VirtualBox Enable Host (Windows) Access Client (Ubuntu)

There are 2 methods

• Port Forwarding via NAT
• Host-only Adapter

Port Forwarding

Assuming you want to SSH from Host to Client.

VirtualBox -> Settings -> Network -> Adapter 1. Assuming it is attached to NAT as per default.

Expand Advanced.

Click on Port Forwarding.

At the following entry

• Name: SSH
• Protocol: TCP
• Host IP: 127.0.0.1 (or leave blank)
• Host Port: 2222
• Guest IP: 10.0.2.15 (or leave blank)
• Guest Port: 22 (SSH default port)

Click OK.

NOTE: To make sure the Ubuntu client have SSH server, you might want to install sudo apt install openssh-server and test local connection (ssh [email protected])

On the windows host, install Putty (If you don't have a SSH client) and connect to

• Host Name (or IP address): 127.0.0.1
• Port: 2222

NOTE: If connection denied, you might want to check if your Ubuntu client have firewall installed.

Host-only Adapter

You can leave Adapter 1 as NAT, for configure Host-only Adapter as Adapter 2.

VirtualBox -> File -> Host Network Manager, there should be a VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter. If not, do create one.

• Adapter -> Configure Adapter Manually
  • IPv4 Address: 192.168.56.1
  • IPv4 Network Mask: 255.255.255.0
• DHCP Server:
  • Check Enable Server
  • Server Address: 192.168.56.100
  • Server Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Lower Address Bound: 192.168.56.101
  • Upper Address Bound: 192.168.56.254

VirtualBox -> Settings -> Network -> Adapter 2

• Check Enable Network Adapter
• Attached to: Host-only Adapter
• Name: VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter

Check the ip address of Ubuntu Client

• enp0s3 is NAT
• enp0s8 is Host-only Adapter, where the IP is 192.168.56.101

ifconfig -a

NOTE: Install via sudo apt install net-tools is command not found

enp0s3: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 10.0.2.15  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 10.0.2.255
        inet6 fe80::6985:240e:c74:951d  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether 08:00:27:4f:1c:84  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 39  bytes 5879 (5.8 KB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 64  bytes 9487 (9.4 KB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

enp0s8: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.56.101  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.56.255
        inet6 fe80::506e:b210:fa8c:2a3b  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether 08:00:27:d7:b0:01  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 10  bytes 1785 (1.7 KB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 29  bytes 4205 (4.2 KB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

lo: flags=73<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING>  mtu 65536
        inet 127.0.0.1  netmask 255.0.0.0
        inet6 ::1  prefixlen 128  scopeid 0x10<host>
        loop  txqueuelen 1000  (Local Loopback)
        RX packets 35  bytes 3839 (3.8 KB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 35  bytes 3839 (3.8 KB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

On the windows host, install Putty (If you don't have a SSH client) and connect to

• Host Name (or IP address): 192.168.56.101
• Port: 22

NOTE: If connection denied, you might want to check if your Ubuntu client have firewall installed.