VMware Cloud Community
WeMakeTheNetWor
Contributor
Contributor
Jump to solution

ESXi 6.7 serial port connected over network NOT WORKING

This is supposed to be very simple.

I'm using ESXi 6.7.0 Update 3 (Build 16075168). This is the latest patches applied to date.

Can't get the Serial port over network working for any of my guests. I have Cisco XRv9k VGA and non-VGA, Nexus 9300v, Windows, Cisco CSR1000v.

Added serial ports backing telnet://:XXXXX in multitude of them.

Updated Firewall rule to allow serial connections "VM serial port connected over network" remoteSerialPort enabled true.

Checked with esxcli it allows ports 1024 upwards.

Powering on the guests, Serial ports says Connected = No on the Web Gui.

Checked with NMAP. VMware host is not listening any of the tcp XXXXX port I configured anyway. So no connection possible.

Tried 'telnet hostip XXXXX' obviously anyway. "Connection Refused".

Any ideas?

Reply
0 Kudos
1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
WeMakeTheNetWor
Contributor
Contributor
Jump to solution

right.

here is the answer.

FREE license does not allow you to use the serial port connected over network!

Can't find this information nowhere on VMWare website or otherwise. If you find a link states this, please reply to this.

So the solution: You need to go back to the evaluation license for valid for 60 days.

However, clearing the license from Web Client was not enough. Because it didn't go back to Eval license. It stayed kind of empty. (In 6.7 go to Host > Manage < Licensing > Remove License)

So I tried to enter the Eval licsense. Eval license is all zeroes. However, web client doesn't register the license to 00000 for some reason. It seems like it accepts it but do not register.

I had to do this:

Connect via SSH. Then:

vim-cmd vimsvc/license --show
vim-cmd vimsvc/license --set=00000-00000-00000-00000-00000
vim-cmd vimsvc/license --show

then you can connect with serial over console.

View solution in original post

2 Replies
WeMakeTheNetWor
Contributor
Contributor
Jump to solution

right.

here is the answer.

FREE license does not allow you to use the serial port connected over network!

Can't find this information nowhere on VMWare website or otherwise. If you find a link states this, please reply to this.

So the solution: You need to go back to the evaluation license for valid for 60 days.

However, clearing the license from Web Client was not enough. Because it didn't go back to Eval license. It stayed kind of empty. (In 6.7 go to Host > Manage < Licensing > Remove License)

So I tried to enter the Eval licsense. Eval license is all zeroes. However, web client doesn't register the license to 00000 for some reason. It seems like it accepts it but do not register.

I had to do this:

Connect via SSH. Then:

vim-cmd vimsvc/license --show
vim-cmd vimsvc/license --set=00000-00000-00000-00000-00000
vim-cmd vimsvc/license --show

then you can connect with serial over console.
Arman___
Contributor
Contributor
Jump to solution

I have the same problem exactly but I am not using free license! what kind of license is required exactly? I am using VMware vSphere 6 Essentials license.

Reply
0 Kudos