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VMWare host-only machine that needs internet connection

I have Windows Server 2003 R2 set up in a Virtual environment using VMWare Server currently using a host-only connection. I did it this way so that DHCP/AD would not affect our current corporate environment.

I am wondering how to setup the next part:

I need just an internet connection to this machine. Do I setup another network adapter with NAT or Bridged to get an internet connection? I would like to make sure that I dont affect our current network and take over anything with DHCP or AD?

Feel free to ask for more details if this isn't clear enough.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

sda100

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mttyd

I agree if you don't want it to interact with your network use NAT. If this server goes production you would then want to change the setting so that it pulled an IP from your network. This will allow it to interact better with your network environment.

jimmyiowa

ASKER

I am doing this for training/test purposes so that way I can learn about setting up and maintaining DHCP/AD and many other things in an environment for training/test purposes. So Internet will go in through the NAT but the Server inside the VM will not try to assign anything via DHCP?

Could you explain what NAT is a little more so I understand?

sda100

Network Address Translation (NAT) will not allow incoming traffic through, unless you explicitly configure it to do so. So your VMware server will never see any DHCPDISCOVER messages from outside. Being behind NAT, your server will not interfere at all with your corporate network. All your VMware server would know, is that it has a daddy (your host machine). It knows nothing more than that. All your corporate network knows it that is has a servant (your host machine). It doesn't know about the illegitimate child.

Try this link for a better explanation...
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/nat.htm

Steve :)

mttyd

Daddys and illegitimate children!!! sda I like your IT style (: I agree.

jimmyiowa

ASKER

Thanks for the clarification, I am new to IT so im still learning alot every single day. I like your analogy you used with Daddy and Illegitimate child..... Very Clever