Unable to Open Virtual Machine Web Console in vCenter

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

One user are unable to access the Web Console of Virtual Machines (VMs) from the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) HTML5 client with error:"Couldn't establish a connection to the VM web console."
However,direct connection to the ESXi Host Client (https://<esxi-ip>/ui). Launching the VM web console directly from the managing host bypasses the error and functions normally.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Cause

The rhttpproxy service acts as the central traffic cop for vSphere management communication. Specifically, it is responsible for securing, proxying, and routing the Console MKS (Mouse, Keyboard, Screen) traffic from the ESXi host/vCenter to the user's web browser via WebSockets (typically over port 443).

When this service hangs or stops:

• The web browser cannot establish the necessary secure communication handshake.

• The WebSocket connection fails to initialize, resulting in an immediate connection failure.

Resolution

The issue is resolved by restarting the rhttpproxy service from vCenter server to re-initialize the network listeners and web sockets.