How to Make Virtual Machines Talk to Each Other in VirtualBox

Summary

This tutorial demonstrates how to enable communication between a Windows 10 and a Kali Linux virtual machine running in VirtualBox. By default, they operate in isolated NAT environments with the same default IP address, preventing mutual connectivity. The solution involves setting up a new NAT network, 'Top Gun Network', with a unique address space to facilitate communication and DHCP assignment. The process includes configuring both VMs to use this new network, resulting in unique IP addresses for each and successful ping tests, ensuring both machines can communicate and access the internet.

Takeaways

• 💻 The script discusses setting up network connectivity between two virtual machines, a Windows 10 and a Kali machine, running in VirtualBox.
• 🔒 By default, both machines are isolated in their own NAT networks and cannot communicate with each other.
• 📍 The script demonstrates how to check the current network configuration by using 'ifconfig' on the Kali machine and 'ipconfig' on the Windows machine.
• 🌐 The default IP address assigned by VirtualBox for NAT is 10.0.2.15, which is the same for both machines, hence they cannot communicate.
• 🛠️ The solution is to set up a separate NAT network to enable communication between the two virtual machines.
• ➕ The script guides through adding a new NAT network in VirtualBox Manager under the network settings.
• 🔄 The new network is named 'Top Gun Network' and has a different address space to avoid conflicts with the default NAT.
• 📝 The address space for the new network is changed to 192.168.100.0 with the last 24 bits intended to support DHCP.
• 🔄 The script shows how to change the network settings of both virtual machines to the newly created 'Top Gun Network'.
• 📈 After reconfiguring, both machines should be assigned unique IP addresses in the 192.168.100.x range, allowing them to communicate.
• 💡 The script concludes with a demonstration of successful connectivity between the two machines and confirms that they can access the internet.

Q & A

What is the default network setting for virtual machines in VirtualBox?

The default network setting for virtual machines in VirtualBox is NAT (Network Address Translation), which isolates each VM in its own network environment.

Why can't two virtual machines running on the same NAT network communicate with each other?

Even though they have the same default address (e.g., 10.0.2.15), they can't communicate with each other because NAT isolates each VM in its own network, preventing direct communication.

What is the purpose of setting up a separate NAT network for virtual machines?

Setting up a separate NAT network allows the virtual machines to communicate with each other while still maintaining internet connectivity.

How can you verify the network settings of a virtual machine in VirtualBox?

You can verify the network settings of a virtual machine in VirtualBox by going to the machine's settings under the 'Network' section.

What command can you use to check the IP address of a virtual machine running in VirtualBox?

You can use the 'ifconfig' command on Linux-based systems (like Kali) or 'ipconfig' on Windows systems to check the IP address of a virtual machine.

What is the significance of the 'Top Gun Network' mentioned in the script?

The 'Top Gun Network' is a custom NAT network created in the script to allow the virtual machines to communicate with each other. It's a playful name given to the network by the author.

How do you create a new NAT network in VirtualBox?

To create a new NAT network in VirtualBox, go to 'Tools' > 'Preferences' > 'Network', click on the plus sign to add a new network, and configure the network settings as desired.

What is the IP address range used for the 'Top Gun Network' in the script?

The IP address range used for the 'Top Gun Network' is 192.168.100.x, with the last 24 bits (.x) being the host address.

Why is it important to enable DHCP for the new NAT network?

Enabling DHCP for the new NAT network allows the virtual machines to automatically receive IP addresses, ensuring they can communicate with each other and access the internet.

How can you confirm that the virtual machines are connected to the new NAT network?

You can confirm the virtual machines are connected to the new NAT network by checking their network settings and using the 'ifconfig' or 'ipconfig' command to see if they have been assigned IP addresses within the new network range.

What command can you use to test connectivity between the virtual machines?

You can use the 'ping' command followed by the IP address of the other virtual machine to test connectivity.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Setting Up Communication Between VMs in VirtualBox

This paragraph explains the default network isolation of virtual machines (VMs) in VirtualBox when using NAT. It details the process of configuring two VMs, a Windows 10 machine and a Kali machine, to communicate with each other by setting up a new NAT network. The default NAT network assigns the same private IP address range to both VMs, preventing communication. The solution involves creating a custom NAT network named 'Top Gun Network' with a unique IP address space to ensure both VMs receive unique DHCP addresses, enabling them to ping each other and maintain internet connectivity.

Keywords

💡VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a free and open-source virtualization software that allows users to run multiple operating systems on a single physical computer. In the context of the video, VirtualBox is used to run both a Windows 10 and a Kali Linux machine simultaneously, enabling the user to demonstrate how to set up a network for communication between the two virtual machines.

💡NAT (Network Address Translation)

NAT is a method used to remap one IP address space into another by modifying network address information in the IP header of packets while they are in transit across a traffic routing device. In the video, the default NAT configuration in VirtualBox assigns the same private IP address range to both virtual machines, which prevents them from communicating with each other unless a new NAT network is set up.

💡IP Address

An IP address is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. In the script, the IP addresses assigned to the Kali and Windows 10 machines are crucial for setting up a new NAT network and ensuring that the machines can communicate with each other and access the internet.

💡ifconfig

ifconfig is a command-line utility for displaying and managing network interfaces on Unix and Unix-like operating systems. In the video, the ifconfig command is used to check the IP address assigned to the Kali machine running in VirtualBox, which is necessary for understanding the network configuration.

