Problem with host's network after upgrading to v4.0.6

[bill_m]

Hi, my VirtualBox was upgraded from v4.0.4 to 4.0.6 just today and since then my host, Windows 7 Ultimate x64, could not connect to my wired network. I thought it was due to my router so I connected my computer directly to the the modem. It still would not detect any network. I've discovered that the ethernet driver would not install no matter what driver I choose. I've uninstalled my ethernet driver, restarted the computer so it will scan for hardware changes and hoping that the proper driver would reinstall but to no avail.

I finally thought about doing a system restore to go back to v4.0.4 and my network came back to life! It must be something with the latest version that conflicts with the ethernet driver of my host.

Just to countercheck, I upgraded once more to 4.0.6 and the problem reappeared. Now I'm back to v4.0.4 just to be able to connect to my network. Has anybody else experienced this problem? Is there something that I'm missing here?

By the way, when I upgraded to 4.0.6, I chose the default installation settings. I didn't change anything.

Thanks.

[simondiercks]

Same problem for me.

[Craigotron]

Me 3! I just updated the other day. I'm having *all* sorts of problems with 4.0.6. My host machine is OS X Snow Leopard but yeah, W7 is broken for networking now as well as my Ubuntu install is ALL messed up.

What do I do? Any suggestions?

[BillG]

That is odd. I did not see this. Did you also upgrade the guest additions to 4.0.6?

[Perryg]

I agree with Bill, this is odd and I don't seem to be able to replicate it. Guest additions should not affect it though. What were your guests using for the network connection? (bridged, nat, or host-only) Extension Pack could I guess, depending on some more variables. Make sure that you install the 4.0.6 Ext. Pack.

[bill_m]

I agree with Bill, this is odd and I don't seem to be able to replicate it. Guest additions should not affect it though. What were your guests using for the network connection? (bridged, nat, or host-only) Extension Pack could I guess, depending on some more variables. Make sure that you install the 4.0.6 Ext. Pack.

The Guests have nothing to do with it and it's not the Extension Pack.

As a backgrounder, here's what I've done so far:
1. Been using VirtualBox-4.0.4-70112-Win with v4.0.4 extension pack for a few months --- Everything normal, network on my Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate x64 Host running. Network connection of VirtualBox Guests (Win XP SP3 x86 & Ubuntu 10.10) also working.
2. Upgraded to VirtualBox-4.0.6-71416-Win --- Broke my Host's network connection, network adapter being detected but driver wouldn't install. It says "error installing driver". It wouldn't even allow me to force install any driver. As expected, network connection of Guests (Win XP SP3 x86 & Ubuntu 10.10) are also broken as they appear to be dependent on the Host's network adapter and the Host's internet connection.
3. Tried the Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.0.6-71344 after installing VirtualBox-4.0.6-71416-Win --- Host's network adapter's driver got installed all of a sudden, got network connection. Host and Guests were also able to connect to the internet.
4. Closed all programs and restarted the Host computer. Network connection is broken again. Network adapter's driver wouldn't install. Of course, the Guests couldn't connect to the internet too.
5. Reinstalled v4.0.4-70112 and restarted the Host. I didn't uninstall v4.0.6 before reinstalling v4.0.4. Network connection is still broken. I suspect that there's a leftover setting or file from v4.0.6.
6. Did a system restore prior to upgrading of v4.0.6 to go back to v4.0.4. Host network connection worked again and so do the Guests. Things were back to normal.
7. Ran the VirtualBox-4.0.4-70112-Win Installer again just to make sure that v4.0.4 files are fully functional. Restarted and things still running okay.
8. Ran the v4.0.6 Extension Pack on v4.0.4 VirtualBox, restarted the Host, things still running okay.

My observation is that something in the v4.0.6 VirtualBox messes up the network driver of the Host regardless of what extension pack I'm using. So now I'm only able to run v4.0.4 VirtualBox with v4.0.6 Extension Pack.

By the way, if it matters, my specs are:
Intel Quad Core Xeon X3220, Intel DG41RQ mobo (Realtek PCIe GBE network controller is integrated), 4GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD4670 (1GB), 1.5TB HD.

[bill_m]

That is odd. I did not see this. Did you also upgrade the guest additions to 4.0.6?

Network adapter of the Host is disabled even before I run VirtualBox. I think VB v4.0.6 messes my Host's network adaptor's driver.

[BillG]

That sounds like a problem with the device driver in the host OS. Go to the NIC properties in Windows 7 and clear the check mark from the box for VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver. Does this fix the problem?

If it does, see if you can find a more recent Windows 7 driver for your NIC. There have been problems with some device drivers not working well with the VirtualBox filter driver. A newer driver might have fixed the problem. If not, you may need to try a different NIC rather than the integrated Realtek.

[strobins]

It's also happening to me (exactly!!) under Mac OS X 10.6.7 so I don't think it's a problem with the host network driver.

