Module 15 – BONUS: Network Cards in VMware (detailed guide)
+==============================================================================+
| MODULE 15 (BONUS): VMWARE NETWORK CARDS – DETAILED GUIDE |
| Estimated duration: 1-2 hours | Level: Beginner to Intermediate |
+==============================================================================+
Table of Contents
- Introduction: VMware vs VirtualBox – what changes
- The VMware interface: where to configure network cards
- The 5 network connection modes in VMware
- The VMnets: the heart of VMware networking
- The Virtual Network Editor
- LAN Segments: 100% isolated networks
- Real-world examples: configuring 1, 2, or 3 cards
- Summary table: VMware vs VirtualBox
- VMware network troubleshooting
- FAQ
Introduction: VMware vs VirtualBox – what changes
If you are coming from VirtualBox, VMware works differently for networking. Here are the main differences:
| Aspect | VirtualBox | VMware |
|---|---|---|
| Central concept | Connection modes (NAT, Bridged, Internal...) | VMnets (numbered virtual networks) |
| Internal networks | Freely named (intnet, lan...) | Numbered: VMnet0 to VMnet19 (20 max) |
| Isolated network between VMs | Internal Network | LAN Segment or Custom VMnet |
| NAT: can the host see the VM? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (via VMnet8) |
| Max cards per VM | 4 (GUI) / 8 (CLI) | 10 |
| Network editor | Limited | Virtual Network Editor (very comprehensive) |
| Interface in French | Yes | Yes (VMware Workstation) |
VMware Philosophy
In VirtualBox, you choose a mode (NAT, Bridged...).
In VMware, you choose a VMnet (virtual network). Each VMnet has a configured mode (NAT, Host-Only, Bridged, or none).
It's like the difference between choosing a type of road (VirtualBox) and choosing which specific road to take (VMware).
The VMware interface: where to configure network cards
Accessing a VM's network settings
- Select your VM from the list
- Click on Edit virtual machine settings
- In the left column, you see the Network Adapters:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Hardware Options │
│ │
│ Device Summary │
│ ───────────── ───────── │
│ Memory 4 GB │
│ Processors 2 │
│ Hard Disk (SCSI) 40 GB │
│ CD/DVD (SATA) Using file D:\ubuntu... │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Network Adapter NAT │◄── Adapter 1
│ │ Network Adapter 2 Bridged (Automatic) │◄── Adapter 2
│ │ Network Adapter 3 Host-Only │◄── Adapter 3
│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ USB Controller Present │
│ Sound Card Auto-detect │
│ Display Auto-detect │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Network connection options
When you select a network card, you see the right panel with:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Device Status │
│ ☑ Connected │
│ ☑ Connect at power on │
│ │
│ Network Connection │
│ ────────────── │
│ ○ Bridged: connected directly to the physical network │
│ ○ NAT: used to share the host's IP address │
│ ○ Host-Only: private network shared with the host │
│ ○ Custom: specific virtual network │
│ [ VMnet0 ▼ ] │
│ ○ LAN Segment: │
│ [ ] [ LAN Segments... ] [ Advanced... ]│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The 5 available choices
Each network card can be configured in one of these 5 modes:
- Bridged
- NAT
- Host-Only
- Custom (Custom VMnet)
- LAN Segment
The 5 network connection modes in VMware
Mode 1: Bridged – "Connected directly to the physical network"
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ REAL PHYSICAL NETWORK │
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ VM │ │ Host PC │ │ Other │ │
│ │192.168.1.│ │192.168.1.│ │ PCs on │ │
│ │ 50 │ │ 10 │ │ network │ │
│ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │
│ └────────────────┼────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌────────▼────────┐ │
│ │ Switch/Router │ │
│ │ Wi-Fi / LAN │ │
│ └─────────────────┘ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| VMnet used | VMnet0 (default) |
| Internet access | ✅ Yes |
| VM visible on the physical network | ✅ Yes (like a real PC) |
| Host → VM | ✅ Yes |
| VM ↔ VM | ✅ Yes |
| IP assigned | By the real router's DHCP (e.g., 192.168.1.50) |
| Additional option | ☑ Replicate physical network connection state |
When to use it?
- ✅ When your VM needs to be visible to other machines on the network (colleagues, printers, servers)
- ❌ Do not use on a public Wi-Fi (the VM would be exposed)
- ❌ May not work on some corporate/school networks (MAC filtering)
Option "Replicate physical network connection state": If your PC switches from Wi-Fi to cable (or disconnects), the VM follows automatically. Useful for laptops.
