ESXi Host Not Reachable but Virtual Machines Are Running Print

ESXi Host Not Reachable but Virtual Machines Are Running

Sometimes a VMware ESXi host becomes unreachable via vSphere Client or web browser, yet all virtual machines remain fully operational. This situation usually indicates a problem with the ESXi management services, not the underlying hypervisor.

Solution: Restart ESXi Services via SSH

If SSH access to the host was previously enabled, you can restart the management services without rebooting the server or shutting down VMs.

1. Download and launch an SSH client like PuTTY.
2. Connect using the host’s IP address or hostname (e.g., esxiXXXX.utixo.it).
3. Log in as user root using the appropriate password.
4. Run the following command to restart ESXi core services:

services.sh restart

This will reload the main management agents and restore access through the vSphere interface.

Note

This process does not affect running virtual machines. Only management services are restarted.