Poor network performance on virtual machines on a Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V host if VMQ is enabled

This article provides a workaround for an issue that occurs if you have a Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V host that uses a Broadcom network adapter.

Applies to:   Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number:   2902166

Symptoms

Consider the following scenario:

  • You have a Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V host that uses a Broadcom network adapter.
  • You create a virtual switch that binds to the network adapter.
  • You enable virtual machine queue (VMQ) on the Hyper-V host.

In this scenario, you experience poor network performance on the virtual machines that are hosted on the Hyper-V host.

Cause

This is a known issue with Broadcom network adapter drivers when VMQ is enabled. The following Broadcom network adapters are affected:

  • 57712
  • 57800
  • 57810
  • 57840

Resolution

Broadcom is aware of this issue and will release a driver update to resolve the issue. Until the driver update is available, you can work around the issue by taking one of the following actions:

  • Disable VMQ on the Virtual Network Adapter by using the following Windows PowerShell cmdlet:

    Set-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name <VirtualNetworkAdapterName> -VmqWeight 0
    

    Note

    If the problem is not solved, disable VMQ on the Broadcom network adapter.

  • Change the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the virtual switch.

    Note

    IP address of the Hyper-V host may change if DHCP is used.

If you use System Center Virtual machine Manager (SCVMM), SCVMM can automatically assign a new MAC address.

To manually assign a MAC address, follow these steps:

  1. Assign a MAC address by using the following Windows PowerShell cmdlet:

    Set-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name <VirtualNetworkAdapterName> -StaticMacAddress <MacAddress>
    
  2. Assign a dynamically generated MAC address by using the following Windows PowerShell cmdlet:

    Set-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name <VirtualNetworkAdapterName> -DynamicMacAddress
    
  • If there's another unaffected network adapter on the Hyper-V host, bind the virtual switch to that network adapter.

Third-party information disclaimer

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.