What are VirtualBox network settings and modes?
Here you will find out:
- what VirtualBox network settings are
- what VirtualBox network modes are
- how DiskInternals software can help you
Are you ready? Let's read!
VirtualBox network settings
Today, virtualization of the computing environment is already an integral part of the necessary and productive work of any self-respecting business. After all, virtualization is about using virtual machines in almost all cases when you would otherwise use physical computers. This requires the ability to consistently connect physical and virtual networks using virtual network adapters. VirtualBox virtual machines can be connected to different networks; thus, VirtualBox provides several network modes for virtual machines (Not Attached, NAT Network, NAT, Bridged Adapter, Host-Only Adapter, Internal Network, Generic Driver). In order to properly use them, you need to know as much information as possible about the VirtualBox network settings. This is what this article will be about.
What are VirtualBox network modes?
Now let's understand the VirtualBox network settings for each of the possible network modes.
- 1. Not Attached mode: when the guest sees the NIC whose virtual cable has been unplugged.
- 2. Network Address Translation (NAT): the simplest network mode for accessing external networks for a guest machine. In this case, external access to the guest system cannot be established. If you need to access services on the guest from the host, you must configure the secondary interface using the host-only network.
- 3. The NAT Network: available since VirtualBox 4.3, with the same functionality as a router. Guest systems can communicate with TCP and UDP over IPv4 and IPv6 among themselves and with the outside world. The NAT service is connected to an internal network, so the virtual machines using this service must be connected to this internal network. When the NAT service is configured, you select the name of the internal network and it will be recreated if it does not already exist.
- 4. Bridged network: provides the guest system with direct access to the network to which the host system is connected.
- 5. Internal network: guests can communicate with each other if they are connected to the same internal network. In any other case, communication is impossible.
- 6. Host-only network: available communication solely between the connected guest systems and the host system. All configured network interfaces will be used in the host system for a host-only network. The IP address on the host and the DHCP server for this network will be configured directly in VirtualBox: Click the File tab and select “Global Settings”. Next, click on "Network" and right-click on the tool icon. Configure the IP address for the host only. Once done, click on the DHCP Server tab and change the DHCP server settings.
- 7. Universal networks (Generic Driver): Choose one of the following network sub-modes:
- VDE (virtual distributed Ethernet) network
- UDP tunnel
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