Module 15 – BONUS: Network Cards in VirtualBox and VMware

+==============================================================================+
|    MODULE 15 (BONUS): NETWORK CARDS – VIRTUALBOX vs VMWARE                   |
|  Estimated Duration: 30-45 minutes  |  Level: Beginner to Intermediate       |
+==============================================================================+

Why multiple network cards?
Network card types in VirtualBox (Oracle)
Network card types in VMware
Comparison table: VirtualBox vs VMware
Practical examples from labs
How to configure cards in VirtualBox
How to configure cards in VMware
Visual summary
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Why multiple network cards?

In a virtualization lab, a single network card is not always enough. We often need to separate uses:

Need	Example	Card type
Internet access (download packages, updates)	`apt update`, `dnf install`	NAT
Communication between VMs (isolated private network)	Server ↔ Client on `10.11.12.0/24`	Internal Network / Custom VMnet
Access from the host machine (SSH from your PC)	SSH to the VM from the host terminal	Host-Only

Simple analogy

Imagine your VM as an apartment:

NAT = the front door to the Internet (you go out, but no one can enter directly)
Internal Network = an internal hallway between apartments (VMs talk to each other, but no one from outside sees this hallway)
Host-Only = an intercom with the concierge (your host PC can talk to the VM, but not the Internet)
Bridged = you are directly on the sidewalk (your VM is visible like a real PC on the physical network)

Back to table of contents

Network card types in VirtualBox (Oracle)

VirtualBox offers 5 main modes of network connection. Here is each explained simply:

1) NAT (Network Address Translation)

┌─────────────┐         ┌──────────────────┐         ┌──────────┐
│     VM      │ ──NAT──▶│  Host machine    │ ───────▶│ Internet │
│ 10.0.2.15   │         │ (does the translation)│    │          │
└─────────────┘         └──────────────────┘         └──────────┘

Feature	Detail
Internet access from the VM	✅ Yes
Access to the VM from the host	❌ No (except port forwarding)
Communication between VMs	❌ No (each VM has its own isolated NAT)
Assigned IP	`10.0.2.15` (automatic, by VirtualBox's internal DHCP)
Use case	Download packages, browse the Internet

What is NAT?

NAT is like a translator. Your VM uses your host PC's IP address to go on the Internet. From the outside, only your PC is visible, not the VM.

2) NAT Network

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐
│   VM 1   │     │   VM 2   │
│ 10.0.2.4 │     │ 10.0.2.5 │
└────┬─────┘     └────┬─────┘
     │                │
     └───────┬────────┘
             │
    ┌────────▼────────┐         ┌──────────┐
    │  NAT Network    │ ───────▶│ Internet │
    │  (shared NAT)   │         │          │
    └─────────────────┘         └──────────┘

Feature	Detail
Internet access from the VM	✅ Yes
Access to the VM from the host	❌ No (except port forwarding)
Communication between VMs	✅ Yes (if same NAT network)
Assigned IP	Internal DHCP (e.g., `10.0.2.4`, `10.0.2.5`)
Use case	VMs that need to communicate with each other AND access the Internet

Difference NAT vs NAT Network

NAT: each VM is isolated in its own NAT "bubble" → VMs do not see each other
NAT Network: all VMs share the same NAT network → VMs can communicate with each other

3) Bridged Adapter

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│   VM     │     │   PC     │     │ Other PCs    │
│192.168.1.│     │192.168.1.│     │ on the       │
│   50     │     │   10     │     │ physical net │
└────┬─────┘     └────┬─────┘     └──────┬───────┘
     │                │                   │
     └───────────┬────┴───────────────────┘
                 │
        ┌────────▼────────┐
        │  Switch/Router  │
        │  real network   │
        └─────────────────┘

Feature	Detail
Internet access from the VM	✅ Yes
Access to the VM from the host	✅ Yes
Communication between VMs	✅ Yes
Visible on the physical network	✅ Yes (the VM gets an IP from the real router)
Assigned IP	By the physical network's DHCP (e.g., `192.168.1.50`)
Use case	Server accessible from the entire local network

Warning

In Bridged mode, your VM is visible to everyone on the physical network. Do not use on a public network (café Wi-Fi, school) without precautions.

