VMware Horizon authenticating but not connecting on macOS 11.3

[jdcb]

Hi everyone.

I am using VMware Horizon Client Version 2103 Build 8.2.0 (17759009) to try to connect to my employer's server. Authentication is through RSA PIN+token, then my usual username and password. I am on macOS Big Sur 11.3 Beta on a 2018 Mac mini. I actually had VMware working for the first couple of weeks, then nothing for the last 6 weeks or so. I don't think that anything changed on my system in that time.

The software accepts the RSA PIN+token, then the username and password, and I get a screen saying "Loading". After about 90 seconds, the screen disappears and the client closes with no error message.

Thinking it might be a firewall or ISP issue I've tried it with my Mac connected to router by wifi and wired connection, and also wifi to my phone's mobile hotspot. Same thing each time. Mac doesn't have firewall enabled, and have temporarily disabled my ISP router's firewall for testing, but same problem.

I have looked in the log files and there are clearly some errors there but Googling these doesn't turn up much.

Some excerpts from the logs in case they're helpful are below. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as my IT dept are not being very helpful. Thanks.

From vmware-mks log:

2021-04-01T10:01:37.821Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientHandleSocketError: ClientContext:7FF25904F600, vvcSessionId:-2: received socket error on asock: 7FF227D19840, asockId: 4, error: 6
2021-04-01T10:01:37.821Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientIsPeerRejected: WebSocketError: 0, isPeerRejected: No
2021-04-01T10:01:37.821Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientConnectPrimaryViaTunnel: For clientContext: 7FF25904F600, attempting ConnectPrimaryViaTunnel.
2021-04-01T10:01:37.821Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient-UDPProxy] BlastSocketClientUDPProxyLog: UDPProxy_SetRemoteInfo: Set remote host: 10.75.22.222:443 (updating)
2021-04-01T10:01:37.821Z| blastSocket| I005: SOCKET connect to wss://localhost:49539
2021-04-01T10:01:37.822Z| blastSocket| I005: SOCKET creating new IPv4 socket, connecting to 127.0.0.1:49539 (localhost)
2021-04-01T10:01:37.822Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientConnectPrimaryViaTunnel: Closing primarySocket: 7FF227D19840, BlastSocketClientContext: 7FF25904F600 
2021-04-01T10:01:37.822Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientConnectPrimaryViaTunnel: For clientContext: 7FF25904F600, ConnectPrimaryViaTunnel: Success, primaryViaTunnel Asock: 7FF257CB00C0 
2021-04-01T10:01:37.822Z| main| I005: [BlastSocketClient-UDPProxy] BlastSocketClientUDPProxyLog: UDPProxyClientConnected: Connecting to remote socket: 10.75.22.222:443
2021-04-01T10:01:37.823Z| main| I005: Socket stats periodicity is: 60 seconds
2021-04-01T10:01:37.823Z| main| W003: socket 101 transition to state SYN_SENT, reason FECSocketDoConnect refCount 4
2021-04-01T10:01:40.824Z| fecHostThread| W003: FECSocketRexmitCb: rexmitCount 3, closing
2021-04-01T10:01:40.824Z| fecHostThread| W003: socket 101 transition to state CLOSED, reason onMaxRexmit refCount 6
2021-04-01T10:01:40.824Z| main| I005: [BlastSocketClient-UDPProxy] BlastSocketClientUDPProxyLog: UDPProxyConnectError: Connect error 6 (Connection error) on asock 7FF247D92920 ID 9, state = AsyncSocketConnecting
2021-04-01T10:01:40.824Z| main| I005: [BlastSocketClient-UDPProxy] BlastSocketClientUDPProxyLog: UDPProxyConnectError: Closing Local asock 7FF227D2EEA0 ID:8 state:AsyncSocketConnected
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| main| W003: FECSocketDestroy: Destroying listen socket 101
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| main| I005: [BlastSocketClient-UDPProxy] BlastSocketClientUDPProxyError: UDP proxy error 1 for host 10.75.22.222
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: SSL: syscall error 54: Connection reset by peer
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| W003: SOCKET 6 (21) Could not negotiate SSL
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| W003+ 
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| W003: SOCKET 6 (21) Cannot verify target host.
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientHandleSocketError: ClientContext:7FF25904F600, vvcSessionId:-2: received socket error on asock: 7FF257CB00C0, asockId: 6, error: 13
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientIsPeerRejected: WebSocketError: 0, isPeerRejected: No
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientHandleSocketError: Error before primarySocket connect, so closing BlastSocketClientContext: 7FF25904F600 
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientClose: Closing BlastSocketClientContext: 7FF25904F600, reason: 4 
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientClose: Closed BlastSocketClientContext: 7FF25904F600, reason: 4 
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: VIEWCLIENT: VNCClientBlastSocketClientClosed reason: 4
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: VIEWCLIENT: Blast Network Continuity Enabled: No 
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientGetContextMapEntry: ClientContextMap does have entry for vvcSessionId=-2.
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocket_Close: BlastSocketClientContext 7FF25904F600 already Closed, closeReason: 1 
2021-04-01T10:01:40.825Z| blastSocket| I005: [BlastSocketClient] BlastSocketClientPostCloseCleanup: BlastSocketClientPostCloseCleanup: vvcSessionHandle=0, vvcInstanceHandle=0, handlesValid=0, incompleteVvcCloseseq=0, socketCloseCb=1011124F0, closeReason=1

