Issues with VMware, a virtualized Windows NT server, and bridge networking.

[Booshanky]

Hi fellas!

A client of mine has a server they use for their business, (and yes, NT should be upgraded, but this isn't an option so please let that argument die). It was running on a pretty robust Dell server, but I wanted to virtualize it as to make it hardware independent.

I ended up making a VHD image of the drive with winimage. I then converted that to a VMDK file which I've been able to run in VMware workstation. Everything is cool, but I can't seem to figure how to assign an IP fromt he network range (192.168.1.x) so that other computers can connect as thought it was still a pysical machine.

VMWARE is running on a windows XP box with 2 nics. I want to assign 1 nic to be used exclusively for this NT virtual machine, but I'm stumped.

Any idea on what I need to do? Do I need to change any of the network settings inside the VM?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[theevilsharpie]

You didn't mention which version of VMware you're running, so I'm assuming VMware Workstation. For VMware Workstation, create a new bridged interface within the Virtual Network Editor application, and then assign that network to your NT VM.

 

[Booshanky]

Yes, I'm running vmware workstation 7.0.0 build-203739.

The problem is that it seems like I'm assigning the right adapter to it, but it just doesn't seem to work. In the virtual machine itself, since it was created from a hard drive install rather than a clean install from a CD, means that it still has all the network hardware set up in it. Maybe that's the issue?

Anyway, you can see from the screenshots what I've done. Any idea?

 

[theevilsharpie]

Is 192.168.1.3 the IP you want to assign to your NT VM?

 

[Booshanky]

Is 192.168.1.3 the IP you want to assign to your NT VM?

That's correct. The host machine, running XP, is assigned to 192.168.1.106. I want to make the NT VM 192.168.1.3. Basically I want it to look, on the network, as though it's just another physical machine. But I'm just stumped here. I've done this before with hyperV and it was never anything that was difficult, but I'm a bit lost here. Don't use VMware very much.,..

 

[theevilsharpie]

That's correct. The host machine, running XP, is assigned to 192.168.1.106. I want to make the NT VM 192.168.1.3.

You need to remove 192.168.1.3 address the dedicated NIC in XP, and assign the IP to the NIC in your NT4 virtual machine.

 

[imagoon]

You need to remove 192.168.1.3 address the dedicated NIC in XP, and assign the IP to the NIC in your NT4 virtual machine.

This is the correct answer. Treat a virtual machine like any physical machine. adding that ip to the xp box made an ip conflict with the NT4 box.

 

[Booshanky]

This is the correct answer. Treat a virtual machine like any physical machine. adding that ip to the xp box made an ip conflict with the NT4 box.

So set up the NIC on the host box as DHCP, and then set up a static IP on the virtual machine?

I think this is where I'm most confused....

 

[theevilsharpie]

So set up the NIC on the host box as DHCP, and then set up a static IP on the virtual machine?

Yes, that's correct.

VMware maintains an internal software Ethernet switch for each network you define in the Virtual Network Editor, and when you configure VMware to bridge the connections, you are essentially trunking that internal Ethernet switch to your physical Ethernet switch. Just like with physical Ethernet switches, connecting them together gives your nodes full Ethernet connectivity, but they still need an IP address to participate in your IP network.