WinXP host w/ XP bridge guest gets no IP

[Hawkwindeb]

The guest does not get an IP or other settings via DHCP. Changing guest to NAT using same guest driver "Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (NAT)" works.

VBox 2.2.4 PUEL on Windows XP Pro 32bit Sp3 host w/ XP Pro SP3 32bit guest config as "Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (Bridged adapter, Marvell Yukon 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller)"

I have reviewed the manual, searched the forums, faq, etc, found many bridge issues (and NAT, but my NAT works) but these were only for older vers of VBox like 2.2.0. Is this still an issue with 2.2.4?

My network's DHCP server is my firewall/router, which supports static entries using MAC address as well as dynamic. My network is 10.100.200.0/24 (I use static entries for several of my systems so they will have a permanent IP, but they also need to get my ISP's DNS servers passed along via DHCP since my ISP changes them sometimes)

I changed from NAT to Bridge so Windows XP Pro on a separate system can get to the guest via its "Remote Desktop Connection" because it was not working with guest using NAT. Per docs, even NAT should work, right? I was using the host's IP from the Remote Desktop Connection on that separate system even tried the guest's IP, after these failed to connect, also changed the port from 3389 to 3388 with no joy to host's IP or guest's IP.

To resolve the bridge not working as DHCP client, tried:
- Bridge and "Internal Network" configs both same results.
- Entering my guest's MAC address (click additional options for guest network to get its MAC) as static entry in my external firewall/router DHCP server, no chg in results using bridge config
- Changed my external firewall/router from using a static entry in its DHCP server for my host's MAC address to dynamic (ie: deleted the static entry in DHCP server which makes it static) Hosts gets an IP, (also deleted above entry for guest) but guest does not.

Is this related: I have the "Unknown device" in my host's device manager under network section. Can't find drivers for it even manually selecting both dir's C:\Program Files\Sun\xVM VirtualBox\drivers\network\netflt and ....network\netadp
The details for this device are: "Device Instance Id: ROOT\NET\0001" (after all of the above, I have disabled this device to stop it from popping up with "New HW discovered" asking for driver to be installed - can't delete it even in safe mode w/o networking, saw links to info to delete but just disabled it for now)

I have some questions related above and what is going on behind the curtains (ie: when using bridge and DHCP, Remote Desktop Connection to VM, etc.) but this is already long......

Thanks

[vbox4me2]

Reinstall VBox as admin and select repair option, see if that helps.

[Hawkwindeb]

Reinstall VBox as admin and select repair option, see if that helps.

Didn't fix the problem. I reinstalled as the host's administrator user rebooted the hosts as it instructed. BTW, prev install was as another user but that user is in the admin group.

Does the guest using bridge configured as a DHCP client get its IP data from external DHCP server (ie: my external firewall/router) or from VBox on the Host?

Does an external (ie: another PC) Remote Desktop Connection to the VM suppose to work when that VM is using NAT?

Thanks

[vbox4me2]

Does the guest using bridge configured as a DHCP client get its IP data from external DHCP server (ie: my external firewall/router) or from VBox on the Host?

Does an external (ie: another PC) Remote Desktop Connection to the VM suppose to work when that VM is using NAT?

Thanks

The Guest via Bridge is like another PC on the LAN, the Host doesn't do anything other then route lan traffic via the Bridge.

RDP can work via NAT with port forwarding, see the Manual about that.

[Hawkwindeb]

The Guest via Bridge is like another PC on the LAN, the Host doesn't do anything other then route lan traffic via the Bridge.

RDP can work via NAT with port forwarding, see the Manual about that.

Thanks for the answers, I assumed that bridge was like that. However, I still would like to get it working. I would rather not do the port forwarding. I would rather everything connect to the guest more directly and without having the added admin of fwd ports.

Another question, can the Internal Networking option use my external DHCP Server or only static IP within the guest or VBox's DHCP Server. I see in the manual that one can use VBox's DHCP Server, but does not say if external DHCP Server will work. (BTW, along with bridge, Internal Networking is not working either)

Thanks

[vbox4me2]

Internal networking does what it implies, no outside connection. VBox dhcp only works for NAT Guests.

[Hawkwindeb]

Internal networking does what it implies, no outside connection. VBox dhcp only works for NAT Guests.

But the 2.2.4 manual says: "6.6 Internal networking
Internal Networking is similar to bridged networking in that the VM can directly communicate
with the outside world. However, the “outside world” is limited to other VMs
which connect to the same internal network."

Also, I do not know what exactly the manual is trying to say by the last sentence, specifically: "...limited to other VMs..." What is it trying to say?

[Hawkwindeb]

BTW, my OpenSolaris 2009.06 (snv 111b) was using NAT with no issues but when I changed this powered off VM to bridge, started it, it does not get an IP either. Even after 10 mins watching the "Activating wired e1000g0" message pop up many times while it searches for an IP. ifconfig shows e1000g0 as dhcp enabled just as when this VM was using NAT but no IP address with bridge. Shutdown OpenSolaris VM, switch back to NAT, and it works.

So, speculating that there is something wrong on the host side of VBox that prevents bridge from working.

Am I suppose to have a Bridge interface listed in the network properties for the host? All I see is "VirtualBox Host-Only Network" my two Marvell Yukon NIC's (built into the motherboard - one of which I disabled), and a non-related 1394 Net Adapter which I disabled as well). Yesterday (ie: therefore unrelated to Bridge issue) I installed Cisco VPN sw needed for work so it shows as an interface now as well.

