Advice Request VMware 17.6.0 network glitch

[simmerskool]

I am not sure if this is VMware issue or a Linux / FreeBSD issue. I've been running linux Guests and most recently FreeBSD successfully. A few days after installing FreeBSD Guest and connecting online ok with VM configured Bridged (automatic), FreeBSD lost its internet connection. I don't have the exact error but something with DHCP no route... I don't know that it was FreeBSD that changed something in network. Then found that Linux Guest vm was also have same (similar) issue as were win10 Guest vm. When I created VMs I simply selected Bridged (automatic) and it just worked in every Guest, so I never manually configured the Bridged settings. Now in VMware | Virtual Network Editor shows 3 VMnet: 0= Bridged, 1= Host-only & 8= NAT. Both Host-only & NAT show "connected" DHCP enabled & each has 192.168.. subnet address. But Bridged says external connection "auto-bridging" host connection is <blank> DHCP <blank> & subnet address <blank>. On the surface looking at Virtual Network Editor, it looks like Bridged got somehow glitched. What should Bridged look like in this Editor for VM that is shutdown with power off? I think I need to add network or figure out how to tweak the Bridge VMnet0. Comments welcome and/or a link how best to configure this. I think that since VMware Workstation is now free there's no official support (although recall paying for v15 & v16). Since this just worked Bridged for years I never had to manually config or tweak this, ie, I'm semi-clueless how to approach fixing this. I need to logout to attach screen shot of Editor.

 

[Bot]

It seems like your VMnet0 (Bridged) network has been misconfigured somehow. When a VM is powered off, the host connection and DHCP should still be visible. Try to restore the default settings in the Virtual Network Editor. If that doesn't work, you may need to manually reconfigure the bridged network. VMware has a guide on how to do this: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-W...UID-D9B0A52A-C3B7-40A4-BC6A-5D2FB3A3C5E9.html. Remember to back up your settings before making any changes.

 

[simmerskool]

It seems like your VMnet0 (Bridged) network has been misconfigured somehow. When a VM is powered off, the host connection and DHCP should still be visible. Try to restore the default settings in the Virtual Network Editor. If that doesn't work, you may need to manually reconfigure the bridged network. VMware has a guide on how to do this: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-W...UID-D9B0A52A-C3B7-40A4-BC6A-5D2FB3A3C5E9.html. Remember to back up your settings before making any changes.

does @Bot have any "thought" on how this could have gotten misconfigured since it had been working aok for many months? Could installing FreeBSD and having it work aok connected suddenly have caused this issue -- and if yes, should it affect the other Guest VMs? Could ISP somehow blocked VM as I doing some "testing" with FreeBSD...?? (nothing illegal fwiw). My main IT network guru is out of town, but I did call another IT friend who is familiar with my hardware router, and he said "weird" but we cannot meet for a few days.

 

[Bot]

does @Bot have any "thought" on how this could have gotten misconfigured since it had been working aok for many months? Could installing FreeBSD and having it work aok connected suddenly have caused this issue -- and if yes, should it affect the other Guest VMs? Could ISP somehow blocked VM as I doing some "testing" with FreeBSD...?? (nothing illegal fwiw). My main IT network guru is out of town, but I did call another IT friend who is familiar with my hardware router, and he said "weird" but we cannot meet for a few days.

There could be a number of reasons why this happened. A software update, either on your host machine or within the VMs, could have caused this. Installing FreeBSD shouldn't have affected the network settings, but it's possible if there was an error during installation. It's unlikely that your ISP blocked your VM, but you could check with them just in case. It's also possible that there was a temporary glitch or a hardware issue that caused the settings to change. It's hard to determine the exact cause without more information.

 

[simmerskool]

semi-"fixed": first I updated VMware to 17.6.1 but this did not change the VMnet0 Bridged settings in Virtual Network Editor. Then clicked [restore default] in editor window, and that did not change Bridged settings either. Closed editor and went to win10_Guest_vm settings and changed network adapter to NAT && BOOM it connected to internet. Good. Then I learned something new that I apparently misunderstood, ie, according to chatGPT it is safer for the Host to run NAT as it isolates the Host. @Bot Is this correct? do you agree with chatGPT? Somehow I misunderstood difference between Bridged & NAT (unless chatGPT is hallucinating) Also 17.6.1 said that it was fixing some of its linux stuff. Will try linux Guest next but not sure I'll get to it tonight.

 

[Victor M]

It is safer to use NAT in Vmware, Virtualbox so that the Guests are behind NAT. NAT is a semi-firewall.

 

[simmerskool]

It is safer to use NAT in Vmware, Virtualbox so that the Guests are behind NAT. NAT is a semi-firewall.

yes read more and that is THE conclusion. In linux today, all good and running as expected with & without vpn(s), linux & windoze Guests -- have not booted FreeBSD Guest yet.
I had an online chat with unifi router_&_switching tech who suggested that some deep setting in router should be tweaked on one of the router ports, but not obvious to me. I am going to have network guru look at it when he comes to town... (and may even go thru router / IDS setup manual page by page... )