4) Internal Network

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐
│   VM 1   │     │   VM 2   │
│10.11.12.1│     │10.11.12.2│
└────┬─────┘     └────┬─────┘
     │                │
     └───────┬────────┘
             │
    ┌────────▼────────┐
    │ Internal Network│    ❌ No Internet access
    │  "intnet"       │    ❌ No host access
    └─────────────────┘

Feature	Detail
Internet access from the VM	❌ No
Access to the VM from the host	❌ No
Communication between VMs	✅ Yes (if same internal network name)
Assigned IP	Manual (no automatic DHCP)
Use case	Isolated labs, private networks between VMs, topology simulation

Internal network name

When you configure an Internal Network in VirtualBox, you give it a name (e.g., intnet, lan, clientnet). Only VMs with the same internal network name can communicate with each other.

5) Host-Only Adapter

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│   VM     │     │  Host        │
│192.168.56│     │  machine     │
│  .101    │     │192.168.56.1  │
└────┬─────┘     └──────┬───────┘
     │                  │
     └────────┬─────────┘
              │
    ┌─────────▼─────────┐
    │  Host-Only Network│    ❌ No Internet access
    │ vboxnet0          │
    └───────────────────┘

Feature	Detail
Internet access from the VM	❌ No
Access to the VM from the host	✅ Yes
Communication between VMs	✅ Yes (if same host-only network)
Assigned IP	VirtualBox DHCP or manual (default range `192.168.56.0/24`)
Use case	SSH from the host to the VM, access a web server on the VM from the host

When to use Host-Only?

Do you want to be able to ssh user@192.168.56.101 from your Windows/Mac/Linux host terminal? → Host-Only is made for that!

VirtualBox Summary: 5 modes in a table

Mode	Internet	Host → VM	VM ↔ VM	Physical network	IP
NAT	✅	❌	❌	❌	`10.0.2.15` (auto)
NAT Network	✅	❌	✅	❌	Internal DHCP
Bridged	✅	✅	✅	✅	Real network IP
Internal Network	❌	❌	✅	❌	Manual
Host-Only	❌	✅	✅	❌	`192.168.56.x`

Back to table of contents

Network card types in VMware

VMware (Workstation / Player / Fusion) uses virtual networks called VMnet. Here are the main ones:

1) NAT (VMnet8)

┌──────────┐         ┌──────────────┐         ┌──────────┐
│   VM     │──VMnet8─▶│  Host machine │────────▶│ Internet │
│          │         │  (NAT)        │         │          │
└──────────┘         └──────────────┘         └──────────┘

Feature	Detail
Virtual network	VMnet8 (default)
Internet access	✅ Yes
Host → VM access	✅ Yes (via VMnet8 network)
VM ↔ VM	✅ Yes (if same VMnet8)
Assigned IP	VMware DHCP (e.g., `192.168.128.x`)

Difference with VirtualBox NAT

VMware's NAT (VMnet8) is more permissive than VirtualBox's:

VMware: the host can access the VM via the VMnet8 network
VirtualBox: the host cannot access the VM in simple NAT (port forwarding is needed)

2) Bridged (VMnet0)

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────┐
│   VM     │     │  Host machine │     │ Physical │
│          │     │               │     │ network  │
└────┬─────┘     └──────┬───────┘     └────┬─────┘
     │                  │                   │
     └────────┬─────────┴───────────────────┘
              │
    ┌─────────▼─────────┐
    │  VMnet0 (Bridged) │
    │  = physical card  │
    └───────────────────┘

Feature	Detail
Virtual network	VMnet0 (default)
Internet access	✅ Yes
Visible on the physical network	✅ Yes
Assigned IP	By the physical network's DHCP

Identical to VirtualBox's Bridged mode.

3) Host-Only (VMnet1)

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│   VM     │     │  Host machine │
│          │     │               │
└────┬─────┘     └──────┬───────┘
     │                  │
     └────────┬─────────┘
              │
    ┌─────────▼─────────┐
    │  VMnet1           │    ❌ No Internet access
    │  (Host-Only)      │
    └───────────────────┘

Feature	Detail
Virtual network	VMnet1 (default)
Internet access	❌ No
Host → VM access	✅ Yes
VM ↔ VM	✅ Yes (if same VMnet1)

Identical to VirtualBox's Host-Only mode.

4) Custom VMnet (VMnet2, VMnet3, ..., VMnet19)

This is VMware's strength: you can create up to 20 virtual networks (VMnet0 to VMnet19), each with its own settings.

