vmware esxi 4.0 i barf on you.

   
 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, vswif0 is the Service Console adapter that is the interface to which you are applying the IP address change.  
   
 2. Open the /etc/hosts file with a text editor and modify it so that it reflects the correct IP address and hostname.  
   
 Note: You are required to edit files on an ESX host. For more information, see Editing files on an ESX host using vi or nano (1020302).  
   
 Note: You may also need to verify and change the file /etc/vmware/esx.conf file for the hostname and IP address.  
   
 3. 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.  
   
 For the changes to take effect, restart the network service with the command:  
   
 [root@server root]# service network restart