Network Connections

You can define network connections (NICs) that will be allocated to the VM when it is provisioned. If a VM template defines a network connection, that connection is listed by default. If necessary, you can edit it.

By default a network connection uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) rather than a static IP and an automatic domain name server (DNS). However, you can configure the connection to use a static IP address or a static DNS or both.

To add a network connection for the VM being provisioned

1. Take one of the following actions:
   • To add a new network connection, click Add a new network connection.
   • To modify an existing network connection, roll your cursor over the connection you want to modify and click Edit. 
     A utility for adding network connections appears.
     
2. Under Network, click Please select a network.
   The Select VM Network dialog box opens.
   
3. Select a network and click OK.
4. For Adapter Type, select the type of NIC to be assigned to the VM.
5. For Connect at Power On, select Yes to indicate the network connection should be established when the VM is powered on. 
6. Under IP Configuration, click DHCP.
   The Advanced VM Network Connection Settings dialog box opens.
    
7. Perform the following actions to provide information about the network connection:
   1. To set up a static IP configuration, click Static IP,and enter the following values:
      • IP Address—IP address for the network connection.
      • Subnet Mask—Range of addresses available, using the dot notation (for example, 255.255.255.0).
      • Default Gateway—IP address for the gateway to the network.
   2. To set up a static DNS, click Static DNS and enter the names or IP addresses of a primary, secondary, and tertiary DNS.
   3. For DNS Suffix (for this NIC), enter a comma-separated list of suffixes to use when accessing the DNS for this network connection. This option is not available if you are using an automatic DNS.
8. Click .