IDRAC 8 Virtual Console Fail To Connect

Hi,

1. Reset drac
2. Revert to an older Java version

1. Prior to uninstall your current version, turn off Auto Java updates.
2. Then, open the Control Panel.
3. When the Control Panel appears, select Apps from the Windows Settings screen.
4. Select Java from the Apps and Features screen.
5. Click the Uninstall button.
6. If an older version of Java is shown, do not uninstall it.
7. If not, go to https://dell.to/2HhGiiz next.
8. Click the Download button.
9. Then, click the Other Versions link on the left-hand menu.

As a workaround, you need to run an older browser and Java. Rolling back your Java to a later version might be a tad inconvenient, but do take into consideration that there are plenty of other applications that don’t work with the latest major releases of Java.

That should be enough to allow you to launch the Dell virtual console again. If you are still having problems, then it’s worth cycling the DRAC Plug-in Type between Java and Native or disabling Encrypted Video on the DRAC.

Virtual console use port 5900. We seen "The network connection has been dropped" message when port 5900 is not allowed by firewall. Can you check whether port 5900 is allowed in your network. You can also change the plugin to HTML5 (Overview -> Server -> Virtual Console) and see whether virtual console is working.

Thank you for your reply @DELL-Shine K .

The firewall is open as this has worked in the past, I confirmed the network team hasn't made any modifications.

I also tried changing the plug-in type to HTML5 but am unable to connect there as well.

Any other suggestions?

Thank you for your reply @DellEMCSupport ,

I've already tried uninstalling my current version of Java and installing older versions. Older versions of Java I have tried are:

jre-8u162-windows-x64
jre-8u171-windows-x64
jre-8u172-windows-x64

Do you know which version of Java works with IDRAC 8 and the latest version of Chrome? There are literally hundreds of old versions of Java, I can't try them all and hope one works.

I have tried your suggestion of cycling the DRAC Plug-in Type between Java and Native or disabling Encrypted Video on the DRAC but the same error persists.

Any other suggestions?

Can you reboot iDRAC and check the same? You can also update iDRAC and BIOS to latest (if not latest) and try.

Hi, would this be helpful for the recovery?

@DellEMCSupport ,

That article does not help as it does not pertain to my issue.

@DELL-Shine K ,

I've already attempted to reset the IDRAC & reboot the host, none of that has fixed my console access issue.

@DELL-Shine K  @DellEMCSupport ,

Any other suggestions here? I'm unable to log into any of our machines via IDRAC, this is a big problem.

Hello,

Resetting the iDRAC, checking the relevant ports, testing multiple browsers and testing multiple versions of Java are the steps I know to try. What I'd recommend at this point is taking a laptop and cabling directly to the iDRAC's Ethernet port. You'll need to manually assign a routable IP, but this would remove any network variables. If you're still unable to connect, I'd recommend opening a service ticket with support. 

Hi @Dell-DylanJ ,

Thank you for the suggestions. I've tried all those things already with the exception of connecting a laptop directly to the host. I know this works because I've connected to this host in the past. It is probably a combination of java and my browser version that's causing a problem connecting here, I just don't have the time to install literally hundreds of versions of Java to hopefully get one that works.

I've also tried to open a service ticket with support however our machine is out of warranty so they couldn't/wouldn't help and directed me here. I'm out of ideas here.

Unfortunately, there's not much more I can think to try. I'd agree with you when you say that is must be a connectivity issue, if a separate card is exhibiting the same behavior. Working backwards is the best plan I can really suggest.

Should others find this in the future, I traced this down to an issue with our AV software, specifically Kaspersky (at a client site).

KAS is inserting an intermediate certificate, to try and "secure" the connection, which breaks iDRAC console with a "connection dropped" message.  This happens with both Chrome and Firefox, on the latest release of the iDRAC firmware - March, 2023.

Cheers, -Ian

@IJSaul​ Appreciate this. I had to delete Kaspersky off my laptop, restart my laptop, open iDrac in a private window and the console worked. Ohhh, it's only been about 3 hours of trouble shooting but now it works.