1. VMware Client won't connect to anything: http://screencast.com/t/KIUzUUGM
2. Ping to the VM worked, but telnet to any of the ports of the VM you suggested didn't: http://screencast.com/t/KIUzUUGM
3. Telnet to 3389 at the VM did work (not shown.. but 3389 responded.)
4. Since its Win7 VM, I think you mean to say that the logs are in %programdata%\Vmware\View .. but even then there's nothing there at all: http://screencast.com/t/UlhsewqL
5. Here's my netstat -an output from a machine with the View client: http://screencast.com/t/dUAf5e3MK
Thanks.
PS: What *IS* true is that I used the VMware BAT Commands to "optimize" the desktop (turning off services, etc etc). I'm going to re-upload a guest to ESXi that doesnt have any of that and try that next.