Summary: How to to install ESXi 6.5 to get a home lab so I can test around and prepare for my VCP 6 certification.
Date: Around 2015
Refactor: 21 February 2025: Checked links and formatting.

ESXi version: VVMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.5.0-4564106.x86_64.iso
VMware Workstation version: VMware-workstation-full-10.0.7-2844087.exe

Follow these steps from VMware Workstation:

• From the VMware Workstation toolbar, click File > New Virtual machine
• Click Custom (advanced), then click Next
• Set the hardware compatibility for the virtual machine to Workstation 10, then click Next
• Click Installer disk Image file (ISO), and browse and select the ESXi ISO file. Then click Next
• Select VMware ESXi 5 as the Guest Operating System (as this is the newest available) and click Next:
  

• Enter a name for your virtual machine (esxi01) and choose where to save it, then click Next
• Keep the processor configuration default (2 processors)
• Set the memory to what you need, but at least 4 GB, otherwise the installation will fail
• Keep the Network Type to NAT
• Keep the SCSI controller to LSI Logic
• Keep the virtual disk type to SCSI
• Select the “Create a new virtual disk” option and after clicking next set the following values for the virtual disk:
  • Size: 40 GB
  • Do NOT allocate all disk space now
  • Split virtual disk into multiple files
• Keep the default naming suggestion for the vmdk files
• Review your settings and click Finish to create the VM

Now the VM is created, and when finished click “Power on this virtual machine” and follow these steps to start the installation:

• Warning:

To prevent these warnings, on my Lenovo X1 I had to change the following BIOS settings:

• Security → Virtualization:
  • Intel Virtualization Technology to Enabled
  • Intel VT-d Feature to enabled
• Security → Memory Protection:
  • Execution Prevention to Disabled

Now the VM starts successfully although you might still get a warning about a keyboard hook. Click OK to have the value updated:

The installer start automatically, so just wait and enjoy the show until you have to do something again:

• On the welcome screen press ENTER to continue
• Press F11 to accept the license agreement
• Select the disk to install ESXi onto. If correctly found it should be 40 GB, so press ENTER to continue:
  

• Select your keyboard layout (US Default)
• Fill in the root password and press ENTER to continue
• On the confirm Install screen press F11 to start the installation:
  

• When the installation is ready, first remove the ISO from the VM:
  • Go to VM –> Removable Devices → CD/DVD (IDE) → Disconnect
  • Then press ENTER to reboot the VM

After the reboot the VM will show the default ESXi screen:

As you can see in the screenshot above the ESXi host has received a DHCP address. To change this into a STATIC address follow these steps:

• Press F2 and enter the root credentials
• Select Configure Management Network, then press Enter.
• Select IPv4 Configuration, then press Enter.
• Select “Set static IP addresses and network configuration”, then press the Space bar.
• Press the Down Arrow key to select the IP Address field, then enter the correct information, followed by ENTER (only change the subnet mask and default gateway if you really need to)
• Press ESC to save to exit
• When you are prompted to restart the management network for the changes to take effect, press Y.
• Press ESC again to go back to the main screen.

Now you see that the IP Address is configured as STATIC:

Note that if you need more hosts because you want to test around with clustering you need to repeat all above steps.

Note that if you want to run a 64 bit VM in this setup you need to add the following line to the VMs VMX file:

vhv.enable = "TRUE"