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐           ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐
│   VM A   │     │   VM B   │           │   VM C   │     │   VM D   │
└────┬─────┘     └────┬─────┘           └────┬─────┘     └────┬─────┘
     │                │                      │                │
     └───────┬────────┘                      └───────┬────────┘
             │                                       │
    ┌────────▼────────┐                    ┌─────────▼────────┐
    │  VMnet2         │                    │  VMnet3          │
    │  (LAN network)  │                    │  (Client network)│
    └─────────────────┘                    └──────────────────┘

Feature	Detail
Virtual network	VMnet2 to VMnet19 (customizable)
Internet access	Configurable (NAT or not)
VM ↔ VM	✅ Yes (if same VMnet)
DHCP	Configurable in Virtual Network Editor

Equivalent to VirtualBox's Internal Network

A custom VMnet without NAT and without host connection is VMware's equivalent to VirtualBox's Internal Network. Example: VMnet2 configured as "Host-only" without host connection = isolated network between VMs.

5) LAN Segment

The LAN Segment is a completely isolated network, without DHCP, without host connection, without NAT.

Feature	Detail
Internet access	❌ No
Host → VM access	❌ No
VM ↔ VM	✅ Yes (if same LAN Segment)
DHCP	❌ No (manual IP only)

LAN Segment vs Internal Network (VirtualBox)

The LAN Segment in VMware is the closest equivalent to VirtualBox's Internal Network: a completely isolated network, manual IPs, only between VMs.

VMware Summary: the VMnets

VMnet	Mode	Internet	Host → VM	VM ↔ VM	Notes
VMnet0	Bridged	✅	✅	✅	Connected to the physical network
VMnet1	Host-Only	❌	✅	✅	Private network with the host
VMnet8	NAT	✅	✅	✅	NAT via the host
VMnet2-7, 9-19	Custom	Configurable	Configurable	✅	Custom networks
LAN Segment	Isolated	❌	❌	✅	Like Internal Network

Back to table of contents

Comparison table: VirtualBox vs VMware

Direct correspondence

Function	VirtualBox	VMware
Internet access via host	NAT	NAT (VMnet8)
Internet + communication between VMs	NAT Network	NAT (VMnet8)
VM on the physical network	Bridged Adapter	Bridged (VMnet0)
Private network with host	Host-Only Adapter	Host-Only (VMnet1)
Isolated network between VMs	Internal Network	LAN Segment or Custom VMnet
Multiple custom networks	Internal Network (named)	Custom VMnet (VMnet2-19)

Key differences

Criterion	VirtualBox	VMware
Max number of cards per VM	4 (GUI) or 8 (CLI)	10
Max number of internal networks	Unlimited (by name)	20 (VMnet0 to VMnet19)
NAT: can host access the VM?	❌ No (port forwarding needed)	✅ Yes (via VMnet8)
DHCP in internal network	❌ No (manual IP required)	Configurable by VMnet
Virtual network editor	Limited	✅ Virtual Network Editor (advanced)
Network performance	Good	Very good (VMXNET3)

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Practical examples from labs

Example 1: Lab 4 – SSH (2 cards per VM)

In Lab 4 (SSH Protocol), each VM uses 1 network card in Internal Network:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Internal Network "intnet"                │
│         10.11.12.0/24                            │
│                                                  │
│  ┌────────────┐          ┌────────────┐          │
│  │  SSH-SRV   │          │  SSH-CLI   │          │
│  │            │          │            │          │
│  │ Adapter 1: │          │ Adapter 1: │          │
│  │ Internal   │◄────────►│ Internal   │          │
│  │ Network    │          │ Network    │          │
│  │ "intnet"   │          │ "intnet"   │          │
│  │ 10.11.12.1 │          │ 10.11.12.2 │          │
│  └────────────┘          └────────────┘          │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Configuration in VirtualBox:

VM	Adapter 1
SSH-SRV	Internal Network → `intnet` (manual IP: `10.11.12.1/24`)
SSH-CLI	Internal Network → `intnet` (manual IP: `10.11.12.2/24`)

VMware equivalent:

VM	Network Adapter 1
SSH-SRV	LAN Segment → `intnet` (manual IP: `10.11.12.1/24`)
SSH-CLI	LAN Segment → `intnet` (manual IP: `10.11.12.2/24`)

Why no NAT in Lab 4?