From vmware-view log:

Apr 01 11:01:41.879 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: CdkDoLogoutTask(TODO) added, group task num:1, total task num:1.
Apr 01 11:01:41.880 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: CdkSetUserGlobalPreferencesTask(TODO) added, group task num:2, total task num:2.
Apr 01 11:01:41.880 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: Group Tasks(2):CdkDoLogoutTask(TODO),CdkSetUserGlobalPreferencesTask(TODO),
Apr 01 11:01:41.881 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: CreateRequest for CdkSetUserGlobalPreferencesTask(REDY).
Apr 01 11:01:41.882 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| CdkUtil_SetLocalAddress: local ip address 192.168.0.10 is being picked.
Apr 01 11:01:41.882 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| Send request successful: 0x600002320e00
Apr 01 11:01:42.442 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| CdkDebug_PrintErr: TUNNEL STOPPED: Logout request by system

Apr 01 11:01:42.442 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| CdkTunnelClient_DisconnectCb: TUNNEL DISCONNECT: Logout request by system
Apr 01 11:01:42.442 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| Tunnel connection might have been disconnected.
Apr 01 11:01:42.444 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| Tunnel disconnected with reason: Logout request by system
Apr 01 11:01:42.448 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| CdkRpc_HandleResponsesAsync: Handle Response with rpc call id: 12.
Apr 01 11:01:42.448 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| Got a response to request 12.
Apr 01 11:01:42.448 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: ParseResult for CdkSetUserGlobalPreferencesTask(PEND).
Apr 01 11:01:42.448 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: CdkSetUserGlobalPreferencesTask(DONE) removed, group task num:1, total task num:1.
Apr 01 11:01:42.448 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: SetResult for CdkSetUserGlobalPreferencesTask(DONE).
Apr 01 11:01:42.449 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| Disconnecting from broker https://[CORRECT SERVER ADDRESS]:443/broker/xml
Apr 01 11:01:42.449 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| CdkConnection_SetUrl: Connection url: (null).
Apr 01 11:01:42.450 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| CdkTunnelClient_DisconnectCb: TUNNEL INTERRUPTED: Could not establish tunnel connection
Apr 01 11:01:42.450 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| Reseting global state of libcdk.
Apr 01 11:01:42.450 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| CdkUtil_SetLocalAddress: fd -1 < 0, not retrieving local address.
Apr 01 11:01:42.454 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: SetResult for CdkDoLogoutTask(DONE).
Apr 01 11:01:42.454 +01:00: vmware-view 2417| TaskCombiner: CdkDoLogoutTask(DONE) removed, group task num:0, total task num:0.

[jdcb · Accepted solution]

I managed to fix this. My issue was that the connection was configured for Blast by default but my servers appear to only support PCoIP.

My steps to fix:

• After authenticating, when the "Loading Desktop" screen appears, press "Cancel"
• In the Desktop manager window, the Desktop can then be selected and "Settings" accessed from right click menu
• In settings, change connection type from Blast to PCoIP
• Save settings and retry connection

Interestingly, I was also able to do this on my iPad (change Blast to PCoIP) to get it working.