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revolcane1
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DHCP/DNS/Network issues with testlab - Virtual Network Editor is killing me!

Hey all - kinda new with Workstation and have been messing around trying to get this to work for so long, I just want to set up my lab already but am unable to find the snag here.

So here's what I've been trying to do:

Have a Windows Server 2008 R2 (Domain Controller/DHCP/DNS/Active Directory/IIS) hand out DHCP addresses/leases to an internal network (meaning, I want a few Windows 7 Ultimate clients to be assigned IPs from the DC and NOT VMWare's built-in DHCP offerings). I want the clients to be able to only use one NIC (preferably) and both authenticate to AD and connect to the Internet (so I'm guessing I'll have to forward DNS to resolve external domains?). I'm having a pretty difficult time trying to figure this out..

My physical network is a Linksys router with DHCP enabled, so that's assigning an IP to the PC that I am attempting this lab on - maybe this is an issue as well and also needs to be configured or have my VMNet reflect that?

I've tried using NAT, a bridged connection, etc.. and even then, when I do have my DC with an active internet connection, how would I configure my clients (Win7 devices) to join the same network my DC is on? I've tried some configurations in these forums as well but none seem to be trying for what I am attempting (which seems very simple!). Can anyone offer some pointers? I'm not opposed to starting fresh. Thanks for taking a look.

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a_p_
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Here's an example configuration where all VMs are configured for NAT.

Virtual Network Editor:

DHCP disabled for NAT

For the example I assume the NAT subnet being 192.168.100.x. You may modify this if you want.

DC:

IP address: 192.168.100.10

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.100.2

DNS server: 127.0.0.1

DHCP server configuration:

Range: 192.168.100.150 ... 200

Subnet: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.100.2

DNS server: 192.168.100.10

DNS server configuration:

DNS forwarding to: 192.168.100.2 (for URLs other than the own domain)

Other servers or systems with static IP settings:

IP address: 192.168.100.11 ... 149

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.100.2

DNS server: 192.168.100.10

Clients:

Networking set to automatic.

This way the DC will be the only DHCP and DNS server, but each VM will be able to access the Internet directly. And since the DC is the primary DNS server your AD will work properly.

André

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a_p_
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One option is to to use NAT with disabled DHCP for the lab. This way the DHCP requests of the lab clients will only be received from the DC, which will also be the DNS server for the clients and forward DNS requests to resolve external domain names. The default gateway for the DHCP scope will be the usual NAT gateway, i.e. 192.168.x.2.

André

revolcane1
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Hey, thanks for the reply. What I am unsure of is how exactly to configure NAT and then having any additional VMs be able to 'talk to' my NAT connected DC.

What should the NAT's SubnetIP/Mask/Gateway be set to and then when that's set and the outside world is able to be resolved to my Domain Controller, how would my Win7 clients know to use it as its DC (through what connection type and configuration)?

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WoodyZ
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As far as Networking goes you need to read Chapter 5 "Configuring Network Connections" in Using VMware Workstation (PDF) so as to have a better understanding of the VMware Virtual Network Infrastructure and then if using Bridged you should disable automatic bridging on VMnet0 in the Virtual Network Editorand assign a specific Host network Adapter.

Also have a look at: Understanding networking types in hosted products (1006480)

As far as "What should the NAT's SubnetIP/Mask/Gateway be set to" VMnet8 is configured by default and if you want to use a different IP Address then change it in the Virtual Network Editor to match what you want to use in the DC.

a_p_
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Here's an example configuration where all VMs are configured for NAT.

Virtual Network Editor:

DHCP disabled for NAT

For the example I assume the NAT subnet being 192.168.100.x. You may modify this if you want.

DC:

IP address: 192.168.100.10

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.100.2

DNS server: 127.0.0.1

DHCP server configuration:

Range: 192.168.100.150 ... 200

Subnet: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.100.2

DNS server: 192.168.100.10

DNS server configuration:

DNS forwarding to: 192.168.100.2 (for URLs other than the own domain)

Other servers or systems with static IP settings:

IP address: 192.168.100.11 ... 149

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.100.2

DNS server: 192.168.100.10

Clients:

Networking set to automatic.

This way the DC will be the only DHCP and DNS server, but each VM will be able to access the Internet directly. And since the DC is the primary DNS server your AD will work properly.

André

revolcane1
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Hello André,

I've tried this before - configuring VMNet8 (NAT) to those specifications (192.168.100.0/24, Gateway at default xxx.2) - assigning that static IP/creating the DHCP scope, assigning the xxx.2/gateway as a forwarding address (validated and applied).

I'm not sure what VMNet to place my clients on though... assigning to Bridged will have it draw its IP from my physical router and not my VM'd DC. If I give it a LAN Segment it gets the link-local/169.xxx address. Host-to-Host with a different subnet IP maybe?

If I put my client on NAT as well as the DC being on that custom VMNet 8 NAT, my client grabs an IP from my DC's DHCP server but, though my DC can resolve the client's computername to its dynamically assigned IP, a ping times out. My client, however, can ping/resolve my DC though. Strangely, in this configuration, my DC's NIC says "no internet access" though that isn't the case. Any clues? Thanks!

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revolcane1
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Hey Woody, thanks for the manual to WS9! Very informative, and I've definitely begun to grasp how networking works in VMWare Workstation. I'm close to the environment I am trying to set up now but in my reply to a.p. I've explained some other concerns/questions... thanks for trying to teach me how to fish!

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a_p_
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By default the Windows 7 firewall blocks pings, which might explain the timeouts.

If this isnt't the case, please provide the output of ipconfig /all for all systems (host, DC, client).

André

revolcane1
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Yikes, can't believe I missed that - created a Firewall rule to allow echo requests and that resolved. Thanks for the fresh eyes. So going forward, my clients should then ALL be on that generic NAT network connection? Seems to be working, and they can resolve external IPs. My only concern is somehow my DC is saying no internet connection when there very clearly is (able to browse, resolve external, etc).

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a_p_
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Not sure why Windows complaints about this. Maybe Windows 7 Network Awareness: How Windows knows it has an internet connection can help.

André

revolcane1
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Hmm well they're all talking, DHCP assigning correctly. I wasn't sure that putting everything on NAT was the answer (with my DC on a manually configured NAT) - I was reading the manual for configuring/understanding VMWare Workstation 9 network architecture and was under the impression only one NAT VM could exist, and that the clients/additional static IPs issued to other servers would need to be on some hybrid LAN segment or Host-to-Host network configuration. DNS forwarding OK externally. Only outstanding issue is that 'No Internet Connection' on my DC weirdness which I'll resolve in time. Thanks again WoodyZ and a.p.

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WoodyZ
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revolcane1 wrote: I was reading the manual for configuring/understanding VMWare Workstation 9 network architecture and was under the impression only one NAT VM could exist

That is one VMnet that can be set to NAT in the Virtual Network Editor and is not the same as setting a VM's Network Adapter to NAT.  They are two different objects! Smiley Wink