OPNSense on ESXi interfering with other VMs

[DavidSte1]

I've got a strange problem.  I'm running OPN sense on a (standalone) ESXi 6.7 server with two nics. There are a bunch of other Linux VMs also running too.

I can ssh into the OPNSense server from my laptop and i can then ssh from there to the Linux VMs (e.g. keeping in the same virtual switch in ESX)

What I can't do is ssh from my laptop to the either the VMs or  to the host management port (also on the same vswitch as the linux VMs).  I also can't load the management web gui for the host on 443.

I can however ping the Linux VMs from my laptop and I can also get onto the desktop of the VMs using Teamviewer which is luckily installed. I can then ssh between the VMs ok.  I can also browse the web through OPNsense.

I did a packet capture on my laptop and I see acks coming back before getting a reset.

My first thought was IPS/IDS sending the reset packets as the Suricata plugin is installed but I've deactivated it and was only configured for the WAN interface anyway (which is a different vswitch in ESX).  If enable the plugin but stop the Suricata service it makes no difference.

I know it's OPNSense though because when I shut it down, everything suddenly bursts back into life and i have full connectivity.

Could Suricata somehow still be running in the background or is there any other service that might behave the same way (I don't have Sensei installed)

Cheers

[Nnyan]

Can't say what is going on with you but I have OPNsense running on ESXi 7 (but until about a week ago it was on 6.7) and I had/have no issues accessing my other Linux/BSD/Windows VM's via SSH.

[matthew.j.hill]

I'm also running OPNsense under esxi, and have no issues.  I have multiple other VMs on that same host, and they all have connectivity to OPNsense, each other, my desktop/laptops, and the Internet.

What does your vswitch setup look like?  I have my management / VM traffic and external traffic segregated onto separate vswitches.  OPNsense is connected to both switches and routes between them, and everything seems fine.

[chrcoluk]

No issues here.