In this blog we will go back in history and look at ESX 3.5 and changing server configuration in the console screen. I found a very helpful VMware KB post on this subject and below is the main section I found helpful.

Changing settings from the physical or remote console connection

Changing the IP for the Service Console must be done from the physical console or through a remote console session. If you make changes through a network connection such as SSH, network connectivity to the Service Console disconnects because the Service Console’s network interface changes.

1. Run this command to set the IP address:

[root@server root]# esxcfg-vswif -i <a.b.c.d> -n <w.x.y.z> vswif0 , where <a.b.c.d> is the IP address and <w.x.y.z> is the subnet mask.

Note: In this example, v swif0 is the Service Console adapter that is the interface to which you are applying the IP address change.

1. Open the /etc/hosts file with a text editor and modify it so that it reflects the correct IP address and hostname.
2. To change the default gateway address and the hostname, edit the /etc/sysconfig/network file and change the GATEWAY and HOSTNAME parameters to the proper values.
3. For the changes to take place, reboot the host or restart the network service with the command:

[root@server root]# service network restart

Note: This command breaks any current network connections to the Service Console.

Changing the hostname without rebooting

To dynamically change the hostname, run the command:

[root@server root]# hostname newname
Note: This command creates a temporary hostname change. This change is lost when the system is rebooted.

Changing the DNS server settings

To change the DNS server settings, update the nameserver IPs and search domain the /etc/resolv.conf file.

By Paul Wood