ESXi 6.0 Guests not seeing USB drive connected to Host

Now this is my "pet hate" subject from the VMware camp, and I wish that they had never implemented USB Passthrough, not to be confused with VM Direct Path I/O, where you present a PCI card to a VM, which could be a USB controller.

USB Passthrough was developed by VMware to support Security Keys, Dongles, what ever you want to call them, it was never designed to allow VMware Administrators, to connect any USB device to a server, for VM usage, just because VMware Administrators, noticed a USB port on the back of a server, and a USB option in the VM.

Basically it comes down to, if the device is not on the VMware HCL, it's not a supported device, and this is ridiculous because VMware are not going to certify every USB device on the planet, and they've never updated the VMware HCL (USB supported list), and it's now so old, most of those devices no longer exist.

VMware Support USB Devices - the VMware USB HCL

SO, USB devices, connected to ESXi, for USB Passthrough, if it's not on the list not supported, and if it does work, your mileage is going to vary.

You can read my EE Article, and do ensure to read ALL the comments, and VMware bashing I've given over this very subject.


HOW TO: Add and Connect a USB Device to a Virtual Machine, hosted on VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESX 4.1 ESXi 4.1, ESXi 5.0

(article valid for 5.5 and 6.0)

and the Group discussion

https://www.experts-exchange.com/discussions/209901/VMware-Support-Test-for-USB-Passthrough-issue.html

Looks like I have the correct procedure

Just do not have a compatible usb drive

I run vSphere on my computer and if I plug in the same usb drive into my computer I am able to attach the usb drive to any of my clients.

Strange how that works but not from the host

I do have a usb dvd drive that I connect to the Host and that works my guests see it no problem

USB drives ????

Thanks Andrew

No problems NFS NAS Backup is best.