This lab does not need Internet. The two VMs communicate only with each other on the internal network. If you need to install packages, temporarily add a NAT card, install, then remove it.

Example 2: Lab 5 – SSH, HTTP, and Firewall (up to 3 cards)

In Lab 5 (SSH, HTTP, and Firewall), srvGateway uses 3 network cards:

                        ┌──────────────────────────────────┐
                        │          srvGateway               │
                        │                                   │
                        │  Adapter 1: NAT (Internet)        │
                        │  Adapter 2: Internal "lan"        │
                        │             10.11.12.1/24         │
                        │  Adapter 3: Internal "clientnet"  │
                        │             20.21.22.1/30         │
                        └───┬──────────┬──────────┬────────┘
                            │          │          │
                    Internet│     LAN  │    Client│
                            │          │          │
                            ▼          ▼          ▼
                                 ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐
                                 │ srvSSH   │  │ Client   │
                                 │ srvWEB   │  │20.21.22.2│
                                 │10.11.12.x│  └──────────┘
                                 └──────────┘

Configuration in VirtualBox:

VM	Adapter 1	Adapter 2	Adapter 3
srvGateway	NAT (Internet)	Internal Network → `lan`	Internal Network → `clientnet`
srvSSH	Internal Network → `lan`	—	—
srvWEB	Internal Network → `lan`	—	—
Client	Internal Network → `clientnet`	—	—

VMware equivalent:

VM	Network Adapter 1	Network Adapter 2	Network Adapter 3
srvGateway	NAT (VMnet8)	Custom → VMnet2 (`lan`)	Custom → VMnet3 (`clientnet`)
srvSSH	Custom → VMnet2 (`lan`)	—	—
srvWEB	Custom → VMnet2 (`lan`)	—	—
Client	Custom → VMnet3 (`clientnet`)	—	—

Why 3 cards on srvGateway?

Each card has a specific role:

NAT → Internet access (for apt update, downloads)
Internal lan → server network (10.11.12.0/24)
Internal clientnet → client network (20.21.22.0/30)

The srvGateway machine does the routing between these 3 networks using ip_forward and iptables.

Example 3: Lab with 3 cards (NAT + NAT Network + Host-Only)

Here is another common case: a VM that needs Internet, to communicate with other VMs, AND to be accessible from the host:

VirtualBox Configuration:

Adapter	Mode	Role	Typical IP
Adapter 1	NAT	Internet access	`10.0.2.15` (automatic)
Adapter 2	NAT Network (`NatNetwork1`)	Communication between VMs + Internet	`10.0.2.x` (DHCP)
Adapter 3	Host-Only (`vboxnet0`)	SSH access from the host	`192.168.56.x`

VMware equivalent:

Adapter	Mode	Role	Typical IP
Network Adapter 1	NAT (VMnet8)	Internet access + host	`192.168.128.x`
Network Adapter 2	Custom (VMnet2)	Communication between VMs	Manual IP
Network Adapter 3	Host-Only (VMnet1)	SSH access from the host	`192.168.xxx.x`

Back to table of contents

How to configure cards in VirtualBox

Step by step (GUI)

Select the VM → Click on Settings
Go to Network
You see the tabs Adapter 1, Adapter 2, Adapter 3, Adapter 4
For each adapter:
- Check Enable Network Adapter
- Choose the mode in the Attached to dropdown (Network access mode)

Configuration for each mode

NAT

☑ Enable Network Adapter
Attached to: NAT

Nothing else to configure. VirtualBox handles everything automatically.

Internal Network

☑ Enable Network Adapter
Attached to: Internal Network
Name: intnet          ← type the network name (VMs with the same name see each other)

Important

You must configure the IP manually in the VM (no DHCP):

# Example on Ubuntu (netplan file)
sudo nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    enp0s8:          # interface name (check with "ip a")
      addresses:
        - 10.11.12.1/24

sudo netplan apply

Host-Only

☑ Enable Network Adapter
Attached to: Host-only Adapter
Name: VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter

Create a Host-Only network

If no Host-Only network exists:

Menu File → Host Network Manager
Click on Create
A vboxnet0 network is created with the range 192.168.56.0/24

NAT Network

☑ Enable Network Adapter
Attached to: NAT Network
Name: NatNetwork      ← the shared NAT network name

