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Creating a New Virtual LAN Switch in Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V

This Tutorial addresses:
  • LAN
  • Windows Server
  • Switch
  • Servers
A Virtual LAN Switch in Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V server is important to be created. With the help of the Virtual LAN Switch, you can easily make the virtual machines communicate with each other and/or also allow them to communicate with the physical computer and the physical network to which the physical computer is connected.

Although you can create the Virtual LAN Switch even after creating the virtual machines in the Hyper-V server, it is not a good practice because with that approach you are required to reconfigure the network adapters in the created a virtual machines after you have created the Virtual LAN Switch. In other words, the Virtual LAN Switch is important, without which the virtual machines created in the Hyper-V server would not be able to communicate with other virtual machines for the physical machines whatsoever.

Here is how you can create a new virtual LAN switch in the Windows Server 2012 network operating system on which the Hyper-V role has been installed:

  1. Log on to the computer with the administrator account. (Local administrator in case of standalone server, and Enterprise Admin or Domain Admin account credentials in case of client/server network architecture.).

  2. If not already started, initialize the Server Manager window from the bottom left corner of the screen.

  3. On the opened Server Manager window, from the left pane, click to select the Hyper-V category.

  4. From the right pane, under the SERVERS list, right-click the target Hyper-V server. (DC-01 for this demonstration.).

  5. From the displayed context menu, click Hyper-V Manager.



  6. On the opened Hyper-V Manager snap-in, from the left pane, ensure that the Hyper-V Manager tree is expanded.

  7. From the expanded tree, right-click the name of the Hyper-V server. (DC-01 for this demonstration.).

  8. From the displayed context menu, click Start Service. (The Start Service option will be available in the context menu only if the service is not already started. If the service is already started, you will be displayed with other contextual options.).



  9. Once the service is started, right-click the Hyper-V server name again, and from the context
    menu, this time click Virtual Switch Manager.



  10. On the opened Virtual Switch Manager box, from the left pane, under the Virtual Switches section, make sure that the New virtual networks switch option is selected.

  11. From the right pane, under the Create virtual switch section, make sure that the External option is selected from the displayed list. (Although you can even choose any other option, it is good to choose the External one for now in order to allow the virtual machines to communicate directly with the host computer and the physical NIC that the host computer has.).



  12. Once done, click the Create Virtual Switch button.

  13. Once the new virtual switch is created, make sure that the newly created switch is selected in the left pane.

  14. In the right pane, in the Name field, specify a new name for the virtual switch that you have just created.

  15. Under the Connection type section, make sure that the External network radio button is selected.

  16. From the drop-down list, make sure that the physical network adapter present on the host computer is selected.



  17. Finally, click OK and on the displayed Apply Networking Changes box, click Yes to provide your consent to continue.

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