Web Portal Lab Access Connectivity Test

ESXLab Web Portal

Lab Access Connectivity Test

ESXLab remote access labs are accessible using standard web ports through our Lab Access Web Portal.

This approach offers many advantages including:

• Access is via HTTP port 80 or HTTPS port 443 only. No non-standard ports are used/required
• No changes are required to access our labs through highly restricted corporate firewalls or via Web proxies
• Access can be performed from any HTML 5 compliant device. This includes tablets, notebooks and other devices
• There is no need to have a Microsoft Terminal Services Client application installed on your access device

Our Lab Access Web Portal offers the following benefits:

• Students access their Lab through Console 0 of a Windows Server Virtual Machine. Since you always (re)connect to Console 0, you don't have to worry about reconnecting to a dropped session
• Instructors can perform full session shadowing and interaction on all student remote Lab Access VMs. Instructors and students can share the student's session. Instructors can take over a remote session and guide students through problems.

 

This document provide guidance and suggestions for performing a pre-class server pod connectivity test and also for resolving server pod connectivity problems.

Student Desktop PC/Notebook/Tablet Requirements

You access our remote server pods from desktop PCs, notebooks or tablets running any modern operating system . You will need:

• One PC or tablet for each attendee and an additional PC for the instructor
• An HTML 5 compliant browser (e.g.: recent FireFox, Internet Explorer 9+ or Safari. Chrome may work (still being tested))
• Linux will work if you have FireFox installed
• Safari on Apple Mac OS/X will work
• Student and instructor PCs must support 1280x1024 or higher native resolution video.
  Retina displays, 1080p displays or 1600x1050 resolution displays are encouraged.
  Devices with just 720p (approx 1300x768) or lower resolution are not be suitable as our remote desktops require more resolution
• The ability to browse the Internet
• Critical - You must have a reliable Internet connection. This means speeds of 2mb/s (up and down) or better with low latency and very low packet loss.
  Cellular data networks are not recommended and may lead to session disconnects
  Heavily loaded Internet connections are not recommended and may also lead to session disconnects
  To check your network upload/download speed and latency, please visit www.speedtest.net

Connectivity Test

Please follow the instructions below to perform a connectivity test:

Lab Access Web Portal

To test connectivity to our remote access server pods, you will need the following information:

• The Web Portal Login name: ________
  
  
• The Web Portal Password: _______

Launch an HTML 5 compliant browser and browse to portal.esxlab.com. You should see:

Enter your Login name and Password (from above) and click Login.

To access your remote session, click either the

vSphere Desktop Access link under Console Access Links, or

Console thumbnail image under Recently Opened Console Sessions

Yellow Sticky Note

This has useful information about your labs (lab access credentials, etc.).

Student Handout

This PDF contains information you need to reference when doing labs. Depending on your class, it may contain any/all of:

• Supplemental instructions
• Points of clarification
• Instructions that replace the generic instructions in the Lab guide
• Things to watch out for when working through the labs

Please be absolutely sure to read and follow the instructions in the Student Handout

Instructors

If you are logging in with Instructor credentials, you will see remote session links for all of the students in your class. Click any student icon to shadow or interact with the student's session. Just be warned, they will see what you do just as you can see what they are doing!

 

Reporting Results

We encourage customers to run the above tests at the earliest possible opportunity and to correct any deficiencies discovered. A failure to complete these tests could result in an inability to connect to our remote access labs at the start of your class. We will not be held responsible for such problems.

Please report your results back to your partner at the earliest opportunity. They, in turn, will inform us that you are ready to go.