Is there additional info that would help determine the root cause and possible resolution?

[Sasquatch]

I do not know what exactly the manual is trying to say by the last sentence, specifically: "...limited to other VMs..." What is it trying to say?

It means that the outside world is limited to other VMs, so you can't go to the Host or other machines. All it is, is a virtual hub or switch where the VMs are connected to, in the same way your own network is attached to a router, except without the router part.


The IP problem you're having is because of the static addresses you entered. You can set a static IP instead of using DHCP for the Guest, or remove the static assignment in the router. The reason this happens, is because VB sometimes uses the Host NIC MAC address to authenticate on the network, and your router already provided the IP to your Host.

[Hawkwindeb]

The IP problem you're having is because of the static addresses you entered. You can set a static IP instead of using DHCP for the Guest, or remove the static assignment in the router. The reason this happens, is because VB sometimes uses the Host NIC MAC address to authenticate on the network, and your router already provided the IP to your Host.

I assume this, so I tested bridge on the XP VM after deleting the static DHCP entry in my firewall for the host and VM so the DHCP server would assign dynamically, but this is still not working for bridge. (I have not re-entered the static entries - ie: left it in the dynamic mode and remember that the host and NAT'ed vm works even with no static entry)

[Sasquatch]

Then the only explanation is that the VM still uses the Host MAC address for network communications and the router keeps track of which MAC address has which IP address and if the machine is still accessible. A request for a new IP address will then fail.
Something you can test this with, is disable the IPv4 protocol on the Host NIC properties before it connects to the network, or give it an entirely different IP address range and let the Guest request an IP. If it then gets an IP, you know the problem.

[Hawkwindeb]

Then the only explanation is that the VM still uses the Host MAC address for network communications and the router keeps track of which MAC address has which IP address and if the machine is still accessible. A request for a new IP address will then fail.
Something you can test this with, is disable the IPv4 protocol on the Host NIC properties before it connects to the network, or give it an entirely different IP address range and let the Guest request an IP. If it then gets an IP, you know the problem.

Interesting so I tested the following: Powered off VM, then:

1. Did not know how to just disable IPv4 in Windows XP, so I manually assigned an IP to the host's NIC outside the range of the DHCP servers scope and not its or any other prev used IP either. Started VM as Bridge, it did not get IP.

2. Powered off VM then, similar as test 1 but gave the host an IP in a different subnet than anything on my LAN, same results no IP for VM

3. Powered off VM then, disabled NIC 1 on my dual port NIC built into the motherboard and enabled the 2nd (which has a diff MAC), but before moving the cable, I manually gave it an IP that's not on the same subnet then connected cable. Started VM as Bridge, it did not get IP.

4. As another test still using config from test 3 on host, I gave a valid IP to the VM from within the VM but this IP was outside the range of the DHCP servers scope and not its or any other prev used IP either, but was with in my subnet. The VM was able to get out to the internet, but of course I had to 1st manually set the DNS server to my ISP's current DNS server, which does change from time to time - hence the need for my Firewall's DHCP to pass along the DNS servers it gets when a change occurs which changes the IP, subnet, DNS servers, etc. Also RDP to this VM worked from another PC. BTW, another system sees the VM's MAC not the physical port's MAC when issuing an arp -a command after a successful ping to the VM's IP.

Bridge with DHCP is not working on my system.

This is support to work, right?

Are others are using XP with the physical port using an external DHCP server to get its IP, and a Bridge configured VM that's using the same external DHCP server to get the VM's IP?

Thanks

[Sasquatch]

Interesting development. This is really strange. I've never seen something like this in the time that I maintain this forum. The only thing left I can ask and advise you on, is to check the DNS options of your router. Most, if not all, normal routers can be used as DNS server, which sends the DNS requests directly to the ISP ones it knows. Is your router some self-build appliance from spare parts, or an actual router like the ones you buy at a store? If it's the latter, you can just point your VM to it's address for DNS and keep it on static configuration.

Other than this, I can't help you. I don't use Windows XP as host anymore, nor do I have DHCP enabled on my router.

[Hawkwindeb]

My Firewall/router is store purchased and is a high-end brand, but one step down from the Pro models that cost in the thousands. It does not serve DNS or even proxy DNS.

I'm running the host and VM's on a Asus P6T Deluxe V2 for what it's worth.

Is there additional info that would help determine the root cause and possible resolution? I don't have a sniffer, but with a lot of effort I could figure out something if someone would tell me that it might matter and help to resolve this issue.

I'm having a hard time believing that I'm the only one that's come across this limitation or bug or corrupt installation, or whatever the root cause. To the degree I can, I'm willing to help. I actually work for Sun, Presales Systems Engineer/Architect, and want to see this product succeed for as many users as possible, and there has to be users or potential users that will use VBox or want to use it as I'm using it. (I do not have any sw developer skills so I can't write or even review code)

[Sasquatch]

You can install a packet sniffer pretty easily. Wireshark can capture packets which you can check for proper DHCP communication between the VM and router. Compare it with the results you get when you request a DHCP address on the Host. For maximum debugging, run Wireshark on the Host and Guest when obtaining an IP in the Guest. You can then see where it fails. It is possible that a firewall on either the Host or Guest blocks it, Wireshark should show that.