A Professor Wingman Class 404
NetMgmt.Lab

Week 10

Virtual Machine Creation and Virtual Networking Modes

Create a virtual machine and understand the network adapter modes you can attach to it.

Lesson recap

A VM with no network is just a fancy calculator. VirtualBox gives every VM up to four virtual NICs and each one can be in a different mode. The four modes you must know cold: NAT (VM shares the host's IP — easy internet, no inbound), Bridged (VM gets its own LAN IP — looks like a real device on the network), Host-Only (VM ↔ host only, no internet — safe for malware analysis), and Internal (VMs talk to each other, isolated from everyone). Picking the wrong mode is the most common reason a lab 'just doesn't work.'

Learning goals

  • Create a new VM in VirtualBox
  • Install or attach a guest OS
  • Understand NAT, Bridged, Host-Only, and Internal Network modes
  • Choose the right mode for a lab scenario

Key terms

NAT

VM shares the host's network through translation. Outbound works; inbound doesn't unless port-forwarded.

Bridged

VM appears as its own device on the LAN, with its own IP from your real DHCP server.

Host-Only

VM only talks to the host computer and other VMs on the same host-only network. No internet.

Internal Network

VMs talk only to each other in an isolated network. The host can't even see them.

NAT Network

Like NAT, but multiple VMs share the same NAT and can see each other.

ISO File

A disk image of an installer CD/DVD, used to install an OS in a VM.

Curated videos

Bridge, NAT, NAT Network, Internal, and Host-Only on VirtualBox

Hamid Talebi

You Need to Learn Virtual Machines RIGHT NOW

NetworkChuck

Checkpoint checklist

Sign in to save your progress across devices.
  • New VM created
  • Guest OS booted
  • Tested NAT mode
  • Tested Bridged mode
  • Tested Host-Only mode
  • Documented each network mode
  • Saved required evidence
  • Answered the reflection questions

Pro tips from the instructor

  • ★Take a snapshot AFTER a clean OS install and BEFORE installing anything else. That snapshot is your reset button for the semester.
  • ★Bridged mode on Wi-Fi can be flaky — some Wi-Fi adapters don't allow promiscuous mode. If Bridged fails, try Ethernet.
  • ★Use Host-Only or Internal for anything 'sketchy' (port scanning, malware samples). Never put untrusted VMs on Bridged.

Try this — stretch exercises

Optional hands-on practice that goes beyond the workbook. Check items off as you complete them — progress saves in this browser.

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  • Create two VMs on the same Internal Network and ping between them — set static IPs because there's no DHCP server on an Internal network unless you provide one.

Files to save this week

  • 📁 Week10_VMCreation_YourLastName.png
  • 📁 Week10_NATMode_YourLastName.png
  • 📁 Week10_BridgedMode_YourLastName.png
  • 📁 Week10_HostOnlyMode_YourLastName.png