Sometimes you don’t need a full ISO – maybe you are upgrading an existing ESXi host via esxcli .
Following the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom, the download process has shifted to the . Where to Download Cisco Custom Image for ESXi 7.0 U3
VMware provides a "vanilla" ISO on their portal. However, Cisco servers require specific nmlx (Cisco VIC drivers) and fnic (Cisco Fabric interconnects) drivers that are included in the standard VMware image. download cisco custom image for esxi 7.0 u3
Upgrade ESXi for a Business Edition (BE6K/7K) via vKVM - Cisco
Before you begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place: Sometimes you don’t need a full ISO –
This method is useful if you are also updating firmware (BIOS, network adapters, storage controllers) simultaneously with the ESXi version.
Have you run into any download issues with Cisco’s portal? Let us know in the comments below. Last updated: October 2025 – accurate for ESXi 7.0 U3c and U3d builds. However, Cisco servers require specific nmlx (Cisco VIC
Compare the output with Cisco’s published hash. If they differ → delete and re-download.
: Select version 7.0 from the version dropdown.
if you have a valid support contract. Using it requires a VMware vSphere license for ESXi 7.0 (free Hypervisor edition works only for basic hosts).
Create a Cisco Custom ISO with the vCenter Life Cycle Manager