How to build a functioning network

[Analisis]

Hello,

I have virtualbox 4.1.0.0 installed in windows7. My computer is a laptop HP Pavillion dv6 with an AMD Phenomenon II N660 Dual-core Processor. It has Windows 7 as default OS so I thought is better to leave it as it is.

I want to controll two laboratory equipments, two Gas Chromatographs with this laptop. One is an Agilent 6890 with FID and I am using Agilent ChemStation A.10.02. this software doesn't run well in Windows 7 but in Windows XP, so I have installed. Virtualbox in Windows 7 and installed Windows XP as guest. I have three NICs installed in this Windows XP, one is the NAT, the other is a bridged adapter for comunicating with the host and other computer I have and the other card is also a bridged adapter that I am expecting to connect with the GC. The GC will have a fixed ip address and I want that the GC could not be seen by others computers in the network and only for this PC.

Then I want to add another Windows XP VM as guest because it will controll a GC/MSD System. This system uses MSD ChemStation from Agilent revisiom D.01.00 SP1. This machine will also use a fixed ip address for the controlling instruments, one GC 6890 and one MSD5973N. So I expect to use NAT for accesing internet, a bridged adapter for controlling instruments and another bridged adapter to access the network.

If this functions I wnat to replicate it in a laboratory with lack of space so that they can use one PC to controll this two instruments.

Well I have to go to the lab to check that this configuration works but I have some days for doing it. Can you give me your appreciation if this can work. My problem is that hte performance of the system seems to be somewhat low. Sometimes the XP hangs or doesn't close well or boot time is too long.

I have also other problems with the software but this is strictly related to the software.

How can I check that the system is well installed?

Thank you for your answer.

Regards,

Adolfo Alvarez

[Sasquatch]

First of all, if you use NAT for internet and a bridged for other network communication, then you can ditch NAT and stick to bridged. Also, you have two bridged adapters set, probably with the same Host adapter. This is not required for your work. You can have just one Bridged adapter and give it two IP addresses, one for the normal network and internet access, the other for the equipment.
If you require DHCP on the bridge, then it's a bit more tricky, then a second bridged adapter with static IP is easier to configure.

Keep in mind that if the Host can access some resources on the network, the Guest can access them too when using NAT. So if the Host has access to internet, and a specific system, using NAT gives the guest access to both as well.

To test this, you can see if you can access all the required IP addresses from the Guest using a separate physical machine and give it the IP addresses that you have in the lab. If the Guests can access all those IPs, then you're fine and it should work in the lab as well.
As for the boot time and performance, make sure that the laptop is set to performance energy plan, so the system is on high speed operation. If it's in power save, then the speed of the CPU will be limited and any dynamic increase is not directly reflected on the Guest and can give false readings and performance. Using the proper power supply/adapter will also help. Using a wrong adapter and start the laptop can put the laptop in low performance mode until you shut it down. It's a safety system.