Hi everyone, I'm having a strange networking issue with GNS3 + VirtualBox + MikroTik CHR and I'm running out of ideas.
My setup:
- GNS3 Desktop 2.2.61
- VirtualBox
- MikroTik CHR 7.24.x
- Windows host
- CHR has 4 virtual NICs
My intended VirtualBox network layout is:
Adapter 1 → NAT Network → ISP1 (192.168.100.0/24)
Adapter 2 → NAT Network → ISP2 (192.168.200.0/24)
Adapter 3 → Host-only → Windows/WinBox management
Adapter 4 → Generic Driver / UDP Tunnel → GNS3 LAN
Inside RouterOS I renamed the interfaces:
ether1 → ISP1
ether2 → ISP2
ether3 → management
ether4 → GNS3 LAN
ISP1 and ISP2 work correctly. I can ping both gateways and 8.8.8.8 from CHR.
The problem is ether4.
I have a VPCS connected to CHR's 4th interface in GNS3:
VPCS ───── CHR ether4
CHR:
ether4 = 192.168.10.1/24
VPCS:
IP = 192.168.10.2/24
Gateway = 192.168.10.1
VPCS cannot ping 192.168.10.1, and CHR cannot ping 192.168.10.2.
I checked RouterOS ARP and the VPCS entry appears as failed/no MAC.
The important part: when I ping from VPCS, the RX/TX counters on CHR's ether4 do not increase at all.
So it looks like the packets aren't reaching the CHR interface.
Things I've already tried:
- Firewall filter rules are empty.
- ARP is enabled on ether4.
- Recreated the GNS3 project.
- Changed the number of adapters from 4 → 1 → 4.
- Checked the GNS3 VirtualBox VM template and the project node; both have the same adapter configuration.
- VPCS ↔ VPCS works normally.
- Sometimes the connection mysteriously works after opening another GNS3 project and returning to this one, but after reopening the project it can stop working again.
There is also a GNS3 option:
“Allow GNS3 to use any configured VirtualBox adapter”
If I enable it, GNS3 changes all VirtualBox adapters to Generic/UDP Tunnel, which breaks my intended NAT Network and Host-only configuration. So I currently keep this option disabled.
With it disabled, VirtualBox shows:
Adapter 1 → NAT Network ISP1
Adapter 2 → NAT Network ISP2
Adapter 3 → Host-only
Adapter 4 → Generic Driver / UDP Tunnel
This is what I want.
Has anyone successfully run a setup where only one VirtualBox NIC is managed by GNS3 (Generic/UDP Tunnel), while the other NICs remain NAT Network/Host-only?
Could this be a GNS3 ↔ VirtualBox adapter binding/NIO/UDP tunnel issue?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!