Can't specify DHCP pool range for NAT Networks

[Timothe Litt]

Nat Networks have a DHCP server if you specify 'Supports DHCP', but it doesn't seem to be possible - certainly not in the GUI - to specify the DHCP pool range in a NAT Network. (It is possible in a host-only network.)

There should be a way to specify the DHCP address pool limits. (Of course, within the CIDR.)

Consider the case (which I have), where a NAT Network has a mix of client OSs that do DHCP, and servers that have static addresses (for port forwarding). The clients and servers have private conversations (think manageability.)

The normal solution is to reserve an address range for static IP assignments, and allocate the rest of the subnet to DHCP.

Otherwise, there can be address conflicts when the DHCP server inadvertently issues a static IP address to a dynamic client.

This can happen even if the DHCP server pings before assigning, as the server might be down at the time the client requests an address.

Because of this issue, I'm classifying this as a defect rather than an enhancement request.

A typical allocation might be:

10.0.100.0/24 CIDR
  10.0.100.1 Gateway
  10.0.100.2-99 Static hosts
  10.0.100.100-254 DHCP << It should be possible to specify this.
  10.0.100.255 Broadcast

Thanks.

[Valery Ushakov]

You can use VBoxManage dhcpserver modify ... to change these parameters.

[Timothe Litt]

I missed the command. But still think it belongs in the GUI, to be consistent with host-only network setup. I guess you can re-classify as 'enhancement' to include in GUI.

[ManWithNoName]

I'm agree with the last "tlhackque" comment. An update to add this feature in the GUI for the NAT network should be very usefull.