Network settings

[jeanrouge]

When I tested VB on a Windows Host I was successfully able to Bridge the network connections with fixed IP addresses. (That was easy).

I am now building a LinuxLite machine in which I want to create 3 VMs using VB.
In each VM I set up a bridged connection as I did in the windows host.
And in the Networking panel I created 3 connections with three different IP addresses.
However I can only ever see eth0 so I am doing something in the incorrect order or leaving a step out.

Can someone please help?

Jean

[Perryg]

Just seeing one eth0 on any of the guests is normal. But I think you are leaving out some important information we need to be able to advise you.

When you say bridge are you using the VBox bridged adapter or are you trying to setup a host bridge?
How familiar are you with Linux and networking in general?

[jeanrouge]

Hi Perryg - I am a complete novice I initially tried Ubuntu but that was really scary!
LinuxLite is more understandable.
Also I am familiar with some unix commands as they are necessary in an Apple environment.

To try to be more precise:
- I set up an old Win XP Pro as a host and created my 3 VMs - by default the network connections were NAT but I wanted to be able to have the same IP scheme all around.
- I changed - in each machine - from NAT to Bridged and set the fixed IP addresses in the usual fashion - all worked I could ping each machine browse the net etc
- So the Host had its IP address and each of the VMs also had their own IP addresses using the same scheme.

This all seemed easy and straightforward...

- I then installed LinuxLite on another machine as a test and VB and once again tried to create a bridged connection.
- For the 1st machine it worked I set it to Bridged but unlike the Windows version there was nowhere to set the fixed IP address.
- I then looked in Network Connections and found "Wired Connection 1" and configured it as required Fixed IP / Mask / Gateway / DNS
- Also the only connection was eth0 I could ping it from elsewhere. (One of the VMs will be my Mailserver so it has to be identifiable).
- Naturally I have NAT on my router and am familiar with routing stuff to a specific machine.

- When I looked at the 2nd VM it could not/would not connect to the network.
- I reasoned that I must create a "Wired Connection 2" with the next IP address as there is no TAB within the Network setup in the VM (unless I haven't seen it).

- However I got a bit stuck when I went back to the VM because I couldn't see (as I expected) anything to lead me to the 2nd connection
- I then realised that this was probably the wrong way of going about it - eth0 would have been like the NIC on the XP Pro machine with its own fixed IP
- It was probably not logical to set up another "Wired Connection"
- But then what I still cannot understand or see is how I can give each of my 3 VMs their own IP addresses.
- It just doesn't seem as logical / intuitive as the windows set up but I realise this is down to lack of experience.
- I went back to the Network setting in VM2 and chose the Connection 2 tab but nothing seems to make any difference.

Hope I've been clearer about the pathway I have followed.
Really what I'd like is a 1,2,3 step primer with a brief explanation; once I've understood the general principle I ought to be OK

Thanks,

Jean

[Perryg]

I can help with the VirtualBox settings and point you to the way to setup the guests network, but beyond that you would need to ask the forum of the actual OS you guest is using.

When you select Bridged for the guest it will appear as just another PC on your LAN, so think about it like that and things will become clearer for you.
Since I don't know what the actual guest/s are you should read about ifconfig which is the Linux CLI for setting up networks.

[jeanrouge]

The Guest OS is XP Pro in one case and Windows Server in the two other cases.
At the moment I am struggling to restore a disk image from the old physical machine to the new (blank) VM.
When restoring there is network interface defined - that was what was puzzling me.
I now realise that all I have to do is leave it on NAT for the restore
Once the WM is up and running I go into Network Connections and define the IP scheme I require
Simple!
Inexperience makes one think complicated...
Just talking it through with someone helped enormously - thanks.

[jeanrouge]

Actually that doesn't work
The restore program I am experimenting with is Macrium Reflect.
It has a Network Settings menu but the "Apply" button is greyed out.
I'll have to ask them...