SSH Connection Delays to ESXi 4.1

[akreitman]

   I'm deploying a demo system based on ESXi 4.1.   When our sales people run these demonstrations, the systems may no be connect to the internet. We've noticed that when we hook up a router that has internet access, ssh connections (putty) are instantaneous.  If we're not connected to the internet, the connections take a very long time (30 seconds to a minute or so).  I suspect its some sort of certificate or reverse dns issue, but I can't find sshd_config.  Does it exist in ESXi?  If ESXi uses it, where should it live?

Thanks

[Shakaal]

Hi,

There is no sshd_config file in ESXi, however sheel access is managed by file /etc/inetd.conf . following are the contents of file on my ESXi system

============================================
# Internet server configuration database

# Remote shell access

ssh      stream   tcp   nowait   root   /sbin/dropbearmulti   dropbear ++min=0,swap,group=shell -i -K60
ssh      stream   tcp6  nowait   root   /sbin/dropbearmulti   dropbear ++min=0,swap,group=shell -i -K60

# VMware authentication daemon
authd   stream    tcp   nowait   root   /sbin/authd           authd
authd   stream    tcp6  nowait   root   /sbin/authd           authd

============================================

You can try following below KB articles for configuring SSH

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/8375637

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1017910

Regards

Shakaal

[akreitman]

Those only tell me how to enable or disable ssh access, not how to configure it.  How can I disable reverse dns lookup for sshd?

[Shakaal]

Hi,

Please make changes to /etc/nsswitch.conf,

and remove dns from line "hosts: files dns"

this will disable dns query at all, also add name entries for the server in /etc/hosts file for name resolution.

Regards

[srnhpp]

Are you using proxy server?

It might be happened that your proxy server checking the firewall rule.