Help Needed! Network Accessibility Issues with ZimaOS on HPE MicroServer Gen10 Plus

Operating System ZimaOS
1

Hello everyone,

I’m struggling to get network access to my ZimaOS dashboard on an HPE MicroServer Gen10 Plus. I’ve tried multiple network configurations, but I’m stuck. Here is my setup and the issue:

Hardware: * HPE MicroServer Gen10 Plus (32GB RAM / 512GB NVMe / 4TB RAID 1)

  • Primary Workstation: MacBook Air

The Situation:

  1. iLO Access: I can access the iLO 5 management interface without any issues (IP: 172.30.123.191).

  2. OS Access: ZimaOS is installed and running on the NVMe. It pulls a DHCP IP (e.g., 172.30.123.195).

  3. The Problem: My workstation is on the 172.30.116.x subnet. I cannot access the ZimaOS Web UI or ping the server from my PC.

  4. What I’ve Tried:

    • If I manually set my PC to a static IP in the .123 range, I can access the dashboard. However, the server has no internet access in this state.

    • If I move the server to my PC’s subnet (172.30.116.x) using nmcli via iLO terminal, I lose all connectivity to the OS, even though the Gateway is reachable from the server’s side.

    • I’ve tried flushing all nmcli connections and creating a clean DHCP/Static profile on eth0 with only one cable plugged into Port 1.

The Paradox: iLO works across subnets, but the OS doesn’t. When I’m in the same subnet, I have a local connection but no internet. It feels like a VLAN or Routing issue specific to the MicroServer’s 4-port NIC or the corporate switch.

Has anyone encountered this specific “cross-subnet” isolation with ZimaOS on HPE gear? Any advice on how to bridge this so I can have both Web UI access and Internet on the server?

2

This behaviour is most likely network/VLAN related rather than a ZimaOS issue.

The important thing to understand is that iLO runs on a completely separate management interface, so it can often be reachable across subnets even when the operating system network is not. Therefore iLO working does not confirm the OS network is correctly routed.

From your description:

  • ZimaOS receives an IP in 172.30.123.x
  • Your workstation is in 172.30.116.x
  • You can only access the dashboard when your laptop is manually moved into the .123 subnet

This strongly suggests the two networks are isolated VLANs with no routing between them. In that situation the server and workstation cannot communicate unless they are on the same subnet.

The other symptom you mentioned (local access but no internet) usually indicates either:

  • an incorrect gateway, or
  • the server being connected to a switch port assigned to a different VLAN.

On HPE MicroServer systems this can also happen if the OS NIC is plugged into a port configured for a different VLAN than expected, while iLO sits on a management network.

A couple of quick checks that will help diagnose it:

ip a
ip route
nmcli connection show

Look for the default route line, which should normally look something like:

default via 172.30.xxx.1 dev eth0

If possible, it would also help to confirm:

  • which physical NIC port the cable is plugged into
  • what VLAN the switch port is configured for

If the switch port is assigned to VLAN 123, that would explain exactly why the server is isolated from devices on 172.30.116.x.