Win11 > Bridged Adapter > Wired > No Internet Access

[Feets]

I've been using VB to host a Linux-based Home Assistant server VM on a Win10 machine for a while. Today I booted up a new Win11 Dell XPS and installed VirtualBox 6.1.32 and created a new Home Assistant VM from scratch. The Bridged Adapter is enabled and the only Ethernet adapter I can select has been selected.

All seemed to be working normally until I decided to try to access the Home Assistant (HA) server from a client computer on the LAN, which I am unable to do; I can only access the IP address of the HA server from the Dell XPS host. The VM is getting an IP on the LAN from my UDM Pro gateway's DHCP, and when I access the HA server from the Dell host and turn on/off wifi IoT switches on the LAN, I am able to do so. So it seems that I am half-way to where I want to be.

The Windows 11 network adapters shows Ethernet/Network, which is the main instance for my PC, and it shows a separate icon for VirtualBox Host-Only Network/Unidentified Network (VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter). When I hover over the network connection icon on the right side of the taskbar, it shows Network/Internet Access and below it a separate VirtualBox Host-Only Network/No Internet Access.

The VB I have been running on Win10 does not show this separate VB Host-Only Network, so I wonder whether this has something to do with why I am unable to access my WIn11 HA VM from other computers. I should also note that this Dell came with a very heavy McAfee program called LiveSafe, which includes a firewall. I've turned off this firewall and there has been no effect.

TLDR; I want to be able to access my Win11-hosted Home Assistant server VM from clients on the LAN, and I am unable to do so. I suspect this has something to do with either Win11's handling of adapters/drivers or McAfee LiveSafe but I'm a novice and would like some guidance. I would like the VM simply work on the bridged adapter as my Win10 machine does.

[mpack]

If VirtualBox had a problem setting up a Bridged Networking connection then it would give an error message on boot. So I suspect that your problem is not with VirtualBox.

The only question mark is that you seem to be in doubt that you selected the correct host NIC to bridge to. If you chose the wrong one then that would certainly have this effect. Being "the only one I can select" doesn't mean it is definitely correct. For example if the VirtualBox bridging filter was disabled on the correct NIC.

[scottgus1]

Let's see how your VM is configured and what the host ad VM IP addresses are:

1. Right-click the VM in the main Virtualbox window's VM list, choose Show in Explorer/Finder/File Manager. Zip the VM's .vbox file (not the .vbox-prev file), and post the zip file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab. (Configure your host OS to show all extensions if the folder that opens does not show a .vbox file.)
2. In the Windows OS, open a Command Prompt and run:
   ipconfig /all
   Post the command output.
3. In the Windows OS's Command Prompt, run:
   cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\Virtualbox"
   vboxmanage list bridgedifs
   Post the command output.
4. In the Linux OS, open a Terminal and run:
   ifconfig
   or
   ip address
   Post the command output.

[Feets]

Let's see how your VM is configured and what the host ad VM IP addresses are:

Right-click the VM in the main Virtualbox ...

Thank you for the instructions. While reviewing the the ipconfig output I noticed the following:

Code: Select all

Ethernet adapter VirtualBox Host-Only Network:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : 
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 0A-00-27-00-00-03
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

So, I enabled DHCP in the TCP/IPv4 in the VirtualBox Host-Only Network. I am now able to access the Home Assistant VM from other computers on the LAN, which was my objective. Though, I had not attempted to connect to the VM from another computer today before beginning to follow your instructions, so just in case the DHCP was not the reason it worked, I changed it back to its original IP settings. ...and it still works. I'm confused. The issue has somehow resolved itself overnight. Any thoughts as to whether I should re-enable DHCP?

[scottgus1]

So, I enabled DHCP in the TCP/IPv4 in the VirtualBox Host-Only Network. I am now able to access the Home Assistant VM from other computers on the LAN

You've got some severe cross-wiring going on. The Host Only network is not designed to leave the host onto the LAN, thus the name: it's for the VM and the host only.

Though something is working now, it can un-work at any time. If you're content, we are content. But if when it breaks in the future, please come on back, and provide the diagnostic data, and we'll get you wired up snugly.

[Feets]

So, I enabled DHCP in the TCP/IPv4 in the VirtualBox Host-Only Network. I am now able to access the Home Assistant VM from other computers on the LAN

You've got some severe cross-wiring going on. The Host Only network is not designed to leave the host onto the LAN, thus the name: it's for the VM and the host only.

Though something is working now, it can un-work at any time. If you're content, we are content. But if when it breaks in the future, please come on back, and provide the diagnostic data, and we'll get you wired up snugly.

Thanks for the response. I'm happy to post info. I just didn't want to take up too much of your time.

I did re-enble DHCP in the VirtualBox IPv4 properties, by the way. The first ipconfig file is the one from this morning and the second was taken after DHCP was enabled.