Mode 2: NAT – "Used to share the host's IP address"
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ VM │ │ Host PC │ │ Internet │
│ │───── VMnet8 ────▶│ (does the │────────▶│ │
│ │ │ NAT) │ │ │
└──────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────┘
The VM uses the host PC's IP to access the Internet.
From the outside, only the host PC is visible.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| VMnet used | VMnet8 (default) |
| Internet access | ✅ Yes |
| VM visible on the physical network | ❌ No |
| Host → VM | ✅ Yes! (via the VMnet8 network) |
| VM ↔ VM | ✅ Yes (if all on VMnet8) |
| IP assigned | By VMware's DHCP (e.g., 192.168.128.130) |
Big difference with VirtualBox!
In VirtualBox, the NAT mode isolates the VM: the host cannot access the VM (except with port forwarding).
In VMware, the NAT mode (VMnet8) creates a real network between the host and the VM. The host can access the VM directly via its VMnet8 IP.
VirtualBox NAT: Host ──✘──▶ VM (blocked, needs port forwarding)
VMware NAT: Host ──✔──▶ VM (direct, via VMnet8)
This is the default mode when you create a VM in VMware. Ideal for:
- Browsing the Internet from the VM
- Downloading packages (
apt update) - Accessing the VM from the host (SSH, HTTP...)
Mode 3: Host-Only – "Private network shared with the host"
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ VM │ │ Host PC │
│192.168. │ │192.168. │ ❌ No Internet
│ xxx.128 │ │ xxx.1 │
└────┬─────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│ │
└────────┬─────────┘
│
┌─────────▼─────────┐
│ VMnet1 │
│ (Host-Only) │
└───────────────────┘
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| VMnet used | VMnet1 (default) |
| Internet access | ❌ No |
| Host → VM | ✅ Yes |
| VM ↔ VM | ✅ Yes (if all on VMnet1) |
| IP assigned | By VMware's DHCP (configurable range) |
Use cases:
- SSH into the VM from the host, without giving the VM Internet access
- Create an isolated test network accessible from the host
Practical tip
Many administrators use Host-Only + NAT together (2 cards):
- Card 1: NAT (VMnet8) → for Internet
- Card 2: Host-Only (VMnet1) → for SSH from the host with a stable IP
Mode 4: Custom – "Specific virtual network"
This is VMware's unique strength: you choose exactly which VMnet to use.
By clicking on Custom, a dropdown menu appears with all available VMnets:
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom: │
│ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ VMnet0 ▼ │ │
│ ├───────────────────────────┤ │
│ │ VMnet0 │ │ ◄── Bridged
│ │ VMnet1 (Host-Only) │ │ ◄── Host-Only
│ │ VMnet2 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet3 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet4 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet5 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet6 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet7 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet8 (NAT) │ │ ◄── NAT
│ │ VMnet9 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet10 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet11 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet12 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet13 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet14 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet15 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet16 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet17 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet18 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ │ VMnet19 │ │ ◄── Custom (free)
│ └───────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
| VMnet | Default mode | Configurable? |
|---|---|---|
| VMnet0 | Bridged | Yes (Virtual Network Editor) |
| VMnet1 | Host-Only | Yes |
| VMnet2 to VMnet7 | None (free) | Yes |
| VMnet8 | NAT | Yes |
| VMnet9 to VMnet19 | None (free) | Yes |
Free VMnets (VMnet2-7, VMnet9-19)
These VMnets are not configured by default. You can use them to create your own private networks between VMs.
By default, when you put 2 VMs on the same custom VMnet (e.g., VMnet2), they can communicate with each other, but:
- No Internet access (unless you configure NAT in the Virtual Network Editor)
- The host may or may not access it (depending on the config)
- No DHCP (unless you enable it)
This is the VMware equivalent of VirtualBox's Internal Network, but much more configurable.
| Feature | VirtualBox (Internal Network) | VMware (Custom VMnet) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of networks | Unlimited (by name) | 20 max (VMnet0-19) |
| Naming | Free (intnet, lan...) | Numbered (VMnet2, VMnet3...) |
| DHCP | ❌ Never | ✅ Configurable per VMnet |
| NAT | ❌ Never | ✅ Configurable per VMnet |
| Host access | ❌ Never | ✅ Configurable |
Mode 5: LAN Segment – The 100% isolated network
The LAN Segment is VMware's most isolated mode. It's a network that exists only between the VMs connected to it.
