vmware vsphere client console black

Hi Andrew,

I have just rebooted server. I will try that suggestion when it comes back

Hi Andrew,

When I telnet I get the following error message:

220 VMware Authentication Daemon Version 1.10: SSL Required, ServerDaemonProtocol:SOAP, MKSDisplayProtocol:VNC , VMXARGS supported, NFCSSL supported

Okay, that is how it should respond.

and you still get a black screen on ALL VMs ?

also check that you can resolve the ESXi server IP Address by hostname, and fqdn

so check with ping and tracert to hostname and iP Address

Hi Andrew,

I'll check.

I should mention that I don't have this problem when connecting from home.

Hi Andrew,

The server hasn't been defined with an fqdn.

I am hiring it online from 'Bare Metal Servers'

and you still get a black screen on ALL VMs ?

yes

so, if you have got a fqdn, created one!

edit your hosts file and add

192.168.1.100 server100.myserver.com

and then use the vSphere Client to connect to server100.myserver.com

So Andrew,

I added the following;

64.xx.xx.xx            bmetal.noc.baremetalcloud.com

But when I ping the name its not resolved

I don't understand why I don't have the same problem from my home?

name resolution, DNS.

if you ping bmetal.noc.baremetalcloud.com

it should resolve and ping

create a simpler DNS name

Hi Andrew,,

So I creates as shown below,


but still won't resolve the name


# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
#      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
#       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
#      127.0.0.1       localhost
#      ::1             localhost
64.xx.xx.xx            bmetal.noc.baremetalcloud.com

just put the word....

64.xx.xx.xx server

ping server

does it resolve to server, and ping.....

you may also want to do a

ipconfig /flushdns

Oops!

I added the following:

64.xx.xx.xx            bmetal.baremetalcloud.com

OK, I'll try that

Andrew

I tried exactly
C:\Users\Pattec01>ping server
Ping request could not find host server. Please check the name and try again.

Are you editing the hosts file?

are you saving the hosts file?

are you editing the hosts file as Administrator ?

something weird or not correct with your hosts files.

host file is normally located in windows in

c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

so if you do....

type c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

what do you get ?

hi mate,

The black screen on VI/vSphere Console can be caused due to the following reasons
 
1. As Andy suggests, issues related to DNS/FQDN of host/guest
Verify the DNS/FQDN of both ESXi host and guest
 
2. ESXi host may need to restart management agent services (kb1003490)
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003490
Check the other VMs hosted by the same ESX/ESXi host.If they don’t have issue this may not be the cause
- here also sometimes happens that VM Console are working when You concect directly to ESXi host but not working when You connect via vCenter Server connection, then it's a problem with vCenter Server (fw, services. lack of memory or disk space).

3. Video memory of VM is too small for WDDM video driver
  (C:\Program Files\Common Files\VMware\Drivers\wddm_video\)
I suggest video RAM increase to 32-64 MB (kb1016770), it sometimes happens that older vm's (or virtual appliances) may have as little as 4MB which is too small to work correctly in most cases
 
4. Firewall blocking ports 902/903 (kb749640)
- fw may do it on the ESXi host (do it when you access it via HTTP Proxy or sometimes via VPN or other LAN segment):
To enable port "on proxy", do this
   Log in to ESXi, open /etc/vmware/config
   add line -
   vmauthd.server.alwaysProxy = "TRUE"
 service mgmt-vmware restart    (it will restart all management services on ESXi host)

- FW may do it on your workstation
So check local fw rules, maybe disable fw for a while to test it with disabled fw (Enable FW again after test !!!)

- using a WWW/HTTP proxy server on a management workstation
/set in Control Panel/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings/Proxy Server/Address
or
/set as via GPO as a windows system proxy (check by command "netsh winhttp show proxy")
check without a proxy

- company FW may also block access to these ports, so contaxt an corporate FW admins

QUESTIONS:
Are this problem come to other vm or 1 particular vm?

Are you connect via vCenter Server or directly to ESXi? if via vCenter Server, do You check directly to ESXi? is the situation the same?

To troubleshoot this you can also connect via RDP to some VM on that ESXi (but not to that which you have a problem) and then install vSphere Client here and then connect to Console again and check if it working, if working ok the problem is rather closer to yous workstation/FW/DNS or LAN/FW, but if not working the problem may be closer to ESXi itself, DNS or vCenter Server or VM video ram.

best regards
NTShad0w

Thanks Andrew