Virtual Box for Lab

jetdynamics · August 2010

Anybody here use Virtual Box for the Lab? Were you able to setup a DHCP Server within Virtual Box and Make that server as the one providing IP address to the client instead the built-in the virtual box. Let me know if you were able to do it. And what procedure did you do.
Existing version I got: Virtual Box v3.2.6

phoeneous · August 2010

jetdynamics wrote: »

Anybody here use Virtual Box for the Lab? Were you able to setup a DHCP Server within Virtual Box and Make that server as the one providing IP address to the client instead the built-in the virtual box. Let me know if you were able to do it. And what procedure did you do.
Existing version I got: Virtual Box v3.2.6

Yup, works just fine. You just need to disable the dhcp server in vbox. Im at work right now but it is pretty easy to find. I think it is under network preferences.

EDIT: It is under network details > dhcp server. Just uncheck that box.

jetdynamics · August 2010

Thanks its working now for some strange reason the first time I disable it my DHCP still not providing IP address until I reboot the computer the next day and its working properly.

ssampier · August 2010

Yes, VirtualBox is awesome.

I am not exactly sure what the problem is with your MS DHCP server. Are you getting anything in Event Viewer?

My only other thought is are you using internal networking, host-networking, or bridged for the Windows 2003 server NICS in VirtualBox?

Ideally you should be using internal. You can use bridged if you need internet access for all your guests, but then your NAT/router would need to have DHCP disabled.

jetdynamics · August 2010

ssampier wrote: »

My only other thought is are you using internal networking, host-networking, or bridged for the Windows 2003 server NICS in VirtualBox?

Ideally you should be using internal. You can use bridged if you need internet access for all your guests, but then your NAT/router would need to have DHCP disabled.

I am using Host-Only Adapter. Whats the advantage if I use Internal Network compare to Host-Only Adapter?

ssampier · August 2010

Host-only means only your host can see your network:

host >>>>> guest

I started with host-only and I have noticed it sometimes does see other host only networks. At least in theory it's not supposed to. I think it's a bug, but I have no evidence to substantiate.

Internal networking means

guest >>>>> guest >>>>> guest

No internet or host access. You can use whatever IP range you want; no router, dhcp, or other VBox configuration needed.

katakatak · October 2010

I wanted a bit more info on the network setup as well. I have a virtual box setup at work, since they let me do some studying/lab work when its not busy, and I'm trying to go through the labs and not let it effect the network in any way.

I started out with 2 2003 Servers connected with Internal Networking, however the lab requires an internet connection to do some of the Dynamic updates. I read somethings online about creating a NAT Router. How do I do this? Or I am just adding another network adapter with Bridged/Host connection?

jmritenour · October 2010

katakatak wrote: »

I wanted a bit more info on the network setup as well. I have a virtual box setup at work, since they let me do some studying/lab work when its not busy, and I'm trying to go through the labs and not let it effect the network in any way.

I started out with 2 2003 Servers connected with Internal Networking, however the lab requires an internet connection to do some of the Dynamic updates. I read somethings online about creating a NAT Router. How do I do this? Or I am just adding another network adapter with Bridged/Host connection?

The second adapter is one way of doing it. I'm using Virtual Box, and I have the following servers set up:

Server considered primary domain controller. 1 adapter, set to internal network. Acting as Active Directory, DHCP & DNS server.

Second server set up as domain controller. 1 adapter set to internal network. Acting as Active Directory, WINS and IAS server.

Third server set up designed to be RRAS server. 2 adapter, 1 is set to internal network, the other I'm still playing with how I'm going to set it up. For now, it's set to NAT, but I think I might go host only. This one will act as DNS, WSUS, and (my plan at least) is to share the internet connection from the outside world with the rest of the machines on my virtual lab. I just started setting this up the other day, and I got side tracked, and haven't finished setting up RRAS. I'm hopeful I'll get to that tonight, and can confirm that my idea will work. It DOES currently have internet access, I just need to get it set up to share out with the others.

I've got a few other client VMs running XP that are set to internal network, and getting IPs from DHCP.

jmritenour · October 2010

Just a brieft addendum to my message above - I finished my test configuration, and everything's pretty much working as designed, using RRAS to share the internet connection to the other computers in the lab. The only change from what I originally posted was the second NIC in the RRAS server is set to bridge mode in virtual box - re-reading the description of host only mode made me realize it wasn't quite what I was after.

Dakinggamer87 · February 2011

I'm currently using VirtualBox and VMWare for my labs

Virtual Box for Lab

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