Have VMware Workstation 7, guest systems are Windows 7.
Problem: When the guest system are operating, the intermittently the host will lose all network connection. Click on an internet link, nothing happens, doesn't try connecting, no dns errors, like you never even clicked it. No hourglass or spinning circle like its trying to look, nothing. Press send/receive in Thunderbird or Outlook, and nothing happens, no errors or anything. Network diagnose says there is no problem. Or that it cannot resolve a website, no reason given.
The guest systems have full internet and network function, no disruptions.
If I close the guest systems down, the host can once again browse the internet, everything working normally. Sometimes I only have to close down one or two, sometime I have to close them all down. Once the host is back on the network and internet, I can start up the guest systems again and everything is fine for a while. Sometimes its 1-2 days, other times its every hour. No pattern.
I've tried both bridged mode and NAT mode, in the VMware, neither make a difference. No errors appear in the Event logs other than dns failures from services trying to access the internet while the host was unable to connect.
Hardware: AMD FX-8350, Asus Sabertooth 990FX mainboard, 16GB RAM, 3TB HD. Hitron Technologies Cable Gateway. Home network, no server.
Host OS: Windows 7 Ultimate
Attempted Resolutions: installed a second DLink network card. Bridged the Hitron and installed a Dlink DIR-825 router. Ran off new dlink card only. Reinstalled windows 7 on the host. Rebuilt the vm quest systems from scratch, no cloning, individual computer names, mac addresses. Turned off power save features on network cards, disabled buffer overruns. New network cables. Changed numerous settings in the router to facilitate possible dns issues. Static IP all guests and host. Set OpenDNS on guests and host.
I'm kinda shooting in the dark on this one as I can't get an error to generate to work from.
Only thing I can possible guess is that the guest system are vpn'd to another network, and VMware doesn't know how to properly tunnel that through the host. Have not tested running without VPN, software won't run if it can't get a vpn connection, so the guest os's would be sitting idle not doing anything.
Open to ideas. Thanks
UPDATE: Appeared to have solved the issue on my own. Removed the TCP connection limit, and hasn't disconnected for a while.
1. Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then click regedit.exe in the Programs list. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
2. Locate and then double-click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\EnableConnectionRateLimiting
3. In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
4. Exit Registry Editor.
5. Restart the computer.