VMware Remote Console (VMRC) requires that SSL is enabled on hosts

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When you use VMware Remote Console to connect to a virtual machine that runs on a host with SSL disabled, you see the following error:

Unable to connect to the MKS: SSL required .

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.0

Resolution

SSL authentication is enabled on ESXi hosts by default.
If disabled SSL on a host, you must enable it again before you can use VMware Remote Console (VMRC) to access a virtual machine.
You can enable SSL:

• From vSphere Web Client or
• Using Tech Support Mode or the ESXi Shell

Process to enable SSL from the vSphere Web Client:

1. Open the vSphere Web Client and select the host in the inventory.
2. Click the Settings tab, and select Advanced System Settings under System.
3. Search for SSL, select the Config.Defaults.security.host.ruissl setting and click the Edit icon.

Process to enable SSL authentication using Tech Support Mode or the ESXi Shell:

1. Connect directly to the host as a user with root privileges. The ESXi 5.0 host can be accessed using Tech Support Mode (TSM). ESXi 5.1 and later include the ESXi shell.
2. Open the /etc/vmware/config file using a text editor.
3. Locate the security.host.ruissl entry.
4. Change the value of security.host.ruissl from FALSE to TRUE.
   
   If it is set to no, change it to yes .

Note: If the security.host.ruissl entry is not available in the /etc/vmware/config file, add the entry and set it to appropriate value.