Unable to boot UEFI using I350 Intel Gigabit NIC

[Dbutch1976]

Hello,

 I have a Z490 UNIFY MB which I am trying to get to boot from the network so that I can install ESXi. My NIC is working (Intel I250 Gigabit NIC) within windows, however the BIOS doesn't seem to see the NIC as a potential boot device. How do I determine if my NIC is UEFI compatible?

At this point it really appears like it is not, so my next question is, how can I find a dual port 1GB NIC which is both UEFI boot capable and on the HCL for VMware ESXi?

Thanks.

[Caguicla_Intel · Accepted solution]

Hello Dbutch1976,

Thank you for posting in Intel Ethernet Communities.

Please share the following information that would help in checking your query. 

1. Can you share how are you trying to boot from the network or your configuration steps so we can check it?

2. Exact model of your I350 NIC. Is it embedded on you motherboard or it is a PCIe network card

3. Regarding your statement below, can you clarify if you tried booting from the network, both on Windows and ESXi however, it doesn't see the NIC as a potential boot device?

My NIC is working (Intel I250 Gigabit NIC) within windows, however the BIOS doesn't seem to see the NIC as a potential boot device. 

Looking forward to your reply.

We will follow up after 3 business days in case we don't hear from you. 

Best regards,

Crisselle C.

Intel® Customer Support

[Dbutch1976]

Hello,
After eliminating all other possibilities, I bought a new NIC:
1.25G Gigabit Ethernet Converged Network Adapter (NIC) for Intel I350AM2 Controller, Dual Copper RJ45 Ports, PCIE 2.0 X4, Compare to Intel I350-T2
After booting with this NIC I was able to boot from the network. I can only presume the previous NIC was not UEFI boot compliant.
Thanks for the assistance!

[Caguicla_Intel]

Hello Dbutch1976,

Good day!

This is just a follow up to check if you read our initial reply. If yes, please confirm and provide the details we request so we can proceed checking your query. In case you have additional questions or clarifications, please let us know and we will be glad to assist you. 

Awaiting to your reply. 

Should there be no response from you, we will follow up after 3 business days. 

Best regards,

Crisselle C.

Intel® Customer Support

[Caguicla_Intel]

Hello Dbutch1976,

I hope this message finds you well!

Please be informed that we will now close this request since we haven't received any response from our previous follow ups. Just feel free to post a new question if you may have any other inquiry in the future as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Crisselle C.

Intel® Customer Support