1. File attached.
2. File attached.
3.

Code: Select all

Name:            Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
GUID:            1c366453-e336-409f-8b31-92efa29bdeb5
DHCP:            Enabled
IPAddress:       192.168.0.246
NetworkMask:     255.255.255.0
IPV6Address:     fe80::906:539c:2df0:2e15
IPV6NetworkMaskPrefixLength: 64
HardwareAddress: b0:4f:13:10:83:17
MediumType:      Ethernet
Wireless:        No
Status:          Up
VBoxNetworkName: HostInterfaceNetworking-Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller

4. Neither of those commands worked in my VM CLI. This might be due to the OS being made by & made for Home Assistant, and not being a common linux distro.

[scottgus1]

You do in fact have your VM Bridged to your Ethernet adapter:

<Network>
<Adapter slot="0" enabled="true" MACAddress="0800271D1370" type="82540EM">
<DisabledModes>
<InternalNetwork name="intnet"/>
<NATNetwork name="NatNetwork"/>
</DisabledModes>
<BridgedInterface name="Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller"/>
</Adapter>
<Adapter slot="1" enabled="true" MACAddress="08002757B68E" type="82540EM">
<DisabledModes>
<BridgedInterface name="Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller"/>
<InternalNetwork name="intnet"/>
<NATNetwork name="NatNetwork"/>
</DisabledModes>
<NAT/>
</Adapter>
</Network>

But you also have a NAT adapter active, which at least duplicates some connectivity, and may have confused the Home Assistant OS. You've also done some other experimenting, as evidenced by the <DisabledModes> blocks, and I have anecdotally seen Linux-based OS's not notice the change in network connections between the different settings tried, which are substantially different in their IP address ranges. See Virtualbox Networks: In Pictures.

What is missing from the network listing above is any mention of Host-Only, which means that the VM's regaining connectivity when you enabled DHCP on the Host-Only adapter was a coincidence.

You should turn off the second adapter, attached to NAT: Shut down the VM and disable the second adapter tab, leaving the first tab's Bridged adapter in place and enabled. This might cause Home Assistant to re-enumerate its network and get it responding properly to the Bridged network. We also really want to know what Home Assistant think's its network IP address is, see if you can web-search how to determine it.

[Feets]

You do in fact have your VM Bridged to your Ethernet adapter:

...

But you also have a NAT adapter active...

...

You should turn off the second adapter, attached to NAT: Shut down the VM and disable the second adapter tab, leaving the first tab's Bridged adapter in place and enabled. This might cause Home Assistant to re-enumerate its network and get it responding properly to the Bridged network. We also really want to know what Home Assistant think's its network IP address is, see if you can web-search how to determine it.

Indeed I did try a few things to fix the issue yesterday and I inadvertently left that NAT adapter active in my attempts; the issue arose before I activated that NAT. I've deactivated it (reset the drop-down as well, just to keep things tidy, as you'll see in the jpeg), closed VB and restarted the Win11 Dell host. All the screen grabs and files I've attached in the zip file were taken after this reboot.

You will notice that the IP addresses have changed.
I have assigned 192.168.0.100 to my Win11 Dell in my router.
I have assigned 192.168.0.101 to my Home Assistant VM in my router. It was .165 this morning before I assigned .101 ...I meant to mention that previously.

I hope the photos will help to paint a detailed picture of what the problem is. For the time being, at least, my Home Assistant VM is working as I'd like it to. I can access it from other computers on the LAN (as I did when taking the screen grab I've provided), and I can use the Home Assistant Nabu Casa service to access my server externally from the internet.

I cannot post URLs in this forum yet. Perhaps I'll be allowed in a few hours. I have posted the zip of my files to ufile {dot} io {fwd slash} olpmuhk8

[scottgus1]

Forum gurus won't go to third-party sites for logs and pictures that can be posted using the forum's Upload Attachment tab on the first day first post.

Crop and resize the picture to get under the forum's 128kB size limit, then post the picture file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.

[Feets]

The photos have been cropped and optimized. I haven't made any changes to the PC since my previous post and all is still working, currently.

[scottgus1]

OK, looks like you have a good Bridged setup now.

Host-Only is not being used in the VM, so you don't have to worry what its settings are, until you want to run a VM with Host-Only.

[Feets]

Thank you for looking.
Would it be ill-advised to remove the Host-Only network from Windows? I'm not able to access my Win11 Dell at the moment to check, but assuming its a possibility... any risk in deleting?

[scottgus1]

It won't hurt to leave it there. There's no security risk in it, as long as it's used in the typical Virtualbox method of communication between host and VM only (some folks do weird things...). And if it's not used in any VM, it won't communicate with anything.

On the other hand, you could remove it (delete the Host-Only network in Virtualbox: see File menu, Host Network Manager). You'll just have to make another one if you ever want it.

[Feets]

That's very helpful to know. Thank you very much for taking the time to help me with this issue.