Test environment. Server and Clients in one domain.

[Backin]

Hey guys. New forum user here. Started messing with VirtualBox about 2 months ago and still haven't been able to accomplish what I set out to do. Hoping someone here is able to shed some light on what it is I am overlooking. Ive tried reading the networking section of the VirtualBox manual. I've searched google. Ive went on youtube.

I started my first IT job back in October. Took forever to get into the field but I'm finally in it. Yay me. Since I have started I've wanted to go back and familiarize on things I have forgotten since I've been out of school as well as learning more things on my own.

I don't have many machines to do what I am trying to do so I looked into virtual machines as an alternative.

Here is my goal:
I want to have a complete working network in VirtualBox using a Server/Client setup on it own domain without losing the ability to access the internet on my VM's through my host. I plan to mess with permissions and all kinds of things once I can get it up and running but I cannot figure out the networking aspect of getting it to work in VirtualBox. Also plan to mess with exchange to find out what my company isn't telling me about how they set up shared mailboxes.

I have 2 machines set up in VirtualBox so far:
1st - Server 2008 R2 - DHCP and DNS have both been turned on. I have set the scope of IP's that I want to be handed out to my other VM's. I have AD setup with some users and some OU's already.

2nd - Win 7 professional

I cannot get Win 7 to pull an IP from the scope I have set on my server. I cannot get it to join the domain.

Ive tried every method of doing the networking in VirtualBox I am able to think of and cannot not find a way to get this to happen. Ive tried using multiple adapters on one and/or both VM's.

I know I have to be missing something but I cannot for the life of me figure out what it is.

If there is information you all need, please ask and I will get it. I am eager to get this solved.

[BillG]

All you have to do to get the domain running properly is make sure that all machines are in the same internal network. (This is the virtual equivalent of connecting all the machines to the same switch).

Internet access is harder, just as it is with a physical domain in its own network. You need a NAT router to get the private addressed traffic to the public Internet. There will also be problems with DNS, just as there are in the physical case, but the same rules apply.

There is really nothing special about doing this in a virtual environment. It works just like the physical setup.

[Backin]

I cannot get one VM to talk to another.

I just tried adding a 3rd VM with pfsense on it and setting it with 2 adapters (Bridged and Internal)
Set my server and client to each have a internal setting.

pfsense got an IP from my router here at home which tells me the bridged connection is working.

pfsense is completely new to me though so I am not 100% sure how to configure it.

In theory if I assign an IP to the LAN side of pfsense which is the internal adapter for virtualbox any other VM i have set to the same internal network in virtualbox should be able to talk to pfsense right?

[Backin]

I finally have it all working.

I am not sure if adding the 3rd VM with pfsense was the solution or if it could have been done without it.
The following setup is allowing what I was looking for though
VM 1 - Server 2008 R2 - Set for internal network only
VM 2 - Win 7 - Set for internal network only
VM 3 - pfsense - Set up with a bridged connection and internal network

pfsense is pulling an IP from my home router like it should be on the WAN side
Assigned a static IP to pfsense on the LAN side

Set a static IP on my server. Set up the DNS and DHCP with the LAN IP of pfsense as the gateway on the server.

My Win 7 client is now pulling an ip properly from my server with the correct gateway and DNS servers.

Both machines have access to the internet.

I am now getting an error when attempt to join the client to the domain. Oh the fun im having.

Error is:

The following error occurred attempting to join the domain "backin":

An attempt to resolve the DNS name of a domain controller in the domain being joined has failed. Please verify this client is configured to reach a DNS server that can resolve DNS names in the target domain.

[BillG]

I mentioned problems with DNS. In a domain, all domain members must use the local DNS (ie the DNS on the DC) or domain functions fail. To allow Internet names to be resolved, set up a forwarder in the local DNS to a public DNS service.

[Backin]

Internet is working. It just won't join the domain. It will resolve any site that I go to from the client

[BillG]

Read the post again. It is the domain functions which don't work with your setup, not the Internet. It works fine in a workgroup.

When you switch to using local DNS, the domain works but Internet doesn't. Then you need to add the forwarder so both work.

[Backin]

Ok I think I know what you are talking about. I found the forwarders section. I see how to do it. I plan to use google's DNS servers.

Something must be wrong though. I must have something setup that I shouldn't because my client is able to get on the internet when it DNS is my server's IP.
If I shutdown the server, i lose internet which is what should happen.

Unless I am misunderstanding you, unless i set 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 in forwarders, I shouldn't have internet on my client or even my server.

Any idea what I might have turned that is causing it? I unchecked root hints and even deleted them

[Backin]

[BillG]

This really has nothing to do with VirtualBox. Post in a Microsoft Server forum.