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ VM A │ │ VM B │
│10.11.12.1│ │10.11.12.2│
└────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘
│ │
└───────┬────────┘
│
┌────────▼────────┐
│ LAN Segment 1 │ ❌ No Internet
│ │ ❌ No host access
│ │ ❌ No DHCP
└─────────────────┘ ❌ No VMnet
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Internet access | ❌ No |
| Host → VM | ❌ No |
| VM ↔ VM | ✅ Yes (if same LAN Segment) |
| DHCP | ❌ No (manual IP required) |
| Visible in Virtual Network Editor | ❌ No (managed separately) |
How to create a LAN Segment
- In the network card settings, select LAN Segment
- Click on the LAN Segments... button
- The "Global LAN Segments" window opens:
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Global LAN Segments │
│ │
│ Global LAN Segments: │
│ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ LAN Segment 1 │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └───────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ [ Add ] [ Rename ] [ Remove ] │
│ [ OK ] [ Cancel ] │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
- Click Add to create a new segment
- Rename it for clarity (e.g.,
server-lan,lab-network,clientnet) - Click OK
- Select the segment in the text field next to "LAN Segment"
LAN Segment = the exact equivalent of VirtualBox's Internal Network
| VirtualBox Internal Network | VMware LAN Segment | |
|---|---|---|
| Internet | ❌ | ❌ |
| Host access | ❌ | ❌ |
| DHCP | ❌ | ❌ |
| Naming | Free | Free |
| Number | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Configuration | Name in the field | "LAN Segments..." button |
It's the ideal choice for simulating isolated networks in labs (like VirtualBox's Internal Networks).
The VMnets: the heart of VMware networking
Concept: what is a VMnet?
A VMnet is a virtual switch created by VMware. Each VMnet is an independent network with its own settings.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VMware Workstation │
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ VMnet0 │ │ VMnet1 │ │ VMnet2 │ │ VMnet8 │ │
│ │ Bridged │ │HostOnly │ │ Custom │ │ NAT │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ (free) │ │ │ │
│ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ┌───▼───┐ ┌───▼───┐ ┌───▼───┐ ┌───▼───┐ │
│ │Network│ │ Host │ │ VMs │ │ VMs │ │
│ │physical│ │+ VMs │ │ only │ │+ Host │ │
│ │+ Host │ │ │ │ │ │+Inet │ │
│ └───────┘ └───────┘ └───────┘ └───────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The 3 preconfigured VMnets
| VMnet | Name in the interface | Role | Configurable |
|---|---|---|---|
| VMnet0 | Bridged | Connects the VM to the physical network | Yes (choice of physical card) |
| VMnet1 | Host-Only | Private network between VM and host | Yes (subnet, DHCP) |
| VMnet8 | NAT | Internet via host + network with host | Yes (subnet, DHCP, port forwarding) |
The free VMnets (VMnet2-7, VMnet9-19)
The remaining 17 VMnets are free. You can configure them as you wish in the Virtual Network Editor.
Example usage for a lab TP5:
| VMnet | Usage | Subnet |
|---|---|---|
| VMnet8 | NAT (Internet) | 192.168.128.0/24 (auto) |
| VMnet2 | Server LAN network | 10.11.12.0/24 |
| VMnet3 | Client Network | 20.21.22.0/30 |
The Virtual Network Editor
The Virtual Network Editor is VMware's central tool for managing networks. It's a tool that doesn't exist in VirtualBox and provides total control.
How to access it
- Menu Edit → Virtual Network Editor
- ⚠️ Click on Change Settings to get admin rights
Editor interface
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Virtual Network Editor │
│ │
│ [ Change Settings ] (admin rights required) │
│ │
│ Name Type External Subnet DHCP Host │
│ ──── ──── ──────── ────────── ──── ──── │
│ VMnet0 Bridged Auto — — — │
│ VMnet1 Host-Only — 192.168.xxx.0 Yes Yes │
│ VMnet8 NAT — 192.168.128.0 Yes Yes │
│ │
│ [ Add Network... ] [ Remove Network ] │
│ │
│ ─── Selected VMnet Information ─── │
│ │
│ ○ Bridged (connect VMs directly to the external network) │
│ Bridged to: [Automatic ▼] │
│ ○ NAT (share host's IP with VMs) │
│ ○ Host-Only (connect VMs in a private network) │
│ │
│ Subnet: [ 192.168.128.0 ] Mask: [ 255.255.255.0 ] │
│ │
│ ☑ Connect a host network adapter to this network │
│ ☑ Use local DHCP service to distribute IP addresses │
│ │
│ [ DHCP Settings... ] [ NAT Settings... ] │
│ │
│ [ Restore Default ] [ Apply ] [ OK ] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Add a custom network (e.g., VMnet2 for a lab)
- Click on Change Settings (admin rights)
- Click on Add Network...
