How to Configure LAN Segments in VMware Workstation Pro

Summary

This instructional video offers a step-by-step guide on configuring LAN segments in VMware Workstation for isolating virtual machines on a private network. It explains the difference between LAN segments and host-only networks, and demonstrates creating a LAN segment named 'private' with a specific subnet. The tutorial also covers assigning static IP addresses to VMs and setting up internet connectivity through a Windows 11 Pro VM acting as a gateway, using 8.8.8.8 as the DNS server. By the end, viewers learn how to ensure VMs can communicate within the LAN segment and access the internet.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses VMware Workstation's LAN segments, which are used to isolate virtual machines on a private network.
• 🔒 LAN segments create a virtual switch for VMs, keeping them private and inaccessible from the host via the network, but still controllable via the console.
• 🌐 Unlike host-only networks, LAN segments do not provide DHCP services and require manual IP addressing for VMs to communicate with each other.
• 🏭 The video demonstrates creating a LAN segment named 'private' with a specific subnet for three VMs: Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home, and another Windows 10 Pro.
• 🔄 The Windows 11 Pro VM is configured as a gateway for the other two VMs to access the internet, sharing its internet connection.
• 🛠️ Manual IP addresses are assigned to each VM within the LAN segment to establish communication between them without needing a gateway or DNS at first.
• 🔄 After setting up the LAN segment, the video shows how to check the IP addresses and verify communication between the VMs using ping.
• 🌐 For internet connectivity, a secondary network adapter is added to the Windows 11 Pro VM, and network sharing is configured to allow other VMs to access the internet through it.
• 🛂 The video guides through changing the IP address of the shared network adapter and updating the gateway and DNS settings on the other VMs to use the Windows 11 Pro as their internet gateway.
• 📝 The final step includes verifying internet connectivity by pinging a DNS server and an external website like Google, ensuring the setup is successful.
• 👍 The video concludes by summarizing the steps to set up a LAN segment, assign static IP addresses, and configure network sharing for internet access.

Q & A

What is a LAN segment in VMware Workstation?

A LAN segment in VMware Workstation is a way to isolate virtual machines on their own network, similar to creating a virtual switch that keeps the VMs private and without internet access.

How does a LAN segment differ from a host-only network?

A host-only network is a private network shared with the host and provides DHCP services for addressing, allowing the host and VMs to communicate and access the internet. A LAN segment, on the other hand, is a private network shared only among VMs, does not provide DHCP services, and requires manual IP addressing.

What is the main purpose of using a LAN segment?

The main purpose of using a LAN segment is to keep virtual machines private for testing or isolation purposes, without allowing them access to the host network or the internet.

What steps are involved in creating a LAN segment in VMware Workstation?

To create a LAN segment, go to the network adapter settings of each VM, change the adapter type to LAN segment, add a new LAN segment, name it, and assign it to the VMs. Then, manually configure IP addresses for each VM on the LAN segment.

Why is it necessary to manually assign IP addresses on a LAN segment?

It is necessary to manually assign IP addresses on a LAN segment because LAN segments do not provide DHCP services for automatic IP address assignment.

How can you share internet connectivity among VMs on a LAN segment?

To share internet connectivity, add a secondary network adapter to one of the VMs (e.g., Windows 11 Pro) and configure it for NAT. Enable internet connection sharing on this adapter, set it as the gateway for the other VMs, and use a DNS server like 8.8.8.8 for internet access.

What IP address range is used in the example for the LAN segment?

The IP address range used in the example for the LAN segment is 192.168.10.0/24.

What are the specific IP addresses assigned to the VMs in the example?

In the example, the specific IP addresses assigned are: Windows 11 Pro: 192.168.10.101, Windows 11 Home: 192.168.10.102, and Windows 10 Pro: 192.168.10.103.

How do you verify that the VMs on the LAN segment can communicate with each other?

You can verify that the VMs on the LAN segment can communicate with each other by using the ping command to check connectivity between the assigned IP addresses of the VMs.

What should be done if the VMs on the LAN segment need to access the internet through a specific VM?

If the VMs need to access the internet through a specific VM, configure that VM with a secondary network adapter for NAT, enable internet connection sharing, and set the gateway of the other VMs to the IP address of the sharing VM's LAN segment adapter.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Introduction to VMware Workstation LAN Segments

This video discusses VMware Workstation LAN segments, explaining their purpose and how to configure them. A LAN segment isolates virtual machines on their own network, similar to a virtual switch, preventing internet access and host network interaction. It's useful for testing and isolation. Unlike 'host-only' networks that use DHCP and connect the host and VMs, LAN segments require manual IP configuration. The video will demonstrate creating a LAN segment called 'private' with a specific subnet and three VMs assigned different IP addresses. Additionally, it will show how to configure internet connectivity through one VM.

05:18

🖥️ Configuring LAN Segments and Assigning IP Addresses

The process of configuring LAN segments begins with changing network adapter settings of three VMs (Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro, and Windows 11 Home) to the new LAN segment 'private'. Each VM is then assigned a manual IP address within the 192.168.10.0/24 subnet. The video shows step-by-step instructions to assign IP addresses to ensure the VMs can communicate with each other while remaining isolated from the internet.

