When setting up a VirtualBox environment with host-only networking, it's common to encounter connectivity issues between the Windows host and guest VMs. The scenario described involves:

• Windows host showing 169.254.x.x (APIPA) address
• Guest VMs properly configured with 192.168.56.x addresses
• Apache web server running on guest VM (192.168.56.103)
• Failed connection attempts from host to guest

First, let's verify the VirtualBox host-only network settings:

# Check VirtualBox host-only networks
VBoxManage list hostonlyifs

# Example output should show:
# Name:            VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter
# IPAddress:       192.168.56.1
# NetworkMask:     255.255.255.0

The 169.254.x.x address indicates DHCP failure. Here's how to fix it:

# Manual IP configuration in PowerShell (Admin):
New-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias "VirtualBox Host-Only Network" 
    -IPAddress 192.168.56.1 
    -PrefixLength 24

# Or via classic command prompt:
netsh interface ip set address "VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter" 
    static 192.168.56.1 255.255.255.0

After configuration, test the connection:

# From Windows host:
ping 192.168.56.103
telnet 192.168.56.103 80

# If firewall blocks ICMP, try PowerShell alternative:
Test-NetConnection 192.168.56.103 -Port 80

If issues persist, consider these additional checks:

1. Verify VirtualBox NAT and firewall rules aren't conflicting
2. Check guest VM network adapter settings in VirtualBox
3. Review Windows firewall rules for VirtualBox

# Check Windows firewall rules:
Get-NetFirewallRule | Where-Object {
    $_.DisplayName -like "*VirtualBox*"
} | Format-Table -AutoSize

• Host: 192.168.56.1/24
• Guest1: 192.168.56.101/24
• Guest2: 192.168.56.103/24
• VirtualBox Host-Only adapter enabled
• Firewall exceptions for VirtualBox and port 80

When your Windows host shows a 169.254.x.x (APIPA) address instead of the expected 192.168.56.x range on the VirtualBox Host-Only adapter, this indicates DHCP assignment failure. The host can't communicate with VMs because they're effectively on different networks.

First verify your VirtualBox network settings:

# Check host-only network properties in VirtualBox
VBoxManage list hostonlyifs

Sample output should show proper IP configuration:

Name:            VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter
GUID:            786f6276-656e-4074-8000-0a0027000000
DHCP:            Disabled
IPAddress:       192.168.56.1
NetworkMask:     255.255.255.0
IPV6Address:     
IPV6NetworkMaskPrefixLength: 0
HardwareAddress: 0a:00:27:00:00:00
MediumType:      Ethernet
Status:          Up
VBoxNetworkName: HostInterfaceNetworking-VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter

Manually configure the host adapter:

1. Open Network Connections in Windows
2. Right-click "VirtualBox Host-Only Network" → Properties
3. Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" → Properties
4. Set:
   • IP address: 192.168.56.1
   • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
   • Leave default gateway blank

In VirtualBox VM settings:

# For each VM, ensure adapter configuration includes:
Adapter 1: Host-only Adapter (name: 'VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter')

After configuration, test basic connectivity:

# From Windows host:
ping 192.168.56.103

# From VM (if accessible):
ping 192.168.56.1

If manual configuration doesn't resolve the issue, try adding a persistent route:

# Open Command Prompt as Administrator
route -p add 192.168.56.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.56.1

Verify the route exists:

route print

Ensure Windows Firewall allows traffic:

# Create an inbound rule for Apache traffic
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Apache Inbound" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=80 remoteip=192.168.56.0/24

If host-only proves problematic, consider bridged networking:

# In VM settings:
Adapter 1: Bridged Adapter (name: [your physical network adapter])

This makes the VM appear as another device on your physical network.