- Select VMnet2 → OK
- Configure:
- Type: Host-Only (or NAT if needed)
- Subnet:
10.11.12.0 - Mask:
255.255.255.0 - ☐ Connect a host network adapter → uncheck for an isolated network
- ☐ Use local DHCP service → uncheck if you want manual IPs
- Click Apply → OK
Configure a VMnet as an isolated network (equivalent to Internal Network)
To make VMnet2 a completely isolated network (like a VirtualBox Internal Network):
VMnet2:
Type: Host-Only
☐ Connect a host network adapter ← UNCHECKED
☐ Use local DHCP service ← UNCHECKED
Subnet: 10.11.12.0
Mask: 255.255.255.0
Result:
- ❌ No Internet access
- ❌ No host access
- ❌ No DHCP (manual IPs)
- ✅ VMs on VMnet2 can see each other
Attention
Even if you choose "Host-Only" as the type, it's the "Connect a host network adapter" checkbox that determines if the host has access or not. If you uncheck it, the host is excluded from the network.
DHCP Settings
By clicking on DHCP Settings..., you can configure:
- Start range: first IP distributed (e.g.,
10.11.12.128) - End range: last IP distributed (e.g.,
10.11.12.254) - Lease duration: how long the IP is reserved
NAT Settings (for VMnet8)
By clicking on NAT Settings..., you can configure:
- Gateway IP address: NAT gateway IP (e.g.,
192.168.128.2) - Port forwarding: redirect host ports to the VM
LAN Segments: 100% isolated networks
What is a LAN Segment?
A LAN Segment is a VMware virtual network that is completely independent of VMnets. It does not appear in the Virtual Network Editor.
When to use a LAN Segment instead of a custom VMnet?
| Criterion | Custom VMnet | LAN Segment |
|---|---|---|
| Visible in Virtual Network Editor | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Configurable DHCP | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Possible host access | ✅ Configurable | ❌ Never |
| Possible NAT | ✅ Configurable | ❌ Never |
| Max number | 20 (VMnet0-19) | ❌ Unlimited |
| Naming | Numbered (VMnet2, VMnet3...) | Free ("server-lan", "lab-network"...) |
| Simplicity | Configuration via Virtual Network Editor | Just a name, nothing else to configure |
When to choose what?
- Custom VMnet: when you need DHCP, host access, or NAT on the network
- LAN Segment: when you want a simple and isolated network between VMs (like VirtualBox's Internal Network)
How to create and manage LAN Segments
Step 1: Open the network card settings
Select a network card of your VM, then choose LAN Segment.
Step 2: Click on "LAN Segments..."
The LAN Segments... button opens the management window:
┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Global LAN Segments │
│ │
│ Global LAN Segments: │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ LAN Segment 1 │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ [ Add ] [ Rename ] [ Remove ] │
│ │
│ [ OK ] [ Cancel ] │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 3: Add and name your segments
- Click Add → a new segment appears
- Click Rename → give it a descriptive name
Example for TP5:
Global LAN Segments:
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│ server-lan │ ← server network (10.11.12.0/24)
│ client-network │ ← client network (20.21.22.0/30)
└────────────────────────────────┘
Step 4: Assign the segment to the network card
After creating the segment, select it in the field next to "LAN Segment":
○ LAN Segment: [ server-lan ▼ ]
Summary: LAN Segment in 3 points
- Create → "LAN Segments..." button → Add
- Name → Give a descriptive name (e.g.,
server-lan) - Assign → Put the VMs that need to communicate on the same segment
Real-world examples: configuring 1, 2, or 3 cards
Example 1: Simple VM with Internet (1 card)
Need: A VM that just needs Internet and to be accessible from the host.
┌────────────────────┐
│ VM │
│ │
│ Network Adapter 1:│
│ NAT (VMnet8) │───────▶ Internet + host access
│ │
└────────────────────┘
VMware Configuration:
| Card | Mode | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Network Adapter 1 | NAT | VMnet8 (default) |
VirtualBox Equivalent: NAT (but without host access) or NAT + Host-Only (for host access)
Example 2: Lab with 2 isolated VMs (1-2 cards)
Need: 2 VMs that communicate with each other on a private network, with Internet for installing packages.
