Network disabled

Question

I'm running Ubuntu 11.04 on Virtualbox. Everything worked fine until I had to install a wirelsss network card to my stationary (network cabel outside house was damaged - so borrowing neighbour network).

Now I only get Network disabled.

My nettwork file looks like this:

# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# The primary network interface
auto eth0

#NetworkManage
#iface eth0 inet dhcp

I've tried "enabling" iface eth0 inet dhcp, but that only made restarting the network hang.

I've tried creating a new Wired connection, but that didn't help either.

running ifconfig gives me this info:

eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 08:00:27:eb:ac:42  
          inet6 addr: fe80::a00:27ff:feeb:ac42/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host

Any help much appreciated!

update

user@ubuntu:~$ iwconfig lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

Answer 1

The guest-Ubuntu configuration shouldn't need to change. At all. A guest OS is given a virtual network connection based on what the host machine makes available.

The only changes that need to happen are to the VM settings so it knows to bridge to your wireless connection instead of the previously wired connection.

1. Shut down the guest
2. Load the Virtualbox Manager (if it's not already running)
3. Right click your Ubuntu VM and click Settings
4. Under Network, assuming you're bridging, change the Name of the network device to that of your wireless device.
5. Click Ok, run your VM and relax.

If you're not bridging - you probably aught to be.

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Failing that a longer workaround would be to ditch the wireless dongle and get a router near the computer and set that up as a repeater/bridge and plug your computer into that. Nature always finds a way.