isäntäverkoston

Isäntäverkoston, often translated as "host network" or "parent network," is a networking concept primarily associated with virtualization technologies. In essence, it allows a virtual machine to share the network interfaces of its host machine. This means that the virtual machine operates as if it were directly connected to the same physical network as the host, using the host's IP address and MAC address for its own network communications.

This differs from other network modes like bridged networking, where the virtual machine gets its own unique IP address on the host's network, or NAT (Network Address Translation), where the host acts as a router for the virtual machine. With isäntäverkoston, the virtual machine's network traffic appears to originate directly from the host. This can simplify network configuration in certain scenarios, particularly when a virtual machine needs to be easily discoverable on the local network without requiring complex routing or IP address management. However, it also means that the host and the virtual machine cannot have the same IP address simultaneously.