VMs on ESXi system, only able to use internal IPs

Question

first off I am a bit of a network newb, I know the basics but that is about it.

So I have a ESXi server running a few VMs.

The set up is; -Master IP (controls the ESXi box) -Internet IP (for general use, accessing the net and VPN etc) -Service IPs (several for use on hosting websites, these are publicly known)

On my ESXi box there are 2 networks. -VM Network (Connects to the ESXi server NIC, Master IP and Internet IP are used directly with this) -VM Local (Hosts the internal network, as well as Internet IP)

There is a DD-WRT router in a VM on both networks. It allows the VM Local network to access the internet via the VM Network using the Internet IP.

Confusing? Hope not

Now the VM Local network works fine, I have several machines on it that are internal only and external. They all use it to connect to the internet via the Public IP.

Problem is that the few machines that are also on the VM Network using the Service IPs are not responding on that network, only the internal VM Local network.

Here is a screenshot of the networking configuration. http://i.gyazo.com/9a9c603eb138719453d9d06485581e8d.png

eth1 config file

DEVICE=eth1
ONBOOT=yes
BOOTPROTO=static
IPADDR=5.xx.xx.207
NETMASK=255.255.255.255
BROADCAST=5.xx.xx.255
GATEWAY=94.xx.xx.254
DNS1=8.8.8.8
DNS2=8.8.4.4

70-persistent-net.rules config, the MAC address match the ones set in the VM settings, as well as the eth1 matching what the server host gave me to use (generated vMAC for VMWare)

# PCI device 0x8086:0x100f (e1000)
SUBSYSTEM=="net", ACTION=="add", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTR{address}=="00:0c:29:10:85:23", ATTR{type}=="1", KERNEL=="eth*", NAME="eth0"

# PCI device 0x8086:0x100f (e1000)
SUBSYSTEM=="net", ACTION=="add", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTR{address}=="00:50:56:0a:81:fb", ATTR{type}=="1", KERNEL=="eth*", NAME="eth1"

Any ideas on what I have done wrong? I have been stuck like this for 2 days now and can't fine an answer :/

Thanks Jack,

Answer 1

The problem is in your IP addressing:

IPADDR=5.xx.xx.207
NETMASK=255.255.255.255
BROADCAST=5.xx.xx.255
GATEWAY=94.xx.xx.254

You've configured a single /32 with that subnet mask, it's not able to route anywhere. Did you perhaps mean NETMASK=255.255.255.0 which is a /24?

Even if that's right, the gateway is not in the subnet of the local IP. The communication to the gateway (and elsewhere within the local subnet) happens at Layer 2, and then the gateway is responsible for routing traffic with a destination outside the local subnet at Layer 3.

You need to configure a subnet which is a /29 or larger, and to use both a local IP address and a gateway within that subnet.

Also you don't need BROADCAST, the network scripts are smart enough to figure that out.