[FrodoHobbits]

Under Win7 goto the Nic's properties and look under the Power Management tab. Ensure all boxes are unchecked.
I think this issue you have is more than likely OS side.
No problems with my Asus MB and the intergrated Realtek PCIe GBE port.

[strobins]

OS X ... Retraction! Silly me (( I was sure that I had added the guest additions, but I guess that I dreamed it ... the "second" time it worked and I've had no problems since. Sorry!

[bill_m]

That sounds like a problem with the device driver in the host OS. Go to the NIC properties in Windows 7 and clear the check mark from the box for VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver. Does this fix the problem?

If it does, see if you can find a more recent Windows 7 driver for your NIC. There have been problems with some device drivers not working well with the VirtualBox filter driver. A newer driver might have fixed the problem. If not, you may need to try a different NIC rather than the integrated Realtek.

Something strange happened. I went to the Local Area Connection Properties of the Host and removed the checkmark on the 'VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver', applied the changes and the Host's IPv4 & IPv6 got connectivity!

Next, I checked my Guests and they still could not connect to the internet. I've even tried restarting the Host. I then thought about bridging the two connections (the 'Local Area Connection' of the Host and the 'VirtualBox Host-Only Network'). A few seconds after that, the Guests were able to get a connection to the internet!

To further test the connection, I restarted the Host computer. Things seemed to be working fine. Curiously, I deleted the bridge and again put a checkmark on the 'VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver'. The 'VirtualBox Host-Only Network' then said 'No Network Access' but what's strange is that the Guests were still able to get to the internet.

The problem seemed to have been solved but how do I explain it? In summary, all I did were:
1. Removed the checkmark in the VirtualBox bridged networking driver from the properties
2. Created a bridge connection for the Local Area Connection and the VirtualBox Host-Only Network
3. Deleted the bridge
4. Put back the checkmark in the VirtualBox bridged networking driver from the properties

Can anybody please explain how changing and unchanging things fixed it? I'm now using VBox v4.0.6 and Extension Pack v4.0.6.

[bill_m]

Under Win7 goto the Nic's properties and look under the Power Management tab. Ensure all boxes are unchecked.
I think this issue you have is more than likely OS side.
No problems with my Asus MB and the intergrated Realtek PCIe GBE port.

I tried what you suggested but that didn't solve the problem so I just left the boxes checked.

[marco]

I remember a quite similar thing happening to me when, almost a couple of years ago, I tried to upgrade from 2.1.4 to 3.0.2.
After the upgrade, VMs were working fine but none of them was able to connect to the Internet. I realized that the main LAN connection of the XP host system had been messed up (red cross in Device Manager) and that there was no way whatsoever to get it to work again.
I could not do a system restore and so that "simple" upgrade ended up in a complete reinstallation of the whole host system, obviously together with all applications, configurations and so on. I had to spend a couple of days just to be able to fully use my computer again.

I learned in those days that upgrading VBox not only can end up in some problems in VBox itself and in VMs (which is obvious and also, to some extent, acceptable), but also can mess up the host system, which I really did not expect.
That experience, summing up to others I had had in the past (lost snapshots, broken VMs etc.) made me definitely become quite hesitant in upgrading. I'm now using version 4.0.0, which does not have any critical issues to me, apart from some audio driver problems which can easily lead to host system's sudden reboots (I "solved" totally disabling audio in my VMs) and the frequent freezing of my host system's USB mouse when VBox Manager is running and I plug in or out or switch on or off some USB device.
I opened tickets about both problems; as I saw none of them have been fixed in the newer releases, I have no actual reason to upgrade. Adding to this my fear about possible unpleasant "side effects"... I think I'll stay with 4.0.0 for a little longer :]

[Seekerdal]

I am having this problem on a WinXP system (version 5.1 Service Pack 2). I loaded 4.0.6 last night with only some of the guest additions installing after a few tries. I did have 4.0.4 running for a few weeks without guest additions. After loading 4.0.6 I could not access the internet from the virtual machine. I checked my connection and did not see my wireless connection and no longer have a LAN connection listed under network connections. I looked at device manager and there are 4 devices: Bluetooth LAN Access Server Drive - VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver Miniport, Intel(R) 82567LM Gigabit Network Connection - VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver Miniport, Intel(R) Wifi Link 5150 - VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver Miniport, and Intel(R) WiMax Link 5150 - VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver Miniport that have yellow exclamation points over them. There are original devices corresponding to each of these that have equivalent names minus the " - VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver Miniport".

I have tried to disabling the VirtualBox drivers but it changes nothing. I have tried uninstalling the drivers but Windows will not uninstall because "the device may be required to boot the computer". If I look at the Intel PROSet Wireless Wifi Connection Utility, it says "Transport Driver is not Bound"

I have tried two system restores but the LAN connections have not been restored.

This sounds like what Marco remembered happening two years ago...I am hoping I do not have to reload the entire host disk OS and software to fix this, as he did...any help much appreciated!