To connect from the host computer to the virtual machines using SSH, you must set up TCP port forwarding on each virtual machine.
It supports DHCP configuration of IP addresses.īecause the virtual machines are hidden behind a NAT firewall, the host computer cannot initiate connections to them. The VirtualBox NAT interface is a NAT firewall that connects guest virtual machines to the host computer’s local area network. I use the VirtualBox NAT interface as a “management network” that enables each guest node to connect to external networks and, with port forwarding enabled, to the host computer’s operating system. Nodeīy default, VirtualBox connects the first network adapter on each virtual machine to the VirtualBox NAT interface. I used the internal network names shown in the table below to create point-to-point connections between each VM in the network topology. The PCs each use one network adapter to connect to internal networks. The routers each use three of the four available network adapters to connect to internal networks. Then click on Attached To and select internal Network. In the example below, you will configure Network Adapter 2 on the Router-1 virtual machine.Ĭlick on the Enable Network Adapter check box, if it is not already checked. Then, in the settings window, click on Network. Select one of the virtual machines in the VirtualBox Manager window and click on Settings. To connect two virtual machines to each other, use the Internal Network interface type. If enabled, the adapter may be configured to connect to one of the many different types of interfaces provided by VirtualBox. For now, limit yourself to using the four adapters supported on each VM by the VirtualBox GUI.Įach network adapter may be enabled or disabled. These additional network adapters may be configured using the VirtualBox command-line interface, which is a topic for another post. Fortunately, VirtualBox really supports up to thirty-six network adapters per VM. This limits the complexity of network scenarios you can create. The VirtualBox graphical user interface supports only four network adapters for each VM. Each VM needs to be set up with network interfaces and connected to VirtualBox internal networks to create a network topology. The network topology you will create is shown in the figure below: Once the network topology and IP network design is defined, build configuration plans (see the tables I use later in this post) and set up and debug the emulated network.Ĭreate a small network of three routers, each of which is connected to a PC. Plan how you will manage the emulated nodes.
VirtualBox does not have a drag-and-drop graphical user interface for creating networks of virtual machines so you must draw the network using another tool such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Visio, or open-source alternatives like LibreOffice Draw or Dia - or even pencil and paper.ĭetermine which nodes and ports connect to which networks before you start creating virtual machines. To build the emulated network, first create a network plan you can follow. Installing dCore Linux in a VirtualBox VM.Installing Debian Linux in a VirtualBox VM.If you need to refresh your knowledge about VirtualBox, the VirtualBox website provides a detailed user manual, and I have written a few posts featuring VirtualBox. I also assume you have a basic understanding of Linux shell commands, which will be needed to configure the Linux operating system running on the virtual routers and PCs.
I assume you, the reader, are already familiar with the VirtualBox GUI and have used it to create and run virtual machines on your personal computer, using default settings. This tutorial will utilize some of the advanced functions supported by VirtualBox and provide you with the skills to set up a network of virtual machines on your own personal computer.
#HOW TO USE VIRTUALBOX FOR LINUX HOW TO#
In this post, I offer a step-by-step tutorial showing how to use the VirtualBox graphical user interface to set up a network of six devices: three routers and three PCs. VirtualBox works on the major computing platforms: Windows, MacOS, and Linux. In addition to creating and managing individual virtual machines, VirtualBox can connect virtual machines together to emulate a network of computers and network appliances such as routers or servers. VirtualBox is an open-source virtual machine manager and hypervisor that may also be used as a network emulator.
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