Understanding the challenges and workarounds for H200 passthrough in ESXi 8.0 upgrades

If you’re running a home server or a small lab setup, you might have come across the need for H200 passthrough in ESXi. It’s a handy way to pass your H200 RAID controller directly to a VM, often a TrueNAS virtual machine, so it can effectively manage your storage hardware itself. But here’s the catch: after upgrading from ESXi 6.7 to ESXi 8.0, folks report that H200 passthrough becomes a headache — sometimes it just shows up greyed out and unavailable.

I recently did the upgrade myself and faced the same issue. The H200 card, which I’ve flashed to IT mode years ago to keep things simple and reliable, suddenly refused to be passed through to my TrueNAS VM. Given the official VMware documentation states that the H200 isn’t supported on ESXi 8.0, it’s clear that there are compatibility hiccups this time around.

What is H200 passthrough, and why does it matter?

Simply put, passthrough lets a VM take exclusive control over a physical device — in this case, the H200 RAID controller. This is particularly useful when you want the VM to directly manage storage without interference from the hypervisor. For TrueNAS users, it’s one of the best ways to ensure stable and high-performing storage management.

Why is H200 passthrough tricky in ESXi 8.0?

The main problem is that VMware dropped official support for some older RAID controllers in the new ESXi version. The H200, being an older card, got caught in this. When you upgrade, ESXi 8.0’s device manager may grey out the H200, meaning it can’t be assigned to your VM anymore.

But why does a lack of official support cause it to be greyed out? Under the hood, ESXi restricts passthrough on devices that it doesn’t officially support or that don’t meet certain technical criteria. This is a cautious move to maintain system stability and security but can be frustrating for home lab enthusiasts relying on older hardware.

Is there any hope for using H200 passthrough with ESXi 8.0?

There are a few things you can try if you want to keep using your H200 passthrough setup:

• Check firmware and drivers: Make sure your H200 is correctly flashed to IT mode and running the latest stable firmware. Sometimes updates outside ESXi can help.
• Use alternative devices: If passthrough is a must and troubleshooting doesn’t help, consider newer controllers or those explicitly supported by ESXi 8.0 – it may save headache down the line.
• Look for community workarounds: Sometimes tech forums and home lab communities share hacks — like custom driver tweaks or invisible passthrough enabling methods — but they require patience and caution.

What else can you do with your ESXi 8.0 and TrueNAS setup?

If you find passthrough isn’t an option, there’s still hope:

• Use RDM (Raw Device Mapping) as a middle ground to give your VM more direct disk access.
• Network-attached storage or iSCSI setups between your hypervisor and storage can be a flexible alternative.

Final thoughts on H200 passthrough and ESXi 8.0

Upgrading major versions like ESXi 8.0 can sometimes leave older hardware behind, but it also pushes the boundaries for stability and security. If you depend on H200 passthrough for TrueNAS in your home setup, first double-check the official VMware hardware compatibility guide and see what alternatives might fit your needs better.

Sometimes the best approach is to evaluate whether it’s worth upgrading your hardware alongside the software to avoid these passthrough frustrations. Either way, there’s a broad community of home lab enthusiasts navigating these same waters, so don’t hesitate to seek advice or share your experiences!

For more on VMware ESXi updates and hardware support, you can check out the official VMware blog, which often shares detailed posts about version changes and features.

And if you want to dive deeper into IT mode flashing or storage controller passthrough techniques, the TrueNAS forums have a wealth of user-generated tips and tricks.

Remember, while the H200 passthrough challenge is annoying, it’s a great excuse to sharpen your knowledge about virtualization, hardware management, and home server setups. Keep experimenting, and your setup will only get better from here!