On 2018-05-30 14:34, Carlos E. R. wrote: I found some info, but this mode is not what I want. It is not equivalent to vmware NAT mode. <https://www.thomas-krenn.com/en/wiki/Network_Configuration_in_VirtualBox> +++------------------------ NAT service Network Address Translation Service is a new NAT variant, which was newly introduced (experimental) with VirtualBox 4.3. The functionality is similar to a router. Direct access to the client systems from outside the network is prevented and the guest systems can communicate with TCP and UDP over IPv4 and IPv6 to each other and to the outside world. The NAT service is connected to an internal network. Virtual machines using this service should be connected to this internal network. The name of the internal network is selected when configuring the NAT service. The internal network will be recreated if it does not already exist. Example configuration of a static NAT network VBoxManage natnetwork add -t nat-int-network -n "192.168.15.0/24" -e natnetwork is the name of the internal network. 192.168.15.0/24 represents the network and subnet mask. 192.168.15.1 is the gateway address. Example configuration with DHCP server VBoxManage natnetwork add -t nat-int-network -n "192.168.15.0/24" -e -h on Adding a DHCP server later VBoxManage natnetwork modify -t nat-int-network -h on For more information and configuration options, see Network Address Translation Service (Virtualbox Manual). ------------------------++- +++------------------------ <https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch06.html#network_nat_service> 6.4. Network Address Translation Service The Network Address Translation (NAT) service works in a similar way to a home router, grouping the systems using it into a network and preventing systems outside of this network from directly accessing systems inside it, but letting systems inside communicate with each other and with systems outside using TCP and UDP over IPv4 and IPv6. A NAT service is attached to an internal network. Virtual machines which are to make use of it should be attached to that internal network. The name of internal network is chosen when the NAT service is created and the internal network will be created if it does not already exist. An example command to create a NAT network is: VBoxManage natnetwork add --netname natnet1 --network "192.168.15.0/24" --enable Here, "natnet1" is the name of the internal network to be used and "192.168.15.0/24" is the network address and mask of the NAT service interface. By default in this static configuration the gateway will be assigned the address 192.168.15.1 (the address following the interface address), though this is subject to change. To attach a DHCP server to the internal network, we modify the example as follows: VBoxManage natnetwork add --netname natnet1 --network "192.168.15.0/24" --enable --dhcp on ... ------------------------++- (What, no GUI setup? Astonishing) This is way more complex to setup than in vmware. There, I just clicked on "NAT" and everything was ready. It did have a DHCP server. But most importantly, communication from host machine to guest over ssh, for instance, just worked, contrary to what would happen from outside a nat router. What was blocked was communication from other computers in the home LAN, ie, outside the host machine. This is what I want, and I don't see the exact equivalent in the documentation I read. +++------------------------ Internal Networking Only those guest systems that have been connected to the same internal network will be able to communicate with each other in the internal network configuration. Communication with the host system or another network outside of VirtualBox will not be possible.[6] ------------------------++- No communication with the host? Then no. +++------------------------ Host-only Networking In this mode, communication between connected guest systems and the host system is possible.[7] Customized network interfaces will be used on the host system for the host-only network, such as: vboxnet0. The IP address on the host as well as the DHCP server for this network will be configured directly in VirtualBox: ------------------------++- I don't see clearly if communication between host and guests is possible, and what happens with Internet (in vmware this mode doesn't connect with internet). +++------------------------ Generic networking There are currently two possible sub-modes for Generic networking mode: UDP Tunnel[8] VDE (Virtual Distributed Ethernet) networking ------------------------++- I don't understand what this is. <https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch06.html#network_udp_tunnel> «This networking mode allows to interconnect virtual machines running on different hosts.» «Technically this is done by encapsulating Ethernet frames sent or received by the guest network card into UDP/IP datagrams, and sending them over any network available to the host.» Huh, no. I don't want this. <https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch06.html#network_vde> 6.9. VDE networking «Virtual Distributed Ethernet (VDE[32]) is a flexible, virtual network infrastructure system, spanning across multiple hosts in a secure way. It allows for L2/L3 switching, including spanning-tree protocol, VLANs, and WAN emulation. It is an optional part of VirtualBox which is only included in the source code.» «The basic building blocks of the infrastructure are VDE switches, VDE plugs and VDE wires which inter-connect the switches.» Wow, no way. +++------------------------ Bridged Networking In this mode, the guest system will receive direct access to the network, to which the host system has been connected. ------------------------++- Maybe, but on a different IP range. Is that possible? <https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch06.html#network_bridged> +++------------------------ 6.5. Bridged networking With bridged networking, VirtualBox uses a device driver on your host system that filters data from your physical network adapter. This driver is therefore called a "net filter" driver. This allows VirtualBox to intercept data from the physical network and inject data into it, effectively creating a new network interface in software. When a guest is using such a new software interface, it looks to the host system as though the guest were physically connected to the interface using a network cable: the host can send data to the guest through that interface and receive data from it. This means that you can set up routing or bridging between the guest and the rest of your network. For this to work, VirtualBox needs a device driver on your host system. The way bridged networking works has been completely rewritten with VirtualBox 2.0 and 2.1, depending on the host operating system. From the user perspective, the main difference is that complex configuration is no longer necessary on any of the supported host operating systems.[31] ------------------------++- Yes, this is similar to what vmware does on bridged mode... but this breaks the isolation between the guest and LAN. I do not like that. I want only communication between host and guest in both directions, and between other guests. Occasionally, I can change one machine to bridged to communicate with LAN, but this I did only once. So I'm very confused and don't know what mode to use to achieve it. -- Cheers / Saludos, Carlos E. R. (from 42.3 x86_64 "Malachite" at Telcontar)