Issues creating DNS server

[dkurz8814]

Please excuse my basic experience if this question seems silly. I am working to create a virtual lab that I can use for some windows certs and also improving my virtualization skills. My question is pretty simple. I have a private network that is non-routable to the internet.

The clients inside the virtual network I have are able to talk to each other. spoke with the VMware Fusion support group (who works with the VMware Workstation team) and they both said that VMware does not support using a VM as a DNS server.

He did not answer clearly if the enterprise level products can do this.I know vmware ESXi is a more robust platform but I do not know how I would go about setting it up without breaking my home router.

A few notes about my set-up

Server is 2012 R2

One client is windows 8

One will be windows 7 once it is done being updated

DHCP seems to work fine.

DNS is inconsistent. I cannot get the clients to ping the DC but the DC can ping them. The client can ping the server by IP

DHCP and DNS are on the same server

I am also having issues with clients not caching credentials if my DC is offline.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[daphnissov]

Little confused since you posted this in the ESXi forum yet you spoke to the Fusion support team? So is this lab built exclusively in Fusion or on ESXi? Regardless, however, there's no problem with DNS in a VM as it's done every day. The VMware product in use makes no difference here.

[dkurz8814]

Sorry for the confusion.

The lab is built in Fusion. Fusion didnt work because it did not have enough features. 

I guess what I meant to ask is how to do it in ESXI.  I tried to set it up but I did not know what changes to make (I also ran into a separate issue regarding storage space which of course is entirely separate).

[daphnissov]

If you're attempting this with ESXi, it'd be helpful to have more information (specifics) on your network and how your ESXi host plays into them. There are several ways to go about this and so it's to know what's "best" for you without your details.