Use a tool like WinSCP or the scp command to connect to the host.

A VMDK created for ESXi 7.x may not run properly on Workstation 12 or Player 6 (hardware version mismatches). You may need to downgrade the virtual hardware version.

: In many VMware setups, a "VMDK" actually consists of two parts: a small text descriptor file ( .vmdk ) and a large data file ( -flat.vmdk ).

| Connection | Typical Download Time (20 GB VMDK) | Feasibility | |------------|--------------------------------------|--------------| | 1 Gbps fiber | ~3–5 minutes | Excellent | | 100 Mbps cable | ~30–40 minutes | Acceptable | | 25 Mbps DSL | ~2–3 hours | Annoying | | 5 Mbps (rural/mobile) | ~10–12 hours | Impractical | | Metered LTE | High cost | Not recommended |

: Some networking or security vendors (like Juniper ) provide VMDK versions of their appliances for lab testing. 3. Using Command Line or External Tools

If your goal is simply to use a remote VM: