How to set static address to vm's using bridge mode v3.2.10?

[sdad]

Having read over chap6, chap8, VManage modifyvm and VManage dhcpserver I still have following question

I have a single physical nic that I have bridged using the VBox's 3.2.10 bridge option to 2 vm's., forming a little vlan (switch) of the 2 vm's and the nic. The nic currently connects to an external firewall/dhcp server. All is working fine, I can ping between the vm's and the physical, and from the host into the vm's. Absolutely great.

I have also tested the vlan by removing the connection to the dhcp server and replacing it with dnsmasq. This also plays well. My guess is that

Here's the issue. The 2 vm's are permanently attached together (virtually via the bridge), passing data bidirectionally. Now, each vm has a admin web page which is available on that subnet. The physical nic connection is to allow a laptop to be a web browser for the admin of each vm. There is no other connection on the physical nic, only the laptop, only for admin purposes, and only periodically. To connect from the laptop I supply the laptop's browser the ip of the desired vm and off to the races I go. Thing is, with a dynamic ip I don't have a constant ip to insert into the connection url. That becomes cumbersome, I'd like to have a link(s) on the laptop's toolbar.

I don't see setting up the physical nic with an ip is of any value, in fact, I'd think that I want it to be transparent. Connection has to be made to the vm's not the nic. I could use a dhcp server on the host, so the laptop got its ip from the connecting nic, that would be quite plush. But I'd still need to have the 2 vm's as statics, I think.

So, how do I create a static ip that is persistent for each vm? Or do you have a better way?

[Sasquatch]

The IP configuration is not a VB thing when using bridged. You have to configure it on the Guest OS itself. Read it's documentation to learn how to set up a static IP address.
I do have a question. Is the service that the VM offers only for the Host, or does the rest of the network access it too? If it's just the Host, then you can also change the network settings for the VM to Host-Only and enable it's DHCP server. Then the IP address of the Guest will be semi-static. It's assigned by DHCP, but if you start the VMs in the same order every time, they will get the same IP as the first VM gets the first IP in the range, the second VM the second IP, etc. If you swap the start order, the IP's will the switched too.

[sdad]

Thanks for the answer. Regarding your question on the host. Actually the host is not involved except in this regards: the nic is seen by the host, and there is an address assigned to the host by the dhcpserver, hence it is part of the vlan. In use, however, the host is not involved at all. The only reason for bringing the 2 vm's to the outside world is for admin use, else I could have elected to set up an internal network. But......now that it is my face, why couldn't I use the host as my admin console and use the host option? That removes the bridge to the physical nic and keeps the data more secure, assuming I protect the host well enough. Rip the nic right out of the machine completely!

Now, regarding the static assignments: I do this from the guest just as if it were a stand alone?

[Sasquatch]

Yes. It's just another OS that you administrate. Think of it as a PC next to your own that you remotely control.

[sdad]

I am quite poor at articulating myself. Let me try again, please.

I want to have 2 server vm's that I bridge together along with a physical nic. This should allow for traffic between the 2 vm's and also to/from the outside world without any mods to the transmitting packets. OK, what I current have installed is a single server vm and getting the second one set up. Now, the outside world is a laptop that I want to use for admin purposes. That's my only outside connection. Most of the time the laptop is not hooked up, so all that's going on is the internal data transfer. If it wasn't for the laptop, I would use an internal connection, not a bridge.

To admin the servers I load an ip address into the laptops browser and send it out. Thing is, the address that I use is the physical nic's address. If I look at the ip address of the currently running server, it says the physical nic's address, not a virtual address of the virtual port.

In order to admin both servers I will need 2 ip addresses, but if I am stuck with a single address of the physical nic, I don't fly well.

So, how do I handle this? I need separate ip's for the servers, need packet integrity, and need to have access to the outside world, server's don't support an additional admin connection, I must go through the existing single vcable.

Maybe a bridge isn't my answer, maybe something else, too new to know what all V'Box can do.

[iamalittlepepper]

Have you try manually setting the VM#1's IP (in the VM) to the same subnet as the physical NIC? eg if the physical NIC has IP 192.168.2.1 set your VM #1's NIC to 192.168.2.2 and it should work without any problems. Then set your VM #2's NIC to 192.168.2.3.

This should work without any monkeying around externally. Once you get that running.. if you so desire to put the VMs into the own subnets then you need to add routing. But I suggest put everything in the same subnet first.

Oh It would be helpful if you would draw what you are thinking in a chart using tools like http://www.osalt.com/kivio or Vision

I am quite poor at articulating myself. Let me try again, please.

I want to have 2 server vm's that I bridge together along with a physical nic. This should allow for traffic between the 2 vm's and also to/from the outside world without any mods to the transmitting packets. OK, what I current have installed is a single server vm and getting the second one set up. Now, the outside world is a laptop that I want to use for admin purposes. That's my only outside connection. Most of the time the laptop is not hooked up, so all that's going on is the internal data transfer. If it wasn't for the laptop, I would use an internal connection, not a bridge.

To admin the servers I load an ip address into the laptops browser and send it out. Thing is, the address that I use is the physical nic's address. If I look at the ip address of the currently running server, it says the physical nic's address, not a virtual address of the virtual port.

In order to admin both servers I will need 2 ip addresses, but if I am stuck with a single address of the physical nic, I don't fly well.

So, how do I handle this? I need separate ip's for the servers, need packet integrity, and need to have access to the outside world, server's don't support an additional admin connection, I must go through the existing single vcable.

Maybe a bridge isn't my answer, maybe something else, too new to know what all V'Box can do.

[sdad]

Thank you very much iamalittlepepper. Seriously, excellent. Regarding the charting, I'm doing that, I use OOdraw and have that drawing in multiple copies sitting beside me where I scribble down my moves.

My failing is in remembering that I use the vm's to control the ip's. For some inexplicable reason I insist on the host doing that via the cli. Most likely this is because I don't fully understand the architecture yet.

Since posting this, I set up these same vm's with a host only connection. I had same roadblock, the ip's for the vm's. I assume that the resolve is the same...set them up in the vm itself!
I do so wish that the docs made that point, save a lot of frustration.

Again, thank you.

[Sasquatch]

With the Host-Only option, if you haven't enabled the internal DHCP server that's optional for it (see the VB preferences and manual chapter 6), then yes, you need to manually set the IP inside the Guest. After that, you need to connect to the VMs using their IP address. You can't use names, as that requires a DNS server and that isn't available.

[sdad]

Thanks Sasquatch, I am going to after this until it is second nature. Each day is a bit closer.

Appreciate all the input. Don't go on vacation!