VirtualBox: WXP guest loses CIFS file system when real net cable unplugged
 

Hello :)

Here's the setup: VirtualBox 3.0.10 on Slackware 13.0 running WXP in a virtual machine with bridged adapter on eth0, an onboard RTL8111B. Host: 192.168.1.47, guest: 192.168.1.48, both static. Host runs samba including configThe guest mounts "home" as D:. Has been working for a long time.

Here's the issue: when the real network cable is unplugged, D: is no longer connected.

Thoughts: is this normal? Do packets normally go out to the switch and come back when the host puts the NIC in promiscuous mode?

Best

Charles

This sounds right to me. When the cable is unplugged, the interface
goes down, so no traffic can go through it. I know there is a "host
only" networking option, although I can't remember what it is called.
You could set up a host only interface to connect between guest and
host, and it would work even when the network cable is unplugged.

Thanks carltm :)

That makes sense now.

The WXP system is used as a server so needs a LAN address but host-only is a good workaround when needs must.

I have several virtual machines that have two interfaces, one bridged
to the host adapter and the other host-only. That assures me that
the guest and host can connect no matter what else is going on with
the network.

That's a nice solution, thanks :)