How to Create a Network Between Two Virtual Machines in VMware

Do you have two virtual machines that need to communicate with each other? Are you struggling to create a network connection between them in VMware? Look no further!

In this blog post, we will guide you through the steps of setting up a network between two virtual machines in VMware.

Whether for testing purposes or running multiple applications, our step-by-step instructions and helpful tips will make networking your VMs a breeze. So grab your coffee, put on your tech hat, and let’s get started!

Introduction to Networking between virtual machines

Networking between virtual machines can be done in various ways, depending on your needs.

The most common way is to use a virtual private network (VPN), which allows you to connect two or more virtual machines in a secure, private network.

Another option is a software-defined networking (SDN) solution, which provides a more flexible and customizable way to connect virtual machines.

Understanding Types of Network Connections

Three types of network connections can connect two virtual VMware machines: direct, host-only, and NAT.

Direct Connection: A direct connection between two virtual machines is the most simple and straightforward way to connect them.

The VMs are connected directly to each other via an Ethernet cable. This type of connection is typically used for development or testing purposes.

Host-Only Connection: A host-only connection allows the virtual machines to communicate with each other and the host machine, but they cannot communicate with any other machines on the network. This type of connection can be helpful when you want to isolate a group of machines from the rest of the network.

NAT Connection: A NAT connection allows virtual machines to communicate with each other and the outside world, but their IP addresses are hidden from the outside world. This type of connection is typically used to allow communication between a group of VMs and the outside world without exposing their IP addresses.

Setting up the Virtual Machines in VMware

Launch the program and create a new virtual machine, assuming you have already installed VMware on your system.

Name the machine, select the operating system you want to install, and choose how much memory to allocate. You can also decide whether to create a virtual disk or use an existing one.

Now that you have created the first virtual machine, it’s time to set up networking so the two machines can communicate.

Select your first virtual machine in VMware and go to Edit > Preferences. In the window that appears, click on the Network tab and select “Host-only.”

This will allow communication between the two virtual machines while isolating them from your primary network.

Click OK to close the preferences window and return to your main VMware window.

Select your second virtual machine and repeat the process of going to Edit > Preferences and selecting “Host-only” under the Network tab.

With both of your virtual machines configured for host-only networking, they should be able to communicate with each other while remaining isolated from your physical network.

Configuring the Networks

To configure the network between two virtual machines in VMware, you must first select the network adapter you would like to use for each machine.

This can be done by going into each VM’s “Edit” settings and selecting the “Network Adapter” tab. Select the adapters you wish to use from here and click “OK.”

Once the adapters have been selected, you must create a new network connection between the two VMs. This can be done by right-clicking on one of the machines in VMware and selecting “New Network Connection.”

Select the other VM as the destination in the following dialogue window and click “OK.”

Finally, you must edit the properties of each VM’s network adapter to set them to use the same network. This can be done by right-clicking on an adapter and selecting “Edit Settings.”

In the following dialogue window, change the “Connection Type” drop-down menu to “Bridged” and click “OK.” Repeat this process for both VMs and then they should be able to communicate across the network.

Creating a Bridged Connection with DHCP

You can use a bridged connection if you want to connect two virtual machines in VMware.

Bridged connections allow the VM to have its own IP address and communicate with other devices on the network. You’ll need to enable DHCP on the VM to set up a bridged connection.

1. Open VMware and select the virtual machine you want to edit.
2. Click “Edit Settings.”
3. Select the “Network Adapter” tab.
4. Choose “Bridged” from the “Connection Type” drop-down menu.
5. Check the “Connected” box and click “OK.”
6. Start up the VM and open the Windows Control Panel.
7. Go to “Network and Internet,” then “Network Connections.”
8. Right-click on your network connection and select “Properties.”
9. In the Properties window, go to the “Networking” tab and check the “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” box.
10. Click “Properties” below the box and choose the option to “Obtain an IP address automatically.”
11. Select the option to obtain a DNS server address automatically, then click “OK.”
12. Restart your computer, and your bridged connection should now be established with DHCP enabled.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you’re having trouble connecting two virtual machines in VMware, there are a few things you can try:

1. Check the VMware networking settings for both VMs. Ensure they’re set to use the same network adapter type (e.g., bridged, NAT, host-only) and that all necessary ports are open.
2. If you’re using NAT networking, check whether VMware’s built-in DHCP server is running and providing IP addresses to both VMs. If not, you must manually configure IP addresses for both VMs.
3. Try pinging one VM from another to see if they can communicate at the network layer. If not, check the firewall settings on both VMs to ensure all necessary ports are open.
4. If you’re still having trouble connecting, try rebooting both VMs and try again.

Conclusion

Setting up a network between two virtual machines in VMWare can be intimidating initially, but understanding the basics and having good networking knowledge will make it easier.

With the right configurations, you can easily transfer data between your virtual machines, freeing up time for other tasks and allowing you to use them more efficiently.

Following our basic steps and tweaking some settings accordingly, we hope setting up networks between your virtual machines has become simple and straightforward!