VirtualBox Host Adapter Interface Doesn't Get IP Address on Oracle Linux 7 - Wired Connection 1 IPv4 Automatic DHCP Failed

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss a common issue that may occur when setting up a wired network connection on Oracle Linux 7 using VirtualBox. Specifically, we will cover the scenario where the VirtualBox Host Adapter interface does not obtain an IP address, despite the use of automatic DHCP.

Background

VirtualBox is a popular open-source virtualization solution that allows users to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on various operating systems. When configuring a network connection for a VM, VirtualBox provides several options, including the Host-only Network, Bridged Networking, and NAT networking modes. In this article, we will focus on the wired connection setup using the NAT networking mode.

Symptoms

The primary symptom of this issue is the failure of the VirtualBox Host Adapter interface to obtain an IP address using automatic DHCP. This can be verified by checking the network interface configuration using the ip a command in the terminal.

Cause

The root cause of this issue is often a misconfiguration of the network settings on the host system or the guest VM. In particular, the problem can be attributed to one or more of the following:

• Incorrect DHCP server settings on the host system.
• Misconfigured network interface settings on the guest VM.
• Network driver issues on the guest VM.

Solution

Verify DHCP Server Settings on the Host System

To ensure that the DHCP server settings on the host system are correct, follow these steps:

1. Identify the IP address and netmask of the DHCP server on the network.
2. Edit the /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 file (replace eth0 with the name of your wired interface) and add the following lines:

BOOTPROTO="dhcp"
 ONLYIF="$(iface eth0 inet dhcp)"

Save and close the file.

Restart Network Services on the Host System

To restart the network services, run the following command:

systemctl restart network.service

Configure Network Interface Settings on the Guest VM

To configure the network interface settings on the guest VM, follow these steps:

1. Start the VirtualBox VM and log in to the guest system.
2. Open the VirtualBox GUI and select the VM in the list. Click on the "Settings" button.
3. Navigate to the "Network" tab and select the "Adapter 1" interface.
4. Change the "Attached to" dropdown to "NAT".
5. In the "Advanced" tab, ensure that the "Force host-only adapter" option is unchecked.
6. Click "OK" to save the changes and restart the VM.

Install Network Driver on the Guest VM

If the network driver is not installed on the guest VM, follow these steps to install it:

1. Log in to the guest system as the root user.
2. Update the package index:

yum update -y

3. Install the Ethernet driver:

yum install e1000-driver -y

4. Restart the network services:

systemctl restart network.service