Create a NAT Network

Menu File → Preferences → Network
Click on + to add a NAT network
Give it a name (e.g., NatNetwork)

Bridged

☑ Enable Network Adapter
Attached to: Bridged Adapter
Name: Intel(R) Wi-Fi...    ← choose your physical network card

CLI Command (VBoxManage)

For advanced users, you can configure the cards via command line:

# Adapter 1: NAT
VBoxManage modifyvm "MyVM" --nic1 nat

# Adapter 2: Internal Network named "lan"
VBoxManage modifyvm "MyVM" --nic2 intnet --intnet2 "lan"

# Adapter 3: Internal Network named "clientnet"
VBoxManage modifyvm "MyVM" --nic3 intnet --intnet3 "clientnet"

# Adapter 2: Host-Only
VBoxManage modifyvm "MyVM" --nic2 hostonly --hostonlyadapter2 "vboxnet0"

# Adapter 1: Bridged
VBoxManage modifyvm "MyVM" --nic1 bridged --bridgeadapter1 "Intel(R) Wi-Fi"

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How to configure cards in VMware

Step by step (GUI)

Select the VM → Click on Edit virtual machine settings
Click on Add... to add a network adapter (or select an existing one)
Choose the connection type:
- Bridged (VMnet0)
- NAT (VMnet8)
- Host-only (VMnet1)
- Custom → choose a specific VMnet

Virtual Network Editor (VMware Workstation Pro)

The Virtual Network Editor is VMware's most powerful tool for managing networks:

Menu Edit → Virtual Network Editor
Click on Change Settings (admin rights)
You can:
- Create new VMnets
- Configure DHCP per VMnet
- Configure subnet per VMnet
- Enable/disable NAT per VMnet
- Connect/disconnect the host

Example: create an isolated network (equivalent to Internal Network)

In the Virtual Network Editor:

VMnet2:
  ☐ Connect a host virtual adapter     ← unchecked (host does not see this network)
  ☐ Use local DHCP service            ← unchecked (manual IP)
  Subnet IP: 10.11.12.0
  Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Then in the VM:

Network Adapter → Custom → VMnet2

IP configuration in the VM

Same procedure as VirtualBox – configure the IP manually in the VM:

# Ubuntu (netplan)
sudo nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    ens33:           # VMware interface name (check with "ip a")
      addresses:
        - 10.11.12.1/24

sudo netplan apply

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Visual summary

Decision diagram: which card to choose?

The 3 most common lab configurations

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    COMMON CONFIGURATION #1                          │
│              "I just want Internet on my VM"                        │
│                                                                     │
│   → 1 card: NAT                                                    │
│   VirtualBox: Adapter 1 = NAT                                      │
│   VMware: Network Adapter 1 = NAT (VMnet8)                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    COMMON CONFIGURATION #2                          │
│     "My VMs need to talk on a private network"                     │
│                                                                     │
│   → 2 cards: NAT + Internal Network                                │
│   VirtualBox: Adapter 1 = NAT, Adapter 2 = Internal "intnet"       │
│   VMware: Adapter 1 = NAT, Adapter 2 = Custom VMnet2               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    COMMON CONFIGURATION #3                          │
│     "My VM is a gateway between 2 private networks + Internet"     │
│                                                                     │
│   → 3 cards: NAT + Internal "lan" + Internal "clientnet"           │
│   VirtualBox: Adapter 1 = NAT, Adapter 2 = Internal "lan",         │
│                Adapter 3 = Internal "clientnet"                    │
│   VMware: Adapter 1 = NAT, Adapter 2 = VMnet2, Adapter 3 = VMnet3  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Maximum number of network cards per VM?

Hypervisor	Maximum (GUI)	Maximum (CLI/advanced)
VirtualBox	4	8 (with VBoxManage)
VMware	10	10

Q: My VM has no connection between VMs, what to check?

Same network name: VMs must be on the same internal network (e.g., intnet)
Manual IPs configured: in Internal Network / LAN Segment, no automatic DHCP
Same subnet: IPs must be in the same network (e.g., 10.11.12.1/24 and 10.11.12.2/24)
Firewall disabled (for testing): sudo ufw disable or sudo iptables -F
Card enabled: check with ip a that the interface is UP

Q: How to know my interface name in the VM?

ip a
# or
ip link show

Common names:

VirtualBox: enp0s3 (card 1), enp0s8 (card 2), enp0s9 (card 3)
VMware: ens33 (card 1), ens34 (card 2), ens35 (card 3)

Q: Can I mix VirtualBox and VMware?

