virtualbox.org

Hi all.
I installed Virtualbox 5.0.8 r103449 on an old HP ProLiant ML350 G4p.
The host OS is Windows Server 2008 R2 and the guest OS on the single VM I created is Windows 7 Pro x86.
The host is a Domain Controller in one of our branch locations and has an IP of 192.168.3.74.
I noticed I can't ping (or remotely connect to) the server by name anymore. I have to use the IP address.
I believe this is only when the VM on the server is running (which is most of the time).
The VM is using a "bridged adapter" because we need this VM to be available to users on our network etc.
It looks as if the Ethernet adapter Virtualbox created on the Domain Controller itself is using an IP address of 192.168.56.1.
When I try to ping the server by name, it's failing with the following message.
Can anyone help? I need our server to associate it's name with the IP of 192.168.3.74; not 192.168.56.1.

192.168.56.1 is the default ip address of the Virtualbox host-only adapter. This host-only adapter is not used when your guest is set to Bridged. If you are using Bridged, the ip address for the guest comes from the network.

Your error message does seem to indicate something out of whack. You ping x.y.local and ping turns x.y.local into 192.168.56.1 Seems your DNS might be bunged up, or maybe an entry in a hosts file?

Your host is reported as 2008 R2, but the Windows version in the command window is 10.0.10240. version 10.0 is supposed to be Windows 10 according to Microsoft, which isn't mentioned in your post. Is this Windows 10 PC another PC on your network?

I believe this is only when the VM on the server is running

Have you confirmed this by shutting the guest down and trying the name ping?

I'm pinging from a Windows 10 machine so that's why the command window shows the wrong version.

I see there are 2 DNS entries for the server; one is the correct IP address (192.168.3.xx) and the other is the Virtualbox default IP.
Can I delete the DNS entry for 192.168.56.1? Or will it be recreated automatically?

I can't shut the guest down just yet as it's being used for some production work at the moment. I can schedule a shutdown.

Can I delete the DNS entry for 192.168.56.1? Or will it be recreated automatically?

Good question, I don't really know. An early test on a host-only network, or an accidental start on host-only might have given the basis for this DNS record, but I don't know myself how DNS records get made. That would be usual Windows stuff and you can get some answers on changing DNS on the web. it does sound like this record is where the problem is coming from.

Well I deleted the entry lol. My concern is that the entry will be recreated but it was probably created by me starting the machine prematurely like you said.
I flushed DNS on my machine and have verified I can ping by name now.

Good, glad it's working! Looks like you have the right IP address now.
Gotta love it when a plan comes together...