💡IP Address Range

An IP address range refers to a series of IP addresses that are grouped together and often used for specific purposes, such as a local network. The video discusses changing the default IP address range assigned by VirtualBox to a new range (192.168.100.0/24) to facilitate communication between the virtual machines.

💡DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

DHCP is a network management protocol used on IP networks where a server dynamically assigns an IP address and other network configuration parameters to each device on a network, so they can communicate with other IP networks. The video mentions enabling DHCP to automatically assign IP addresses to the virtual machines within the newly created NAT network.

💡Network Interface

A network interface is a software or hardware component that allows a computer to connect to and communicate with a network. In the video, the network interface settings of the virtual machines are modified to connect them to the newly created NAT network, enabling communication between the machines.

💡Ping

Ping is a network administration software utility used to test the connectivity between computers on a network. In the video, the ping command is used to verify that the Windows and Kali virtual machines can communicate with each other after the new NAT network has been set up.

💡Internet Connectivity

Internet connectivity refers to the ability of a device or network to access the internet. The video aims to ensure that both virtual machines can communicate with each other and also maintain access to the internet, which is a key requirement for many network configurations.

💡Virtual Machine (VM)

A virtual machine is an emulation of a computer system. Virtual machines are based on computer architectures and provide the functionality of a physical computer. In the video, the term VM is used to refer to the Windows 10 and Kali Linux systems running in VirtualBox, which are the subjects of the network configuration tutorial.

Highlights

Two virtual machines in VirtualBox are not communicating by default without a separate NAT network setup.

VirtualBox assigns a default NAT address to machines, which results in both machines having the same address but being unable to communicate.

To enable communication between the virtual machines, a new NAT network must be configured in VirtualBox.

The default NAT network configuration in VirtualBox is identified as having an address of 10.0.2.15.

A new NAT network named 'Top Gun Network' is created to allow virtual machines to communicate exclusively.

The address space for the new NAT network is changed to 192.168.100.0 to differentiate from the default address.

DHCP support is enabled for the new NAT network to automatically assign IP addresses to virtual machines.

The process of assigning the new NAT network to the virtual machines involves changing the network settings in VirtualBox.

After assigning the new NAT network, the virtual machines should receive unique IP addresses within the specified range.

The Kali virtual machine is reconfigured to use the 'Top Gun Network' for communication.

The Windows 10 virtual machine is also reconfigured to use the 'Top Gun Network' for network communication.

After reconfiguration, the virtual machines are expected to receive IP addresses in the 192.168.100.x range.

Ping tests are performed to verify connectivity between the virtual machines after network reconfiguration.

Both virtual machines are confirmed to have internet connectivity in addition to internal network communication.

The final step includes verifying that the virtual machines can ping each other, indicating successful network configuration.

Transcripts

so finally you have a Windows 10 machine

running and a Kali machine running both

of them in VirtualBox but they're not

talking to each other by default if you

do not set up a separate nat network

they will both be nat 'add but they'll

beam added in an isolated environment

for instance on the left over here I've

got Kali if I do an ifconfig and this is

running in VirtualBox I see my

addressing kept address for Kali is 10 0

to 15 on the right side I have Windows

to enterprise if I do a type II config I

see my address is 10 0 to 15 so they

both have the same address but they

can't talk to each other the 10 0 to 15

is the default address that VirtualBox

assigns to any machine that has setup

for NAT so what we need to do if you

want these two machines to talk to each

other

and beam added we have to set up a

separate new NAT network and that's what

we'll do in this video so let's go to

VirtualBox and if we just verify what I

was discussing if we look at the Kali

machine and look at the settings go to

network it's configured for just NAT

there's a default to go to Windows 10

Enterprise that is configured for NAT

which is the default so what we need to

do is set up a new network so let's

click on Tools click on preferences and

this is in VirtualBox manager click on

network click on the little plus sign

here to add a new network it called it

nat network we can click on the gear

icon here to change it let's call this

our this is the Top Gun Network

so only the elite can be part of this

network so so we're gonna change this

address space I like to change it to

something different so it doesn't look

the same as the 1002 so let's change

this to 1 9 2 1 6 8 . 100 let's say dot

0 this last 24 we certainly wanted to

support DHCP because we want both of our

virtual machines assigned a DHCP address

that's pretty much it so click on OK now

we have the top gun' network it is 192

168 1

to the callee and the Windows 10 machine

to this new network and they should be

automatically assigned an IP address in

the 192.168.1 hundred space so I'll

start with Kali over here click on Kali

I'll go to settings you could also on

the machine itself go to machine and

settings up here either way works so

I'll do it this way through the virtual

machine interface go to network we're

going to change this right here so right

now it says net it was nat we're gonna

we're gonna change it to a nat network

and then we'll select the one we just

created which is top gun' network so the

steps are select nat network and it will

choose the nap network we saw we created

ok so now if I do I have to fig I should

get the 192 168 address you may have to

do it a couple of times like I did right

there so this one is 192 168 dot 100.4

on the windows machine will do the same

thing machine settings go to network nap

network top gun network ok so if I hit

the up arrow ipconfig it says

disconnected it's reconnecting and we'll

go ahead and say yes to that so now I

see this is dot 5 over here for Windows

on the left side Kali is 4 so

technically they should be able to ping

each other and talk to each

because they have unique IP addresses so

for this one and the windows we'll see

if we can ping Kali

so ping one 92168 dot 104 that's working

let's see if we can ping little bug comm

as well that's working so we have

connectivity between the guest on the

same network and we have internet

connectivity so that's how to make sure

two different machines or as many

machines as you have in VirtualBox can

talk to each other and at the same time

have access to the Internet