How to setup a hyper-v domain with internet access

Question

First off let me say that I'm not a network admin or server guy, I know very little about that stuff. What I'm trying to do is setup a virtualized domain using hyper-V. Here is the configuration:

Physical Server:

• 4Mb RAM
• Windows Server 2008 R2 running Hyper-V

Virtual Environment:

• One Domain Controller running Windows Server 2008 R2
• One Client running Windows Server 2008 R2

I have been successful in setting up a virtual domain controller and adding a virtual client to that domain controller but I'm stuck at trying to give the virtual Environment Internet access. I can give the client VM Internet access if I remove them from the virtual domain but once I add them back to the virtual domain, Internet access is gone.

I've read articles describing many different ways this can be done (using RRAS with NAT, using a wireless connection, etc...) but all of those articles only cover a small piece of the setup and also seem to be geared towards people who know there way around networking and servers which I don't. I'd like to know more but my thing is software development and I have my hands full trying to keep up with everything in that realm. I simply want to setup a virtual domain with Internet access for testing.

Can anyone point me to any "for Dummy's" type information on how to setup this type of environment or can anyone provide this kind of step-by-step help. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Answer 1

You can add a second virtual NIC to your DC with the NAT type and then it up to "share Internet connection" for it. If the DC is also setup to function as a DHCP server, then the client should receive its IP configuration from the DC and also route its non-local traffic through the DC.

This is a quick nutshell, but should identify the "rough" steps needed based on the information that you have provided.

Answer 2

It just sounds like you've got the wrong IP settings.

You can use the above settings or you can use static settings. I would prefer the static settings if you are at work. Having another DHCP server nabbing broadcasts basically give other computers a hiccup.

Now, you didn't specify which Virtualization software you are using. Generally, they are all going to ask what kind of virtual NIC that you want to add: Bridged, NAT, Private, None.

Private would be preferred. If not, go with NAT.

Your virtual DC should have a static IP.

Here is the fun one. Depending on what Virtualization software you are using, it may or may not initially show you the ip address for your gateway. When you picked NAT above, it might show you. If not, no worries. From inside the virtual DC, click on the network center. If it isn't already on "acquire an ip address" then click that and when it does, copy down the IP settings. If you are using Private, you'll have to hunt down the NIC address from the outside. Lets just assume you went with the NAT option above.

For IP Address, Subnet, and Gateway, use the settings you've written down. For the DNS server settings, you'll want your primary DNS server to be this IP address, or the IP address of the virtual DC. The secondary DNS server can be the gateway.

For the VM client, just do the following. Add one to the IP address. ie 192.168.150.100 to 192.168.150.101. Use the same subnet mask and gateway. The primary DNS should be the IP address of the virtual Domain controller and secondary dns server is the gateway.

That should get you going.