virtualbox.org

Dear friends,

I'm learning how to use windows 2003 server. I have windows server 2003 which I have just slipstreamed with service pack two.
I only have one computer that is why use Virtualbox to assist me and I'm also using windows xp sp3 as the host operating system. I created two machines of which I them "study" and "cleint", installed 2003 server on the study machine and winxp on the client machine.

I checked if I can access internet with both the machines, yes I did access the internet because the machines were using the NAT default network mode.

I had to install and configure, the DHCP,DC and DNS server roles on my windows server; I did that successfully.

We know very well that you have to set a static IP address for server in order for it to host the DC server or DHCP - I gave it the IP address 192.169.2.60 since the host operating system is set to 192.169.2.32, I just thought of an IP address in the same subnet or network.
I tried to connect the client virtualbox to the domain but I got an error and eventually what ran in my mind was that these two machines are on an independent network, in otherwards there is nothing like a switch to connect them together, so I went on google and on certain website someone was encouraging to use internal networking mode in order to gain communication between two virtualbox machine.

Good, his instructions helped. However, I the server virtualbox can not ping the client but the client can ping the server and I can nolonger access internet in any of my virtual machines. I have tried my best to search but I can only find solutions for other applications like VMware. Which won't solve my problem.

I have written a long text with hope that it will give you a clear insight of my set up and the problem in order for you to assist me. Thank you.

If there is a router in the mix you should use bridged mode.
If not then use host-only for the first adapter in each guest and add a second adapter set to NAT for the guests to get to the Internet if needed.
The real problem you are going to see if you do not have a router is the configuration of the guests to be able to use the server in a real like environment.
Also one way pings are almost always due to a firewall issue (IMHO).

A generic question (no visible answer in the doc, as far as I have seen):
How does a guest machine be visible to the network with a static IP address ?

[ my config: host/ubuntu 9.10/virtualBox 3.12 ; guest ubuntu 9.10 ; the host has a static address ; a DHCP is present ; besides that, the network is simple and standard ]

I tried with the 'bridged adapter' solution, and tried to define the guest with a static config. Seemed to be the only relevant choice.
It does not work... yet...
I suspect that the /etc/network/interfaces file (of the guest) is critical and especially the gateway line...

Is there any good doc to answer the generic question above ?

@why0h,
The reason there is no documentation for this in the VirtualBox manual is because it is the function of the guest operating system.
If you have a router you simply select bridged mode in the network section of VirtualBox.
Then you configure the guest by what ever means it requires.
type setup ubuntu 9.10 network for static address in your favorite search engine

@why0h

As Perry stated, you are now looking as Active Directory/networking problems, not VBox problems.

If you are trying to run AD, the domain controller should have a static IP in its own IP subnet. All machines in this network should use the DC _only_ for DNS (this is a requirement for AD to work properly). The best way to do that with virtualization is to put the AD machines in a internal network. This is equivalent to connecting them all to the same switch, but the switch is not connected to any other devices.

That is all you need to set up and configure AD. If you want to connect this network to the Internet, the best solution is to run a NAT router in a vm (not the DC). This router has one NIC in the internal network and one bridged to the NIC in the host. You will need to modify your local DNS to forward to a public DNS to resolve foreign URLs. Again, this is a AD matter, not a VBox one. (And it works. I have a domain running like this under VBox).

If you have problems with this, post in a Microsoft Windows Server networking forum or newsgroup. (I might even answer it over there myself).

Thank you all for your advise and suggestions. Someone pointed out something about the firewall, I will check it and see.

All of your advise helped me. In fact, I succeded in creating the DC, installing the DHCP, and the AD. And I was able to access the internet by setting the server vbox with two network modes; that was the NAT for the firts Adaptor and internal network mode for the second Adapter. For the client vbox I set the internal network mode only.

Because I the server vbox with two NICs, it's possible to configure it as a default gateway for other computers on the same network(switch). Furthermore, I concluded by sharing the internet access of the NAT adopter and I was capable of getting internet to client vbox.

You guys, have really helped me to get new skills for both, virtualbox and windows server.

Long live Sun, Long live Virtualbox enthusiasts.