❌ No. VirtualBox VMs cannot communicate with VMware VMs via an internal network. Each hypervisor has its own isolated virtual networks.

Q: What is the difference between NAT and NAT Network in VirtualBox?

	NAT	NAT Network
Internet	✅	✅
VM ↔ VM	❌ (each VM isolated)	✅ (VMs on the same network)
Usage	Single VM	Multiple VMs that need to communicate AND have Internet

Q: In VMware, does VMnet8 (NAT) allow VMs to see each other?

✅ Yes! Unlike VirtualBox's simple NAT, VMware's NAT (VMnet8) allows VMs on the same VMnet8 to communicate with each other.

Bonus Lab created on: February 2026

Table of Contents​

Why multiple network cards?​

Network card types in VirtualBox (Oracle)​

1) NAT (Network Address Translation)​

2) NAT Network​

3) Bridged Adapter​

4) Internal Network​

5) Host-Only Adapter​

VirtualBox Summary: 5 modes in a table​

Network card types in VMware​

1) NAT (VMnet8)​

2) Bridged (VMnet0)​

3) Host-Only (VMnet1)​

4) Custom VMnet (VMnet2, VMnet3, ..., VMnet19)​

5) LAN Segment​

VMware Summary: the VMnets​

Comparison table: VirtualBox vs VMware​

Direct correspondence​

Key differences​

Practical examples from labs​

Example 1: Lab 4 – SSH (2 cards per VM)​

Example 2: Lab 5 – SSH, HTTP, and Firewall (up to 3 cards)​

Example 3: Lab with 3 cards (NAT + NAT Network + Host-Only)​

How to configure cards in VirtualBox​

Step by step (GUI)​

Configuration for each mode​

NAT​

Internal Network​

Host-Only​

NAT Network​

Bridged​

CLI Command (VBoxManage)​

How to configure cards in VMware​

Step by step (GUI)​

Virtual Network Editor (VMware Workstation Pro)​

Example: create an isolated network (equivalent to Internal Network)​

IP configuration in the VM​

Visual summary​

Decision diagram: which card to choose?​

The 3 most common lab configurations​

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Maximum number of network cards per VM?​

Q: My VM has no connection between VMs, what to check?​

Q: How to know my interface name in the VM?​

Q: Can I mix VirtualBox and VMware?​

Q: What is the difference between NAT and NAT Network in VirtualBox?​

Q: In VMware, does VMnet8 (NAT) allow VMs to see each other?​

Table of Contents

Why multiple network cards?

Network card types in VirtualBox (Oracle)

1) NAT (Network Address Translation)

2) NAT Network

3) Bridged Adapter

4) Internal Network

5) Host-Only Adapter

VirtualBox Summary: 5 modes in a table

Network card types in VMware

1) NAT (VMnet8)

2) Bridged (VMnet0)

3) Host-Only (VMnet1)

4) Custom VMnet (VMnet2, VMnet3, ..., VMnet19)

5) LAN Segment

VMware Summary: the VMnets

Comparison table: VirtualBox vs VMware

Direct correspondence

Key differences

Practical examples from labs

Example 1: Lab 4 – SSH (2 cards per VM)

Example 2: Lab 5 – SSH, HTTP, and Firewall (up to 3 cards)

Example 3: Lab with 3 cards (NAT + NAT Network + Host-Only)

How to configure cards in VirtualBox

Step by step (GUI)

Configuration for each mode

NAT

Internal Network

Host-Only

NAT Network

Bridged

CLI Command (VBoxManage)

How to configure cards in VMware

Step by step (GUI)

Virtual Network Editor (VMware Workstation Pro)

Example: create an isolated network (equivalent to Internal Network)

IP configuration in the VM

Visual summary

Decision diagram: which card to choose?

The 3 most common lab configurations

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Maximum number of network cards per VM?

Q: My VM has no connection between VMs, what to check?

Q: How to know my interface name in the VM?

Q: Can I mix VirtualBox and VMware?

Q: What is the difference between NAT and NAT Network in VirtualBox?

Q: In VMware, does VMnet8 (NAT) allow VMs to see each other?