is this failing hardware?

Hi

Am finding it takes quite a long time ie several minutes, for the following commands to finish executing (but without failure!) when logged in via ssh in tech support mode. It is Esxi4.0...which I agree is quite old:

ls -asl  /

(ie listing the root directory)

ls -asl /vmfsvolumes

ls: ./e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557: Connection timed out

ls: ./8651407d-22f5a0a4-44b3-aa1ac5b23fe8: Connection timed out

ls: ./4bbcb300-91be9561-f4d1-00270e22118d: Connection timed out

ls: ./4bbcb302-e81e496c-10d5-00270e22118d: Connection timed out

ls: ./74b0ab7e-3c564a8d-e693-0f8e5503d3d6: Connection timed out

1 TB new Seagate HDD                 Hypervisor1                          Hypervisor3                          VMwareOS

55b426c5-9fb7f4ef-350f-00270e22118d  Hypervisor2                          QNAP-backup                          fb4a3148-fb757b6e

Is my vmware about to fail?

Someone said it could be the datastore (which is on a NAS), and which has had some anomalous behaviour lately

anything else I can check?

should I reboot the vmware OS?

Thanks

Michael