vmware: unable to ping using NAT IP address, but can ping physical IP

Question

I've been searching around and found no similar issues have been asked.

My desktop (windows 7) is in LAN, has IP (192.168.3.121).

I installed vmware (windows 7), using NAT connection (172.168.174.128). The guest is able to access internet without problem.

In guest, if I "ping 192.168.3.121", this will be ok. If I "ping 192.168.3.xxx", will also be ok. If I "ping 192.168.174.2" (DNS), this will be ok.

If I "ping 192.168.174.1", can't ping.

Note my host Vmnet8's ip is indeed 192.168.174.1. Ping from host also doesn't work.

From host: "ping 192.168.174.128" (guest IP), does not work "ping 192.168.174.2", does not work

Both host/guest windows are installed without any other "security/defender/firewall" related softwares.

Anywhere can go wrong?

Thanks.

Answer 1

If you configured your vmware VM to run in a virtualized NAT network, then you will not be able to access/ping your VM from the Host, or anywhere else for that matter, without configuring port forwarding for that virtual NAT network.

If you would like to be able to access your VM from your host you can either:

A) Change the mode of the network adapter for the VM to a bridged adapter. This will make the VM act as if it is just another computer on the same network your Desktop is and will be accessible at an IP such as 192.168.3.122

or

B) Add a Host-Only network adapter to the VM. This second NIC will be connected to a network that has no internet access, but is connected to the host and any other VMs on the same host-only network

Also, check the firewall settings to allow inbound ICMP inside the VM.

Answer 2

You mean that you cannot ping to the VMnet8 interface of your physical PC. Maybe it is not activated. It should be activated first by issuing the command at the cmd prompt with the admin's privilege.

C:\Windows\system32>netsh interface set interface name="VMware Network Adapter V Mnet8" admin=ENABLED

Answer 3

I have seen this issue with two different windows 10 machine & two different version of vmware workstation ( 15 & 16).

One way it works is I start the wireshark & under capture options I select on VMWARE8(default for workstation/need to adjust according to your NAT Interface) & than start ping from My Local Machine to NAT IP of the VM . It takes time but it works. I do not what triggers this .

My initial thought was it's one of the Windows 10 upgrade but with two different version of windows 10 & this old issue resurfaced.