Setting Up Isolated (Host Only) Networks

[OxygenOne]

Hey everyone - This may sound like a dumb or obvious question, but how does one set up a host only network in VI3 / ESX?

I tried creating a virtual switch under Configuration > Networking for the ESX host in Virtual Infrastructure Client. I then took three VMs and changed their NICs to connect to that switch. Unfortunately, they cannot see each other.

It does not seem that the vSwitches support DHCP, so I tried setting the IPs manually. I did not know what to use for the IPs, so I tried 10.128.0.2, .3, and .4 for the virtual machines and a gateway of 10.128.0.1. Unfortunately, the VMs still cannot talk to each other.

In addition to having these machines on their own network, I want to have two or three "pools" of machines, each pool being a host only network. On top of that, I want to have another VM capable of administering the pools. I know this may sound confusing, but this is what I am trying to go for:

VM 1, VM 2, VM 3 have a host only network, say, vSwitch1

VM 4, VM 5, VM 6 have their own host only network, vSwitch2

VM 7, VM 8, VM 9 have their own host only network, vSwitch3

VM10 sits outside of these three networks and can connect to any host on vSwitch1, vSwitch2, or vSwitch3

It would also be nice if vSwitch1, vSwitch2, and vSwitch3 had their own DHCP / DNS servers to make addressing nice and easy since VM10 would address them by their hostname. I probably have to set those up manually right?

Thanks for your help everyone.

[masaki]

Create a vswitch with a port group for vm on it.

Do not attach any physical adapter to it.

[OxygenOne]

That is the current configuration. The hosts cannot see each other. If I let them do DHCP, I get "Limited or no Connectivity" (this is Windows XP). And if I do manual addressing, it does not work either (see original post).

Thanks

[Chris_S_UK]

Are you sure the VMs' nics are configured to be connected at startup?

To answer the other questions, VM10 would need to have 3 virtual NICs, with each one connected to a different 'internal' virtual switch.

Re DHCP, you'd either have to statically assign each IP or set up a DHCP server or servers (i.e. one on each virtual switch or one which, like VM10, has 3 virtual NICs)

Chris

[OxygenOne]

Yup. Both Connected and Connected at Power On are checked in the Settings box for each VM. Also, in VMWare Tools, NIC1 is checked off in each host.

Thanks

[masaki]

There must be a DHCP for assigning them addresses!

You can't isolate a network and reach DHCP at same time.

So you must put a DHCP inside or use static IP.

If you want a network across hosts you could:

1) trunk a physical nic between two HOSTS or use a private hub.

2) Use private subnets and do not route the subnets outside the first physical switch.

[masaki]

If NIC 1 is checked off then:

It's not attached to a physical switch.

It's broken

It's not recognized

[OxygenOne]

I do not want NIC1 attached to any physical switch, but rather to the virtual switches that I will create (which is how it is currently set up). Setting the IPs manually is fine, but what is the addressing scheme for the vSwitches?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

I think Masaki is referring to the NIC in the VM.

When you create your vswitch, you'll have the option not to select any physical NICs to be used by the vswitch. That'll get you your isolated network. Then you'll add a virtual machine port group to the vswitch, but you don't actually assign any IP address to the vswitch.

You'll then use static IPs with your VMs and you can use the same subnet with each vswitch.

[OxygenOne]

Ohh okay. I agree with how you set up the vSwitch. That is how I have it right now. Three VMs connected to a vSwitch with no physical adapter attached. I gave each VM its own IP: 10.128.0.x where x is either 2, 3, or 4. The mask is 255.255.255.0. If I try to ping 10.128.0.2 from either of the other two (for example), it times out. This is why I am thinking I am missing something really basic.

Thanks

[Dave_Mishchenko · Accepted solution]

If these are all Windows XP, then you should check the firewall settings for each VM as if it is enabled, then ICMP is disabled by default.

[masaki]

about NIC1 I was talking of across HOSTs (host only) network cause I thought you want this.

Which are the networks assigned to the port group on the vswitch you've just created?

Which is the default gateway assigned inside the XP guests?

[OxygenOne]

That did it. Thanks. That is really weird too, because when these VMs were in VMware Server, they worked fine even with Windows Firewall turned on.

Thanks!