Setting Up Proxmox VE with Windows 10 Guest VM and DHCP Networking

Networking
VM
Self-Hosting
System Administration
Tutorials
A step-by-step guide to setting up Proxmox VE on a mini PC, enabling DHCP networking with Tailscale, and preparing for guest OS installations.
Author

Sam M

Published

January 8, 2024

Setting up Proxmox VE with dynamic DHCP networking provides flexibility for hosting virtual machines (VMs) and containers in various environments. This guide will walk you through the complete process: preparing the USB installer, configuring networking for DHCP, enabling Tailscale for remote access, and setting up Windows 10 and Android x86 guest VMs.

For this setup, we’re using a mini PC connected to a Mac’s shared internet connection for the initial installation. Internet Sharing ensures Proxmox has internet access during setup and while uploading ISOs to the server.

Once complete, Proxmox will provide a stable base OS for remotely managing arbitrary guest OS installations and containers, including physical device passthrough.

BIOS Notes

Before installing Proxmox VE, adjust the mini PC BIOS for compatibility and reliability:

  1. Disable Secure Boot: Non-windows OS seems to require Secure Boot to be disabled.
  2. Change SATA Mode to AHCI: The default RAID mode may cause issues; switch to AHCI.
  3. Power Settings:
    • Set the computer to start automatically at a specific time (e.g., daily at 12:01 AM).
    • Configure the system to always restart after power failure for reliability in hosting environments.

To access the BIOS, press F2 or DEL during boot.

1. Internet Connection Sharing on macOS

To give the mini PC internet access during the initial setup, enable Internet Sharing on your Mac:

Step 1: Enable Internet Sharing

  1. Open System Preferences > Sharing on your Mac.
  2. Select Internet Sharing in the left-hand menu (but do not enable it yet).
  3. In the Share your connection from dropdown, select Wi-Fi.
  4. In the To computers using section, check Ethernet.
  5. Finally, enable Internet Sharing by checking the box next to it.

Your Mac will act as the gateway for the OptiPlex, providing internet access to it via Ethernet.

Step 2: Connect the OptiPlex

  1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect your Mac to the mini PC.
  2. During the Proxmox installation, use the following network settings:
    • Gateway: 192.168.2.1 (your Mac’s IP for the Ethernet connection)
    • IP Address: 192.168.2.42 (or configure DHCP as described below)
    • DNS Server: 9.9.9.9 (or your preferred DNS)

2. Prepare Proxmox VE USB Installer

Step 1: Download Proxmox VE ISO

Visit the Proxmox downloads page and download the latest Proxmox VE ISO.

Save the file to your Mac:

/Users/yourname/Downloads/proxmox-ve_8.3-1.iso

Step 2: Write ISO to USB

Insert a USB drive (at least 4GB) and identify it:

diskutil list

Write the ISO to the USB:

sudo dd if=/Users/yourname/Downloads/proxmox-ve_8.3-1.iso of=/dev/rdiskX bs=1m
diskutil eject /dev/rdiskX

Replace /dev/rdiskX with the correct disk identifier from diskutil list.

3. Install Proxmox VE

Step 1: Boot from USB

Insert the USB into your mini PC, boot into BIOS/UEFI (press F12 or DEL), and select the USB drive as the boot device.

Step 2: Install Proxmox VE

  1. Follow the Proxmox installer steps.
  2. During the setup, configure the network:
    • IP Address: 192.168.2.42
    • Gateway: 192.168.2.1 (your Mac’s shared internet)
    • DNS Server: 9.9.9.9

After installation, access the web interface at:

https://192.168.2.42:8006

4. Upload Windows 10 and Other ISOs

Option 1: Download Windows 10 ISO

Download the Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft’s website: Windows 10 ISO

Option 2: Use Existing ISOs on Mac

If the ISO is already on your Mac, upload it directly using the Proxmox web interface: 1. Navigate to Datacenter > local > ISO Images. 2. Click Upload, select the ISO file, and upload over the Ethernet connection. > Upload speeds over Ethernet are far faster than using a USB transfer.

5. Configure Networking for DHCP

Edit Networking Configuration

To allow the OptiPlex to adapt dynamically to different networks, configure eno1 to use DHCP:

  1. SSH into the Proxmox host:

    ssh root@192.168.2.42

  2. Edit the /etc/network/interfaces file:

    nano /etc/network/interfaces

  3. Replace with the following:

    # Loopback interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# Primary Ethernet interface (DHCP)
auto eno1
iface eno1 inet dhcp

# Bridge for VMs
auto vmbr0
iface vmbr0 inet dhcp
    bridge-ports eno1
    bridge-stp off
    bridge-fd 0

# Optional fallback static configuration
iface eno1 inet static
    address 192.168.2.42/24
    gateway 192.168.2.1

source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

  4. Restart networking:

    systemctl restart networking

  5. Verify the DHCP-assigned IP:

    ip a

6. Install and Configure Tailscale

Step 1: Install Tailscale

Install Tailscale to ensure remote access to Proxmox:

curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

Step 2: Authenticate

Authenticate the host to your Tailscale account:

tailscale up

Step 3: Enable Exit Node and Forwarding

  1. Advertise the server as an exit node:

    tailscale up --advertise-exit-node

  2. Enable forwarding:

    echo "net.ipv4.ip_forward=1" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p

7. Create a Windows 10 VM

Step 1: Create VM

  1. In the Proxmox GUI, select Create VM.
  2. Configure:
    • OS: Windows 10 ISO.
    • System: Enable QEMU Agent.
    • Disk: Allocate at least 64GB.
    • CPU/Memory: Assign as needed.
    • Network: Use vmbr0.

Step 2: Add VirtIO Drivers

  1. Go to Hardware > Add CD/DVD Drive.
  2. Select the VirtIO Drivers ISO.

Step 3: Install Windows 10

  1. Start the VM.
  2. Load VirtIO drivers when prompted for a disk during installation.
  3. Complete the Windows setup.

8. Manage Guest OS and Containers

Once your Proxmox VE is set up and accessible via Tailscale, you can experiment with: - Additional Guest OSes: Install Linux distributions, Android x86, or other systems. - LXC Containers: Use Proxmox’s containerization features for lightweight workloads. - Physical Device Passthrough: Configure USB or PCI passthrough for specialized hardware.

9. Manage Credentials

Use a password manager to securely store: - Proxmox root password. - Tailscale credentials. - Guest OS license keys.

Organize credentials with relevant tags for easy retrieval.

Conclusion

With Proxmox VE configured for DHCP networking and Tailscale integration, you have a stable base OS ready for hosting VMs and containers. This setup allows remote management and adaptability to any network, ensuring reliability and flexibility for your virtualized workloads.

Standard Disclaimer
This post is a mix of human and AI effort (G611). While I’ve reviewed and finalized the content, some parts reflect AI-generated input. Always do your own due diligence and consult professionals when needed.