VM guests are not responding over internet but they are available on local network

[Webio]

Hello!

I'm facing unusual issue. VMware ESXi (3.5u3) is always accessible (I'm using Infrastructure Client) but guest OSes (FreeNAS and Windows 2008 Web Edition) after some time of inactivity become not accessible from internet. Strangest thing here is that if I ping to this guest OSes from local server they becoming available again over internet. I can make them avaiable too by using Infrastructure Client guest console. When I log in to guest OS and ping some host "outside" host becomes available in internet too.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

Thanks in advance

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Welcome to the VMware Community forums. Have you installed VMware Tools in the VMs?

[Webio]

Hello.

VMWare Tools are installed on Windows 2008 guest VM.

[Craig_Baltzer]

Is the VM using the e1000 NIC? If so perhaps try going into Device Manager, Network Adapters, Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT, Power Management and checking to make sure the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" box is unticked...

[Webio]

Actually this option was enabled on Windows (I turned it off and we will see) but I think this is not issue here because I have the same problem with FreeNAS and PandoraFMS VMs. Most weird thing here is that I can always access VM from local network (computer which is located in the server room and has similar IP) even when I use external IP.

[Craig_Baltzer]

Sounds like there is something going on with the switch or routing... Just to make sure I've got this straight:

1. VMs can always "ping" and access addresses both on the local subnet as well as on any other subnet. This never "stops" working

2. Devices on the same subnet as the VMs can always access the VMs. This never "stops" working

3. Devices not on the same subnet as the VMs will lose the ability to to access them after some period of "idle" time. Going to the VM and accessing something outside the local subnet allows the device not on the local subnet that previously could not communicate with the VM to once again communicate

Is this an accurate summary of what you have? If so that "feels" like the VMs MAC address is falling out of a switch table and doesn't get re-added until there is outbound traffic from the VM again...

[malaysiavm]

If I not mistaken, this should be the problem similiar to Vista, as you may experience multiple unnecessary network issue which in vista and windows 2008 that require you to define the connection name for your NIC such as home, work, and etc. I am always experience this problem if it can't show the AD name, or nic name as needed, the OS will prevent you to be accessed. Usually I will turn off all the firewall on the OS level as well.

Malaysia VMware Communities -

[Webio]

Those three points are describing exactly my situation. I was curious why VMWare ESXi is always available so I've disabled NTP client service and after some time ESXi "dissapeared" from Internet too. So my problem for sure is not located in ESXi. But I dont know where to look because mentioned by you switch is not configurable.

[Craig_Baltzer]

Is it possible to swap out that switch or connect the ESX box to a different switch to confirm? If you can't replace the switch then a real "hack" of a work around would be to get all of the VMs syncing to an external time source (or doing something else that generates periodic traffic to keep the connection going)...

[Webio]

I will check tomorrow how VM will behave after powering off/on swtich and restarting router. I hope this will show me where problem is located.

Thanks for help