VBox 5.2.6, macOS 10.13.3 - host only networking excludes host!

[EdoardoC]

---

[ModEdit; related ticket: #17500: macOS 10.13.3 - Host Only Networking - Host not accessible]

---

After having applied the latest macOS update that brought it from High Sierra 10.13.2 to 10.13.3 host-only networking is broken for me.

VM to VM networking works as expected but host to VM, VM to host (and even host to itself using the vboxnetX IP address) is non existent all such connections attempt time out

I have not found a workaround yet.

[EdoardoC]

This issue has something to do with when/how the vboxnetX adapter is created.

the only workaround I got so far is something like this:

create the vboxnetX hostonly network in the VB UI, with DHCP enabled
start a simple VM defined to use vboxnetX (eg vanilla ubuntu with DHCP) : host will NOT be reachable from VM, VM will NOT be reachable by host
shut down VM
restart macOS !!!
vboxnetX adapter is now NOT listed by ifconfig (before VB starts)
start VB (-> vboxnetX created but not assigned an IP)
start the VM previously defined as using the vboxnetX adapter
vboxnetX will be assigned an ip ... and this time VM/host communication works

[EdoardoC]

I created a ticket #17500 - the stupid rule You must be a member for 1 days and have 1 posts before you can post urls stops me from linking it.

[socratis]

You wouldn't happen to have another host to test if this behavior is cross-platform, would you? I do have a Windows host, but Windows and HostOnly have a gazillion of issues and I wouldn't want to test this on a Win host. I might try to replicate it by (non-supported) nested virtualization...

One thing to add that was in the ticket, but not here: this was tested with 5.2.2, 5.2.4 and 5.2.6.

[EdoardoC]

@socratis - I don't have another macOS 10.13.3 host

I think the issue is host os related because it appeared after I installed the macOS OS upgrade to 10.13.3 from 10.13.2.

I have a vagrantfile that creates a bunch of VMs on a hostonly network without dhcp.
before the OS upgrade - on macOS 10.13.2 and VB 5.2.6 - the system worked, after the upgrade it didn't (the host could not contact the VMs one they were up and running, while VM-VM connections are ok), despite reboots and reinstalls.

[socratis]

@socratis - I don't have another macOS 10.13.3 host

I asked if you had another non-OSX host. But it's OK, I'll try to replicate it locally.

I have a vagrantfile that creates a bunch of VMs on a hostonly network without dhcp.

You need to get rid of Vagrant and try to replicate it with a standalone VirtualBox. Vagrant is a program that relies on VirtualBox but modifies its configuration files in unknown ways to us. It is not supported on these VirtualBox user forums, they have their own Vagrant support channels. If you are having this problem with a standalone version of VirtualBox, then we can continue this discussion.

[EdoardoC]

Hi @socratis

so I removed vagrant & vbox. restarted the host. created a hostonly network with vbox. launched vm. all works as expected.
then
installed vagrant. created a new hostonly network with vbox. launched vm. still, all works as expected.
then
created internal network through the vagrantfile. problem reappeared
creating new internal network with vbox. they also display the issue.

at this stage the workaround - for me - is to check the dhcp checkbox for these networks in the vbox ui, restart the host, restart vbox and a vm that uses those networks.
they now work as expected again (i.e. host - vm connections do work).

so I'm afraid it's the combo that caused the whole issue.

[socratis]

You need to get rid of Vagrant and try to replicate it with a standalone VirtualBox.

so I removed vagrant & vbox ... all works as expected.

created internal network through the vagrantfile. problem reappeared

I'm going to say it again; if you can reproduce this with a standalone VirtualBox, showing clear and reproducible steps, we can continue this discussion.

[EdoardoC]

I spent quite some time on reproducing and I thought I was clear enough ... obviously not.

It is not reproducible with vbox alone. It needs vagrant in the picture.

So from your PoV you may want to dismiss the matter as not a vbox problem.

[socratis]

So from your PoV you may want to dismiss the matter as not a vbox problem.

I'm afraid so, yes. As I mentioned before:

Vagrant is a program that relies on VirtualBox but modifies its configuration files in unknown ways to us. It is not supported on these VirtualBox user forums, they have their own Vagrant support channels.

[alexkuc]

I have experienced the same issue with vanilla VirtualBox. I am on Mac 10.12.6.

Steps to reproduce:

1) install VB 5.2.6
2) use IE11 VM supplied by Microsoft
3) configure standard host-only network

Result: ping does not work both ways i.e. host -> guest or guest -> host

Workaround:

Downgrade to 5.2.0 (no additional steps are required)

[socratis]

@alexkuc
From the host, post the output of:

• VBoxManage list hostonlyifs
  ping <guest>    <--- substitute <guest> with the actual IP

From the guest, post the output of:

• ipconfig /all
  ping <host>    <--- substitute <host> with the actual IP

A VM log from a complete VM run:

• Start the VM from cold-boot (not from a paused or saved state) / Observe error / Shutdown the VM (force close it if you have to).
• With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response (see the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form).