┌────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────┐
│ SSH-SRV │ │ SSH-CLI │
│ │ │ │
│ Card 1: NAT │ │ Card 1: NAT │
│ (VMnet8) │ │ (VMnet8) │
│ │ │ │
│ Card 2: │ │ Card 2: │
│ LAN Segment │◄────────▶│ LAN Segment │
│ "lab-network" │ │ "lab-network" │
│ 10.11.12.1/24 │ │ 10.11.12.2/24 │
└────────────────────┘ └────────────────────┘
VMware Configuration:
| VM | Card 1 | Card 2 |
|---|---|---|
| SSH-SRV | NAT (VMnet8) | LAN Segment → lab-network (IP: 10.11.12.1/24) |
| SSH-CLI | NAT (VMnet8) | LAN Segment → lab-network (IP: 10.11.12.2/24) |
VirtualBox Equivalent:
| VM | Adapter 1 | Adapter 2 |
|---|---|---|
| SSH-SRV | NAT | Internal Network → intnet |
| SSH-CLI | NAT | Internal Network → intnet |
Example 3: Complete lab with gateway (3 cards)
Need: Simulate TP5 – a gateway with 3 networks: Internet, server LAN, client network.
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ srvGateway │
│ │
│ Card 1: NAT (VMnet8) │──▶ Internet
│ Card 2: LAN Segment "lan" │──▶ Servers
│ 10.11.12.1/24 │
│ Card 3: LAN Segment "clientnet" │──▶ Client
│ 20.21.22.1/30 │
└───┬──────────┬──────────┬────────┘
│ │ │
Internet│ LAN │ Client │
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ srvSSH │ │ Client │
│ srvWEB │ │20.21.22.2│
│10.11.12.x│ └──────────┘
└──────────┘
VMware Configuration:
| VM | Card 1 | Card 2 | Card 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| srvGateway | NAT (VMnet8) | LAN Segment → lan | LAN Segment → clientnet |
| srvSSH | LAN Segment → lan | — | — |
| srvWEB | LAN Segment → lan | — | — |
| Client | LAN Segment → clientnet | — | — |
VirtualBox Equivalent:
| VM | Adapter 1 | Adapter 2 | Adapter 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| srvGateway | NAT | Internal Network → lan | Internal Network → clientnet |
| srvSSH | Internal Network → lan | — | — |
| srvWEB | Internal Network → lan | — | — |
| Client | Internal Network → clientnet | — | — |
Alternative with custom VMnets
Instead of LAN Segments, you can use custom VMnets:
| VM | Card 1 | Card 2 | Card 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| srvGateway | NAT (VMnet8) | Custom → VMnet2 | Custom → VMnet3 |
| srvSSH | Custom → VMnet2 | — | — |
| srvWEB | Custom → VMnet2 | — | — |
| Client | Custom → VMnet3 | — | — |
VMnet Advantage: you can enable DHCP and host access if needed.
LAN Segment Advantage: simpler, free naming, truly isolated.
Adding a network card to an existing VM
If your VM only has one card and you need to add more:
- Power off the VM (mandatory)
- Edit the VM settings
- Click on Add... (bottom left)
- Select Network Adapter → Next
- Choose the connection type → Finish
- The new card appears in the list
Maximum 10 cards
VMware supports up to 10 network cards per VM (compared to 4 in GUI for VirtualBox).