10:20

🌐 Setting Up Internet Gateway for LAN Segment

The video further explains how to set up an internet gateway for the LAN segment using Windows 11 Pro. This involves adding a secondary network adapter to the VM, enabling internet sharing, and configuring other VMs to use Windows 11 Pro as the gateway. The detailed steps include setting IP addresses, DNS server settings, and ensuring all VMs can ping each other and access the internet via the gateway.

✅ Verifying Connectivity and Final Configuration

Finally, the video demonstrates verifying the LAN segment setup by pinging Google and the other VMs. The LAN segment is now fully functional, with one VM acting as the internet gateway for the others. The summary reiterates the steps to create a LAN segment, assign static IP addresses, and ensure network connectivity and internet access. Viewers are encouraged to subscribe for more tutorials.

Keywords

💡LAN Segment

A LAN segment is a way to isolate virtual machines on their own network, akin to a virtual switch that keeps them private and disconnected from the host's network and the internet. This setup is useful for testing or isolation purposes, as explained in the video where multiple VMs are configured to communicate only within this isolated network.

💡Host-only Network

A host-only network is a private network shared with the host computer and connects VMs to the host via a host-only adapter using DHCP for IP addressing. Unlike LAN segments, host-only networks allow VMs to communicate with the host and have internet access. The video contrasts this with LAN segments to highlight the different levels of isolation and connectivity.

💡DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network management protocol used to automate the process of configuring devices on IP networks. In the video, it is mentioned that host-only networks use DHCP for addressing, whereas LAN segments require manual IP configuration as they do not provide DHCP services.

💡Virtual Machine (VM)

A virtual machine is a software emulation of a physical computer. In the video, several VMs, including Windows 10 Pro and Windows 11 Home and Pro, are set up and configured within a LAN segment to illustrate network isolation and connectivity configurations.

💡Network Adapter

A network adapter is a hardware component or software interface that connects a computer to a network. The video demonstrates changing the network adapter settings of VMs to connect them to a LAN segment, thus isolating them from the host network.

💡Static IP Address

A static IP address is a manually assigned IP address that does not change. The video shows how to assign static IP addresses to VMs in a LAN segment to enable communication between them, since DHCP is not used in this scenario.

💡Gateway

A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network. In the video, the Windows 11 Pro VM is configured as a gateway for other VMs to access the internet through its network connection, demonstrating how to set up a shared internet connection within a LAN segment.

💡DNS Server

A DNS server translates domain names into IP addresses, making it possible for users to access websites using domain names instead of IP addresses. The video sets the Google DNS server (8.8.8.8) for the VMs to resolve domain names once they are configured to access the internet through the gateway VM.

💡Ping

Ping is a network utility used to test the reachability of a host on an IP network and measure the round-trip time for messages sent to the host. In the video, the ping command is used to verify that the VMs can communicate with each other within the LAN segment and access external networks through the gateway VM.

💡Internet Connection Sharing

Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) allows one device to share its internet connection with other devices on a local network. The video demonstrates how to enable ICS on the Windows 11 Pro VM so that other VMs in the LAN segment can access the internet through it, showcasing a practical use case for configuring a shared network environment.

Highlights

Introduction to VMware Workstation LAN segments as a method to isolate virtual machines on a private network.

Explanation of LAN segments as virtual switches that do not provide internet access and are not accessible from the host machine's network.

Comparison of LAN segments and host-only networks, highlighting differences in network accessibility and configuration.

Detailed steps for creating a LAN segment named 'private' with a subnet of 192.168.10.0/24.

Description of setting up three VMs with specific IP addresses on the LAN segment: Windows 11 Pro (192.168.10.101), Windows 11 Home (192.168.10.102), and Windows 10 Pro (192.168.10.103).

Configuration of manual IP addresses for each VM to enable communication within the LAN segment.

Verification of network connectivity between the VMs by using the ping command.

Demonstration of configuring a secondary network adapter on Windows 11 Pro to share internet connectivity with other VMs.

Explanation of how to set up the Windows 11 Pro VM as a gateway for internet access for the other VMs.

Instructions on changing the IP address configuration for internet sharing on Windows 11 Pro, including setting a specific gateway address.

Final setup confirmation, including the configuration of a Google DNS server (8.8.8.8) for internet access.

Validation of internet connectivity by pinging external servers from the VMs.

Summary of the LAN segment setup process, including key steps like creating the segment, assigning IP addresses, and configuring network sharing.

Emphasis on the importance of using static IP addresses and a chosen subnet for consistent network configuration.

