Without Internet Connection, how can I setup a DCHP server and host for home lab?

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Arman
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Joined: 19. Jul 2017, 19:20

Without Internet Connection, how can I setup a DCHP server and host for home lab?

Post by Arman »

Hello Their,
I have installed Virtulbox in my windows 7 laptop. I do not want to use my local LAN/Wireless connection. so now how can I create lab environment for testing DHCP server with a host.
-I have installed Windows server 2012 and windows 7 in virtual box

What I have done so far:
Main computer, Assigned IP to Loopback network adapter: 10.10.1.10 with Mask 255.0.0.0
Virtualbox-host-only Network adapter IP: 10.10.1.12 with mask 255.0.0.0

Virtualbox, Network setup as Host-only

Domain Controller DC1 IP: 10.10.1.11 with Mask 255.0.0.0 Gateway 10.10.1.12 DNS 10.10.1.11

DHCP scope: 10.10.1.20-10.10.1.50 DNS 10.10.1.11

Problem:
Virtual server and host both LAN shows limited internet access, Virtual windows 7 pc does not see Domain name nor ping server

Please advise or instruction to follow step by step.

Thank you.
Arman
scottgus1
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Posts: 20945
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
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Re: Without Internet Connection, how can I setup a DCHP server and host for home lab?

Post by scottgus1 »

Be sure you understand what Virtualbox's networking provisions are and how they work.

The Host-Only adapter is a private network between the host and whatever guests are connected to it. You can't get the host's internet connection through Host-Only.

Also, the Virtualbox Host-Only Network Adapter you see in the list of host network adapters in Control Panel is controlled by the main Virtualbox window settings under the File menu, Preferences, Networks. If you changed the Host-Only Adapter's settings in Windows Control Panel, you may have broken it.

Are you disconnecting your host PC from your house network and trying to assign a DHCP address to it from the 2012 guest? If so you will not get any internet with that arrangement, of course. But if you are doing this you can try putting your two guests on Bridged with your host's physical Ethernet adapter, and see if DHCP from the 2012 guest will assign an IP to your host.

Most folks don't try to include the host PC in the network lab. They just try the tests on a guest network. If you don't really need to have your host PC in the lab, then use Internal between your two guests. You may even have room for a third guest if you keep the guests' resources low.
BillG
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Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Without Internet Connection, how can I setup a DCHP server and host for home lab?

Post by BillG »

I agree. Forget about the host and put your domain vms in an internal virtual network. You can run your own DHCP server on the DC.

Be careful how you use the term "host" in these forums. The physical machine which has VirtualBox installed on it is the host. The vms are guests. Do not confuse that with Windows domain usage of terms.

If you need to give the domain members Internet access you will need to set up routing between the domain network and the Internet, just as you would if you ran the domain on physical machines and a physical switch. You can use a vm as router for this. A simple and effective way to do that is to run pfSense in a vm with one NIC in the internal network and the other bridged to the physical network.
Bill
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