Adding an interface to a pfSense ESX VM causes them to be re-ordered on reboot.

[Tactis]

I have a strange issue on a pfSense VM on VMWare ESX7.0

My WAN, LAN and OPT1 interfaces are already assigned and configure with IPs. If I shutdown the VM and add one or more vNICs then when powered back on the interfaces are re-arranged because the newly added interface is now recognised as vmx0 and messes up the assignment.

I've never seen this before today with dozens of deployments to ESX6.7 or XenServer 7 VMs. I can reproduce it every time in this instance.

Attached screenshots with the console interface assignment and VM Nic configuration in the background before and after adding a single VMNic.

Surely this shouldn't be happening if the interfaces are already assigned? Is there anyway to statically link an interface based on MAC address?

[stephenw10]

Yes this is a well known issue with ESXi. It presents the virtual interfaces in a different order if you add more than 4.
Nothing much we can do about it in pfSense directly.
If you know you will need 5 or more NICs add them before you start.

Steve

[Tactis]

@stephenw10 Ok thanks for the info, I'll know that for future.