VMware Virtual Machine Network configuration detailed

VMware Network configuration: Introduction to three types of network modes

After installing the virtual machine, you can see more than two NICs in the network connection:

Where VMnet1 is the network interface for virtual machine host-only mode, VMNET8 is a NAT mode network interface, which is described in detail later. Select the VM network mode method as follows, click "Edit Virtual machine settings":

Then select "Ethernet" in the "Hardware" tab and have the following four single options in the left "Network connection" frame:

1. Bridged (bridging mode)

In bridging mode, VMware's virtual operating system is like a separate host in a local area network that can access any machine in the network.

However, you need more than one IP address, and you need to manually configure the virtual system IP address, subnet mask, and the host machine in the same network segment, so that the virtual system can communicate with the host machine.

If you want to use VMware to create a new virtual server within the LAN, to provide network services for LAN users, you should choose bridging mode.

2. NAT (network address translation mode)

Using NAT mode, the virtual system uses the NAT (network address translation) function to access the public network through the network where the host machine resides.

In other words, the use of NAT mode enables access to the Internet in virtual systems.

"Ethernet Adapter VMware network adapter VMnet8" is used to connect to a virtual machine that uses NAT networking mode,

Virtual machines built with this mode are located within the VMNET8 subnet of the virtual machine, where VMware provides DHCP services to allow the subnets ' virtual machines to obtain an IP address conveniently.

Of course, you can also manually set the IP for the virtual machine in this subnet, but be sure to note the address to VMNET8 set in the network segment.

At this time, the real host will be as VMnet8 Gateway, that is, the virtual network VMnet8 and the real LAN between the routers between the two network segments to forward data.

The special thing about VMnet8 is that VMware has enabled the NAT service for this segment by default.

The biggest advantage of using NAT mode is that virtual system access to the Internet is very simple, you do not need to do any other configuration, only the host machine can access the Internet.

If you want to use VMware to install a new virtual system, you can directly access the Internet without any manual configuration in the virtual system, it is recommended that you use NAT mode.

3. Host-only (host mode)

The "VMware Network Adapter VMnet1" network card is primarily used for real-world hosts connected to virtual machines in Host-only (host mode), in this mode of virtual machine in the VMnet1 subnet of the VMware virtual network,

This subnet is no different from the VMNET8 (virtual subnet consisting of NAT mode) except that the IP segment is different and the NAT service is not provided. We can fully activate the NAT service of the VMNET1 subnet so that the VMnet1 becomes the subnet of another NAT mode.

If the default NAT is not activated, the subnet's virtual machine will only communicate with the other VMS in the VMNET1 network and the real host, which is the origin of the "host-only" name.

There is basically a clear explanation for the three types of network connections that are commonly used in virtual machines:

Bridge mode (bridging mode)

This mode is the default choice when creating a new virtual machine, which is to bridge the virtual host's virtual network card to a host host's physical NIC,

In effect, the host host's physical network card is set to promiscuous mode, which achieves the ability to listen to multiple IPs. In this mode, the virtual host's virtual network card is directly connected to the network where the host computer's physical network card resides.

It can be understood that virtual machines and host hosts are in the same position, and are equal in network relationships, and there is no one who is the master and who is the former.

Nat Mode

In this mode, a virtual NIC VMnet8 (by default) appears in the host's network connection.

If you've done a 2000/2003 NAT server experiment, you'll understand that the VMNET8 virtual network card on the host hosts is the equivalent of a network card connected to the intranet.

The physical network card on the host hosts is the equivalent of a network card connected to the external network, while the virtual machine itself is the equivalent of a computer running on the network, and the virtual network card in the virtual machine is independent from virtual Ethernet Switch (VMnet8).

In this way, VMware's own DHCP service is loaded onto virtual Ethernet Switch (VMNET8) By default so that the virtual machine can use the DHCP service.

Host-only mode

This mode is a closed approach, suitable for a variety of network experiments in a separate environment. In this way, a virtual NIC VMnet1 (by default) appears in the host's network connection.

and NAT The only difference is: In this way, there is no address translation service. So in this case, the virtual machine can only access the host, which is also the meaning of Host-only's name.

VMware Virtual Machine Network configuration detailed