Manage ESXi Firewall Settings by Using the VMware Host Client

When you are logged in to an ESXi host with the VMware Host Client, you can configure incoming and outgoing firewall connections for a service or a management agent.

Note: If different services have overlapping port rules, enabling one service might implicitly enable other services. You can specify which IP addresses are allowed to access each service on the host to avoid this problem.

Procedure

1. Click Networking in the VMware Host Client inventory.
2. Click Firewall rules.
   The VMware Host Client displays a list of active incoming and outgoing connections with the corresponding firewall ports.
3. For some services you can manage service details. Right-click a service and select an option from the pop-up menu.
   • Use the Start, Stop, or Restart buttons to change the status of a service temporarily.
   • Change the Startup Policy to configure the service to start and stop with the host, the firewall ports, or manually.