balenaEtcher, or mount it through the server’s out-of-band console (iDRAC, iLO, XCC). ## Step 2: BIOS settings - Enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V, and VT-d / AMD-Vi if you want PCI passthrough. - Set boot mode to UEFI. Secure Boot can stay on; ESXi 9 supports it. - Set the power profile to “OS controlled” so ESXi manages CPU power states. - If the RAID controller supports it, create a mirrored boot volume or use a BOSS/M.2 mirror card. ## Step 3: run the installer - Boot from the USB stick and choose the ESXi installer from the boot menu. Wait while the modules load. - Press Enter on the welcome screen and F11 to accept the licence agreement. - Select the disk to install on. Pressing F1 shows details of a disk. If the disk holds an older ESXi, choose to install fresh rather than upgrade for this guide. - Choose the keyboard layout. - Enter a root password that meets the complexity rules (upper and lower case, digits, symbols; at least 7 characters by default). - Press F11 to install. When it finishes, remove the media and press Enter to reboot. ## Step 4: management network in the DCUI After the reboot the yellow-and-grey Direct Console User Interface shows the IP address DHCP handed out. Set a static address: - Press F2 and log in as root. - Open Configure Management Network » Network Adapters and select the NIC(s) for management. - Set VLAN (optional) if the management port is on a tagged VLAN. - Under IPv4 Configuration choose “Set static IPv4 address” and enter IP, subnet mask and gateway. - Under DNS Configuration enter DNS servers and the fully qualified hostname, and add a matching A and PTR record in DNS. - Press Esc and Y to apply and restart the management network, then run Test Management Network. ## Step 5: first login to the host client Open `https://HOST-IP/ui` in a browser, accept the self-signed certificate warning and log in as root. Then: - **Licence:** Manage » Licensing. New installs run in evaluation mode for 60 days; assign your key before it ends. - **Time:** Manage » System » Time & date, choose NTP, add your NTP servers and set the service to start with the host. - **Datastore:** Storage » New datastore, pick an empty local disk or add an NFS or iSCSI target, and format it as VMFS 6. - **Networking:** check that the “VM Network” port group sits on the right vSwitch and uplinks, and add port groups for VM VLANs. - **SSH:** leave SSH and the ESXi Shell stopped except while you need them (Manage » Services). Commands you can run over SSH to confirm the install: ``` vmware -vl # version and build esxcli network ip interface ipv4 get esxcli storage filesystem list esxcli system ntp get ``` ## Step 6: create the first VM Upload an ISO to the datastore with the datastore browser, then choose Virtual Machines » Create / Register VM. Select the guest OS family and version, the datastore, and use the VMware Paravirtual SCSI controller and VMXNET3 NIC for performance. For Windows guests, install VMware Tools after setup so the VMXNET3 and PVSCSI drivers load. When you have more than one host, deploy vCenter to manage them together, add HA and vMotion, and take backups at the VM level. ## Install VMware ESXi 9 at a glance **Official documentation:** [ESXi installation and setup (Broadcom TechDocs)](https://techdocs.broadcom.com/), [Broadcom Compatibility Guide](https://compatibilityguide.broadcom.com/). **Related guides:** [Upgrade ESXi 8 to 9](/guides/upgrade-esxi-8-to-9/) · [Useful esxcli commands](/guides/esxcli-commands-esxi/) · [Install Proxmox VE 9](/guides/install-proxmox-ve-9/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a free version of ESXi 9? Broadcom has changed the free ESXi offer several times. Check the Broadcom support portal for the current entitlement before you plan a lab around it; production hosts need a vSphere licence. ### How long does the evaluation mode last? A new ESXi install runs in evaluation mode for 60 days with all features. After that, VMs keep running but you cannot power on new ones until you assign a licence. ### Can I install ESXi 9 on a USB stick or SD card? Not as the only boot device. Since ESXi 7.0 U3, SD cards and USB sticks are not supported for the ESX-OSData partition. Install on an SSD, NVMe, BOSS card or mirrored RAID volume.