When using a e1000 virtual network adapter under VMware, use the “Intel PRO/1000 MT Server (82545EM)” under Virtual Box
Posted by jpluimers on 2020/04/17
Every now and then I need to run existing VMware based disk under a different virtualisation environment.
In my case, the target was VirtualBox, and the source used a e1000 virtual network adapter.
You find the required settings to migrate to VirtualBox by running this inside the directory of your VMware virtual machine:
grep ethernet *vmx
It gives output like this:
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
ethernet0.networkName = "VM Network on LAN"
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:cc:cc:cc"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "32"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"
This is in fact an “Intel 82545EM Gigabit Ethernet NIC” adapter, which VirtualBox calls “Intel PRO/1000 MT Server (82545EM)”.
Another compatible pair is the VMware vlance or “AMD 79C970 PCnet32- LANCE NIC” which VirtualBox calls “AMD PCNet PCI II (Am79C970A)”
First note:
Often the virtual operating system still recognises it as a different adapter. Sometimes you can prevent this by also copying the MAC address (as VirtualBox by default uses a MAC address like
080027CCCCCC.If it is still wrong, then read [WayBack] PredictableNetworkInterfaceNames: the various ways of assigning network interface names in virtualisation environments tend to mismatch. To fix this, I had to rename
/etc/sysconfig/ifcfg-ens32to the nee interface name I found viaif -a.
Second note:
VMware supports two special virtual networks that are accessible from the host:
vmnet1(host-only) andvmnet8(NAT) : both are accessible from the host as VMware installs special network adapters:
vmnet1is the host-only network where the host can talk to the VMs and vice versa, but the hosts cannot talk to the outside worldvmnet8is the NAT network where the host can talk to the VMs and vice versa, but the hosts can talk to the outside worldSome background info at:
- [WayBack] Networking in VMware Fusion | Life of an IT guy
- [WayBack] VMWare Interfaces Tutorial | RedNectar’s Blog
- [Archive.is] Modifying the DHCP settings of vmnet1 and vmnet8 in Fusion (1026510) (for VMware Fusion < 6.x as VMware Fusion 6.x Professional, Fusion 7.x Pro and Fusion 8.x Pro includes a network editor)
VirtualBox does not seem to do that, but it does do port forwarding, so it is “like” the VMware functionality, but not quite the same; see:
- [WayBack] VirtualBox Chapter 6. Virtual networking; 6.2. Introduction to networking modes
- [WayBack] VirtualBox Chapter 9. Advanced topics; 9.11. 9.11. Fine-tuning the VirtualBox NAT engine
- [WayBack] #1705 (NAT/DHCP network setting support like VMWare does.) – Oracle VM VirtualBox
Table 6.1. Overview
VM ↔ Host VM1 ↔ VM2 VM → Internet VM ← Internet Host-only + + – – Internal – + – – Bridged + + + + NAT – – + Port forwarding NAT Network – + + Port forwarding
References:
- [Archive.is] VMware: Choosing a network adapter for your virtual machine (1001805)
- Vlance: This is an emulated version of the AMD 79C970 PCnet32- LANCE NIC
- VMXNET: The VMXNET virtual network adapter has no physical counterpart.
- Flexible: The Flexible network adapter identifies itself as a Vlance adapter when a virtual machine boots, but initializes itself and functions as either a Vlance or a VMXNET adapter, depending on which driver initializes it.
- E1000: An emulated version of the Intel 82545EM Gigabit Ethernet NIC.
- E1000e: This feature emulates a newer model of Intel Gigabit NIC (number 82574) in the virtual hardware.
- VMXNET 2 (Enhanced): The VMXNET 2 adapter is based on the VMXNET adapter but provides some high-performance features commonly used on modern networks, such as jumbo frames and hardware offloads.
- VMXNET 3: The VMXNET 3 adapter is the next generation of a paravirtualized NIC designed for performance, and is not related to VMXNET or VMXNET 2.
- [WayBack] VirtualBox Chapter 6. Virtual networking; 6.1. Virtual networking hardware
- AMD PCNet PCI II (Am79C970A);
- AMD PCNet FAST III (Am79C973, the default);
- Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (82540EM);
- Intel PRO/1000 T Server (82543GC);
- Intel PRO/1000 MT Server (82545EM);
- Paravirtualized network adapter (virtio-net).
Possibly related: [WayBack] VMware和VirtualBox中的网络适配器类型及虚拟网络性能优化 – eshizhan – 博客园 (Network Adapter Types and Virtual Network Performance Optimization in VMware and VirtualBox)
–jeroen
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 
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