Windows 7 VM pubic access/ unidentified network - No Internet access

[Tim Schwartz]

I have a win7 (x64) platform with VM's to utilize several other OS's (linux based) which worked dandy up until yesterday when I had a short power outage. The win7 has perfect connectivity but the VM's do not.

My VM which has always run as a public access/ unidentified network, has no internet connectivity. I've seen many similar posts but nothing related to VM's. I surfed the VMware forums and found nothing thus far to resolve my issue. I don't believe this is a VM issue at all but rather a win7 or router issue although the Primary OS is running like a champ.

I know it's a simple fix but I'm just not seeing this clearly, any help would be great.

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like the issue you're facing is related to the network connectivity of your virtual machines (VMs) running on VMware after a power outage on your Windows 7 host machine. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the connectivity issue:

Troubleshooting Steps:​

1. Check Network Adapter Settings in VMware:
   • Verify that the network adapter settings for your VMs in VMware are configured correctly. Ensure they are set to use the appropriate network mode (bridged, NAT, host-only, etc.) based on your network setup.
   []Restart Networking Services:
   • Try restarting the networking services on the affected VM. You can do this by disabling and re-enabling the network adapter in the VM settings.
   []Check IP Configuration:
   • Verify the IP configuration of the VMs. Check if they are obtaining IP addresses via DHCP or if they are manually configured. Ensure they are on the same subnet as your host machine.
   []Check Firewall Settings:
   • Check the firewall settings on both the host OS (Windows 7) and the VM. Temporary disable the firewall to see if it's blocking the network connection.
   []Reset Winsock:
   • Resetting the Winsock catalog on the Windows 7 host can sometimes resolve network issues. Open Command Prompt with administrative rights and run:

     bash netsh winsock reset

   []Update VMware Tools:
   • Make sure that VMware Tools are up to date on your VMs. VMware Tools help with better integration between the host and guest systems.
   []Power Cycle the Router:
   • Power cycle your router/modem to ensure that the network equipment is functioning correctly after the power outage.
   []Check Network Adapter Settings on Host:
   • Verify that the network adapter settings on your Windows 7 host machine are correct. Ensure that the host machine has internet connectivity.
   []Check DNS Settings:
   • Verify the DNS settings on both the host machine and the VMs. Ensure they are correctly configured to resolve domain names.
2. Update Network Drivers:
   • Check for any updates to the network drivers on your Windows 7 host machine. Outdated drivers can sometimes cause connectivity issues.

     Additional Recommendations:​

     • Ensure that your router settings haven't changed after the power outage. Verify DHCP settings and ensure that your VMs are getting proper IP addresses.
     • If possible, try pinging external IP addresses (like 8.8.8.8) from the VM to see if it's a DNS or connectivity issue.
     • Reboot the VMs and the host machine after performing the troubleshooting steps.
     By following these steps and checking the suggested settings, you should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve the network connectivity issue with your VMs on VMware running on Windows 7. Let me know if you need further assistance or if you encounter any specific errors while troubleshooting.