Encouragement to subscribe for more tutorials and additional setup tips.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi in this video we're going to talk

about vmware workstation

lan segments and then we're going to

show you how to configure those

so

a lan segment is a way to isolate your

virtual machines on their own

network kind of like making a virtual

switch and having them run just behind

that switch

and so they don't have internet access

they can't be accessed by the host via

the network of course you get access

them via the console so it's just a way

to kind of keep them private if you want

to do some testing or isolation that

kind of thing

so it's a little bit different from host

only and a little bit similar so host

only is a private network shared with

the host and connects the pc

via the host only adapter and uses dhcp

for addressing so that way you could

have

your host talking to a vm

and kind of keeping it separate or maybe

two vms and just kind of running that a

little network within your host and so

you'll still have internet access

so like i said you have more than one vm

on a host only network and the network

is completely contained within the host

lan segment on the other hand so it's a

private network shared by vms and

created manually which is what we're

going to do and commonly used for

testing and does not provide dhcp

services

uh so think of it as a virtual switch so

we're going to have to uh add our own

our own ip addressing to the vms to

allow them to communicate with each

other

so vm's on lan segment can't leave the

network talk to the host or connect to

the internet but we're going to show you

how to

get some network or actually internet

connectivity if you need it so

what we're going to do

we're going to create a lan segment

called private and this is the

subnet we're going to use here so

192.168.10.0.24 class c

and so we're going to have three vms uh

on this

uh land segment a windows 10 pro or

actually sorry windows 11 pro with

10.101 windows 11 home 10.102 and

windows 10 pro

10.103

and so at the end then we're going to

configure some net networking on a

secondary network adapter on the windows

11 pro so we could share internet

connectivity so that way

uh the other two vms will be using this

one as its internet connection you could

do the nat

connection on all three but if you want

to just have it just going through one

and that way the other two are kind of

isolated except for using this one first

internet connection you'll do that

okay and so then

when we do configure this internet

connection

since windows 11 pro this is 10.101. so

10.101 will be the gateway for these two

vms since they need a gateway address to

get out to the internet so it's going to

be going

these two via this one to get out to the

internet and then we'll just use a

generic google 8.8.8.8 dns server

okay so let's get started here

okay so we have our windows 11 pro

our windows 10

pro and our windows 11 home so this one

we're going to do first what we need to

do first is go to its settings

network adapter and change it from that

which is the default to lan segment

and click on lan segments and since we

don't have one we're going to add our

own here

let's call this private

click on add

oops not add

click on ok

and now we get to get it from the drop

down box here click on ok

then you'll see it loses its internet

connection down here so we're going to

do this for the other one

and then finally for this guy here

okay so now we have all three m3 vms on

our lan segment called private so now

we're going to have to give them all

a manual ip address here so we'll go to

the network connection for this one

properties

ipv4

and then we're going to do

192.168.10.101

101

okay we don't need the uh

don't need a gateway since we're not

going out anywhere on this don't need

dns so we'll click ok

and click ok

and do the same over here

and finally over here

okay so now we have our

three vms 101 102 103. let's see if we

could talk to each other so here's

let's actually check the ip address

first

okay so we're at 101 let's see if we

could ping the other two

okay

all right let's go over here real quick

all right

and finally this guy here

okay so everybody's talking to each

other now let's try uh

this about right here

nope

try the dns over

okay so we're talking to each other and

we can't get out on the internet

so we're looking good for our land

segment so now what we want to do

for this windows 11 pro we're going to

make this our

internet gateway so that way

if you get on the internet and then

these two will connect to it to get out

to the

internet via windows 11 pro so what we

need to do for that

go back to the settings

add another network adapter

make sure it's on that which is what we

want the default there

[Music]

okay so now we have that we should have

internet connectivity

then we should be talking to our other

guys still too

okay so now what we want to do to share

the internet connectivity is go to the

properties of this

go to the sharing tab

check this box here

click on ok

this tells you it's going to change the

ip address to

192.168.137.1 just say yes for now

because it's changing this

address here

so let's go back to here

now we need to change this back to

10.

101

to where it was before

okay so we'll say okay to that okay to

that

so now we have a internet connection

shared but

on these other computers we need to go

back here

back to ipv4

and we need to add the gateway of the

windows 11 computer pro which is sharing

the internet so that's

101 so that way you could get out using

that

default gateway

and then we'll put the

8.8.8.8 dns server

okay

and then do the same on windows 11 home

here

you could have done this at the

beginning if you didn't want to kind of

have to come back i just wanted to show

you how to separate

and here the 8.8.8.8

okay so now let's go back to our slide

here

we have the windows 11 pro

actually all three of these are on the

land segment with these addresses here

windows 11 pro

has a secondary network adapter to share

with the internet

and these other two computers for their

gateway address are using the windows 11

pro 101 address

and the 8.8.8

google dns server okay so let's go back

here

say yes to that

and let's try to

ping

okay

i can paint google

and we could ping

the 101.

and

let's go back here now do the same thing

okay

okay so now we have our

land segment set up

everybody talking to each other

the network sharing on

one windows 11 pro computer and these

other two guys are talking and we just

did the ping test so we could ping the

dns server and we could ping google

so everything is good to go so hopefully

uh

that made sense so like i said just set

up your your lan segment give it a name

um assign change the network adapter for

each one of those to use that lan

segment go and give it a static ip

address and just you know pick a subnet

you want to use and so on and then you

should be good to go all right thanks

for watching and be sure to subscribe

[Music]