I want my VMware vmxnet3 interface to be brought up with DHCP on boot. I can manually configure the NIC with: # ifconfig vmxnet3s0 plumb # ipadm create-addr -T dhcp vmxnet3s0/v4dhcp But after creating /etc/dhcp.vmxnet3s0 and rebooting, the interface is down and the logs show: Aug 13 09:34:15 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 654879 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: getcapab(0x200000) -> no Aug 13 09:34:15 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 715698 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: stop() Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 654879 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: getcapab(0x200000) -> no Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 920500 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: start() Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 778983 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: getprop(TxRingSize) -> 256 Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 778983 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: getprop(RxRingSize) -> 256 Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 778983 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: getprop(RxBufPoolLimit) -> 512 Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann nwamd[491]: [ID 605049 daemon.error] 1: nwamd_set_unset_link_properties: dladm_set_linkprop failed: operation not supported Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann vmxnet3s: [ID 654879 kern.notice] vmxnet3s:0: getcapab(0x20000) -> no Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann nwamd[491]: [ID 751932 daemon.error] 1: nwamd_down_interface: ipadm_delete_addr failed on vmxnet3s0: Object not found Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann nwamd[491]: [ID 819019 daemon.error] 1: nwamd_plumb_unplumb_interface: plumb IPv4 failed for vmxnet3s0: Operation not supported on disabled object Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann nwamd[491]: [ID 160156 daemon.error] 1: nwamd_plumb_unplumb_interface: plumb IPv6 failed for vmxnet3s0: Operation not supported on disabled object Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann nwamd[491]: [ID 771489 daemon.error] 1: add_ip_address: ipadm_create_addr failed on vmxnet3s0: Operation not supported on disabled object Aug 13 09:34:17 neumann nwamd[491]: [ID 405346 daemon.error] 9: start_dhcp: ipadm_create_addr failed for vmxnet3s0: Operation not supported on disabled object I then tried disabling network/physical:nwam in favour of network/physical:default. This works, the interface is brought up but physical:default fails and my network services (e.g. NFS) refuse to start. # ifconfig -a lo0: flags=2001000849<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv4,VIRTUAL> mtu 8232 index 1 inet 127.0.0.1 netmask ff000000 vmxnet3s0: flags=1004843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:1: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:2: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:3: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:4: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:5: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:6: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:7: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 vmxnet3s0:8: flags=1004842<BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,DHCP,IPv4> mtu 9000 index 2 inet 192.168.178.248 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.178.255 lo0: flags=2002000849<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv6,VIRTUAL> mtu 8252 index 1 inet6 ::1/128 vmxnet3s0: flags=20002000840<RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv6> mtu 9000 index 2 inet6 ::/0 # cat /var/svc/log/network-physical\:default.log [ Aug 16 09:46:39 Enabled. ] [ Aug 16 09:46:41 Executing start method ("/lib/svc/method/net-physical"). ] [ Aug 16 09:46:41 Timeout override by svc.startd. Using infinite timeout. ] starting DHCP on primary interface vmxnet3s0 ifconfig: vmxnet3s0: DHCP is already running [ Aug 16 09:46:43 Method "start" exited with status 96. ] NFS server not running: # svcs -xv network/nfs/server svc:/network/nfs/server:default (NFS server) State: offline since August 16, 2012 09:46:40 AM UTC Reason: Service svc:/network/physical:default is not running because a method failed. See: http://illumos.org/msg/SMF-8000-GE Path: svc:/network/nfs/server:default svc:/milestone/network:default svc:/network/physical:default Reason: Service svc:/network/physical:nwam is disabled. See: http://illumos.org/msg/SMF-8000-GE Path: svc:/network/nfs/server:default svc:/milestone/network:default svc:/network/physical:nwam Reason: Service svc:/network/nfs/nlockmgr:default is disabled. See: http://illumos.org/msg/SMF-8000-GE Path: svc:/network/nfs/server:default svc:/network/nfs/nlockmgr:default See: man -M /usr/share/man -s 1M nfsd Impact: This service is not running. I'm new to the world of Solaris, so any help solving would be much appreciated. Thanks!