Summary table: VMware vs VirtualBox
Mode correspondence
| Need | VirtualBox | VMware (option 1) | VMware (option 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Internet | NAT | NAT (VMnet8) | — |
| Internet + VMs see each other | NAT Network | NAT (VMnet8) | — |
| VM on the physical network | Bridged Adapter | Bridged (VMnet0) | — |
| Host access without Internet | Host-Only Adapter | Host-Only (VMnet1) | — |
| Isolated network between VMs | Internal Network (named) | LAN Segment (named) | Custom VMnet (uncheck host) |
| Configurable custom network | ❌ Doesn't exist | Custom VMnet (VMnet2-19) | — |
What VMware does better
| Feature | VirtualBox | VMware |
|---|---|---|
| NAT with direct host access | ❌ | ✅ |
| DHCP in internal networks | ❌ | ✅ (custom VMnet) |
| Advanced graphical network editor | ❌ | ✅ (Virtual Network Editor) |
| Easy port forwarding | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ (NAT Settings) |
| Number of cards per VM | 4 (GUI) | 10 |
| Number of isolated networks | Unlimited | 20 VMnets + unlimited LAN Segments |
What VirtualBox does differently
| Feature | VirtualBox | VMware |
|---|---|---|
| Free network naming | ✅ (intnet, lan...) | ⚠️ Numbered VMnets, named LAN Segments |
| Simplicity | ✅ Simpler for beginners | ⚠️ More options = more complex |
| Free | ✅ Always | ⚠️ Player free, Workstation Pro paid |
VMware network troubleshooting
Problem: VMs do not see each other
Checks:
- Same network? VMs must be on the same VMnet or the same LAN Segment
- Configured IPs? Check with
ip ain each VM - Same subnet? E.g.,
10.11.12.1/24and10.11.12.2/24(OK) vs10.11.12.1/24and10.11.13.2/24(NO) - Card connected? Check that "Connected" is checked in the settings
- Firewall? Test by temporarily disabling:
sudo ufw disable
# Check interfaces in the VM
ip a
# Test connectivity
ping 10.11.12.2
# Check that the interface is UP
ip link show
Problem: No Internet in NAT mode
- VMnet8 active? Open the Virtual Network Editor and check that VMnet8 exists
- VMware NAT service started? Check in Windows services:
VMware NAT ServiceVMware DHCP Service
- IP obtained? Check with
ip a(should have an IP like192.168.128.xor similar) - DNS? Test with
ping 8.8.8.8(if it works) vsping google.com(if it doesn't work → DNS problem)
# Renew DHCP lease
sudo dhclient -r ens33
sudo dhclient ens33
# Check gateway
ip route show
# Test DNS
nslookup google.com
Problem: Unable to SSH from host to VM
-
Which network mode?
- NAT (VMnet8) → ✅ should work directly
- Host-Only (VMnet1) → ✅ should work
- LAN Segment → ❌ impossible (host has no access)
- Internal (custom VMnet without host) → ❌ impossible
-
VM's IP? Find it with
ip ain the VM -
SSH installed?
sudo apt install openssh-server -
Firewall?
sudo ufw allow 22
Network interface names in VMware VMs
ip a
| Card | Typical Ubuntu Name | Typical CentOS/RHEL Name |
|---|---|---|
| Network Adapter 1 | ens33 | ens33 or ens160 |
| Network Adapter 2 | ens34 or ens38 | ens34 or ens192 |
| Network Adapter 3 | ens35 or ens39 | ens35 or ens224 |
Why do the names change?
The names depend on the type of controller (E1000, VMXNET3) and the PCI position of the card. Always use ip a to check the actual names.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between a custom VMnet and a LAN Segment?
| Custom VMnet | LAN Segment | |
|---|---|---|
| Management | Virtual Network Editor | "LAN Segments..." window |
| DHCP | ✅ Configurable | ❌ No |
| Host access | ✅ Configurable | ❌ No |
| NAT | ✅ Configurable | ❌ No |
| Max number | 20 (VMnet0-19) | Unlimited |
| Naming | Numbered (VMnet2...) | Free |
| When to use | Need DHCP/host/NAT | Simple isolated network |
Q: I'm coming from VirtualBox, which VMware mode corresponds to Internal Network?
2 options:
- LAN Segment (closest): same behavior, free naming, isolated, no DHCP
- Custom VMnet with host and DHCP disabled: more configurable
Q: Why is VMnet8 (NAT) in VMware better than VirtualBox's NAT?
Because in VMware, NAT creates a real network (VMnet8):
- The host has an IP on VMnet8 and can access the VM directly
- Multiple VMs on VMnet8 can communicate with each other
- No need for port forwarding to access the VM
In VirtualBox, each NAT VM is in its own isolated bubble.
Q: How many network cards maximum in VMware?
10 cards per VM. In VirtualBox, it's 4 in GUI (8 in CLI).
Q: Can I have 2 NAT cards in the same VM?
✅ Yes, but it doesn't have much benefit. Both cards would be on VMnet8 and have different IPs, but they access the same Internet.
Q: How to add a 3rd network card?
- Power off the VM
- Edit settings → Add... → Network Adapter
- Configure the mode (NAT, Bridged, LAN Segment...)
- Start the VM
- Configure the IP in the VM with
ip aand netplan/nmcli
Q: Does VMware Player (free) have all these features?
⚠️ VMware Player does not have the Virtual Network Editor. You can use the basic modes (NAT, Bridged, Host-Only) and LAN Segments, but not create custom VMnets.
For custom VMnets and the Virtual Network Editor, you need VMware Workstation Pro.
Bonus TP created on: February 2026