How to View xNIC Logs

  • Updated on Oct 21, 2025
  • Published on May 31, 2023
  • 2 minute(s) read
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Locating xNIC Logs

An xNIC installed on a virtual machine creates one .log file per day with the following naming structure: swx-xnic.log.N (where N is a number from 1 to 9; when the system gets to the number 9, the next log will be 1). If the file size exceeds the maximum within the same day (16MB), it will be renamed by adding a counter as a suffix. Then, a new file will be created.

To find the logs, use the following file paths:

Windows

  • C:\Users\Public\swxtch\logs

Linux

  • /var/log/swxtch

For Linux, logs can also be viewed by using journalctl: 

sudo journalctl -u swx-xnic -n 500 -f

NOTE

Standard journalctl arguments apply (see How to View cloudSwXtch and swXtchBridge Logs for more details). The above examples use -n for number of lines and -f to follow.

Log File Deletion

Log files older than 30 days are automatically deleted.

What is verbosity?

Depending on the level of verbosity detailed in the xNIC config file, a log will contain different application messages and usage statistics. The default verbosity level after xNIC installation is 0, which means that no periodic statistics are being reported. It will only show start and stop information, as well as critical errors.

A user can change the verbosity to pull more information out from their xNIC. The levels are detailed below:

  • Level 0: Only show start and stop info as well as critical errors. This is the default.

  • Level 1: Shows statistics and IGMP messages

  • Level 2: Additional control messages

  • Level 3: Hexadecimal dumps of control/config packages

  • Level 4: Hexadecimal dumps of data packages

An average user would typically only need up to Level 2 for troubleshooting issues with their xNIC.

Verbosity and File Size

Please note that increasing the verbosity level of future logs will result in larger file sizes. It is recommended to revert back to the default Level 0 when testing and troubleshooting are complete.

How to Change Verbosity

To change the verbosity, a user can manually edit the xNIC config file on their VM.

For Windows:

  1. Go to the swx-xnic folder on the VM where the xNIC is installed:
    C:\Program Files\SwXtch.io\swx-xnic\swx-xnic-config.json

  2. Open the swx-xnic-config.json file.

  3. Change the number next to "verbosity" so that it matches the level you desire. The default is 0.

  4. Save and Close the JSON file.

  5. Open "Task Manager" and go to the "Services" tab at the top right  of the window.

  6. To apply changes from the JSON file, scroll down to "swx-xnic-service" and right-click on it.

  7. Select Restart.

The selection in verbosity will now be applied to future logs. This should only be changed if directed by swXtch.io, and ensure that they are set back to default when troubleshooting is complete.

For Linux:

  1. Enter the following command to view your config file in the terminal. Make sure it is on the xNIC you want logs for.

    sudo nano /var/opt/swxtch/swx-xnic-config.json

  2. Look for "verbosity" line and change the value to match the desired level. The default is 0.

  3. Save and Exit the file (CTRL+X, then hit “Y”, then “Enter”)

  4. Restart the swx-xnic service by using the following command

    sudo systemctl restart swx-xnic

The selection in verbosity will now be applied to future logs. This should only be changed if directed by swXtch.io, and ensure that they are set back to default when troubleshooting is complete.

PRO-TIP

Users can rename the existing log file before restarting the xNIC service in order to differentiate it from the freshly generated log file containing the new verbosity data.