Virtual network interface in Mac OS X

Question

I know that you can make a virtual network interface in Windows (see here), and in Linux it is also pretty easy with ip-aliases, but does something similar exist for Mac OS X? I've been looking for loopback adapters, virtual interfaces and couldn't find a good solution.

You can create a new interface in the networking panel, based on an existing interface, but it will not act as a real fully functional interface (if the original interface is inactive, then the derived one is also inactive).

This scenario is needed when working in a completely disconnected situation. Even then, it makes sense to have networking capabilities when running servers in a VMWare installation. Those virtual machines can be reached by their IP address, but not by their DNS name, even if I run a DNS server in one of those virtual machines. By configuring an interface to use the virtual DNS server, I thought I could test some DNS scenario's. Unfortunately, no interface is resolving DNS names if none of them are inactive...

Answer 1

What do you mean by

"but it will not act as a real fully functional interface (if the original interface is inactive, then the derived one is also inactive"

?

I can make a new interface, base it on an already existing one, then disable the existing one and the new one still works. Making a second interface does however not create a real interface (when you check with ifconfig), it will just assign a second IP to the already existing one (however, this one can be DHCP while the first one is hard coded for example).

So did I understand you right, that you want to create an interface, not bound to any real interface? How would this interface then be used? E.g. if you disconnect all WLAN and pull all network cables, where would this interface send traffic to, if you send traffic to it? Maybe your question is a bit unclear, it might help a lot if rephrase it, so it's clear what you are actually trying to do with this "virtual interface" once you have it.

As you mentioned "alias IP" in your question, this would mean an alias interface. But an alias interface is always bound to a real interface. The difference is in Linux such an interface really IS an interface (e.g. an alias interface for eth0 could be eth1), while on Mac, no real interface is created, instead a virtual interface is created, that can configured and used independently, but it is still the same interface physically and thus no new named interface is generated (you just have two interfaces, that are both in fact en0, but both can be enabled/disabled and configured independently).

Answer 2

i have resorted to running PFSense, a BSD based router/firewall to achieve this goal….

why? because OS X Server gets so FREAKY without a Static IP…

so after wrestling with it for DAYS to make NAT and DHCP and firewall and …

I'm trying this is parallels…

will let ya know how it goes...

Answer 3

Here's a good guide: http://gerrydevstory.com/2012/08/20/how-to-create-virtual-network-interface-on-mac-os-x/

Basically you select a network adapter in the Networks pane of system preferences, then click the gear to "Duplicate Service". After the service is duplicated, you manually assign an IP in one of the private address ranges. Then ping it to make sure ;)

Answer 4

A few others seemed to hint at this, but the following demonstrates using ifconfig to create a vlan and test DNS on the virtual interface (using minidns) on OS X 10.9.5:

$ sw_vers -productVersion
10.9.5
$ sudo ifconfig vlan169 create && echo vlan169 created
vlan169 created
$ sudo ifconfig vlan169 inet 169.254.169.254 netmask 255.255.255.255 && echo vlan169 configured
vlan169 configured
$ sudo ./minidns.py 169.254.169.254 &
[1] 35125
$ miniDNS :: * 60 IN A 169.254.169.254


$ dig @169.254.169.254 +short test.host
Request: test.host. -> 169.254.169.254
Request: test.host. -> 169.254.169.254
169.254.169.254
$ sudo kill 35125
$ 
[1]+  Exit 143                sudo ./minidns.py 169.254.169.254
$ sudo ifconfig vlan169 destroy && echo vlan169 destroyed
vlan169 destroyed

Answer 5

The loopback adapter is always up.

ifconfig lo0 alias 172.16.123.1 will add an alias IP 172.16.123.1 to the loopback adapter

ifconfig lo0 -alias 172.16.123.1 will remove it

Answer 6

It's possible to use TUN/TAP device. http://tuntaposx.sourceforge.net/