---
layout: docs
page_title: Basic Usage - Networking
description: |-
  Vagrant offers multiple options for how you are able to connect your
  guest machines to the network, but there is a standard usage pattern as
  well as some points common to all network configurations that
  are important to know.
---

# Basic Usage of Networking

Vagrant offers multiple options for how you are able to connect your
guest machines to the network, but there is a standard usage pattern as
well as some points common to all network configurations that
are important to know.

## Configuration

All networks are configured within your [Vagrantfile](/vagrant/docs/vagrantfile/)
using the `config.vm.network` method call. For example, the Vagrantfile
below defines some port forwarding:

```ruby
Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  # ...
  config.vm.network "forwarded_port", guest: 80, host: 8080
end
```

Every network type has an identifier such as `"forwarded_port"` in the above
example. Following this is a set of configuration arguments that can differ
for each network type. In the case of forwarded ports, two numeric arguments
are expected: the port on the guest followed by the port on the host that
the guest port can be accessed by.

## Multiple Networks

Multiple networks can be defined by having multiple `config.vm.network`
calls within the Vagrantfile. The exact meaning of this can differ for
each [provider](/vagrant/docs/providers/), but in general the order specifies
the order in which the networks are enabled.

## Enabling Networks

Networks are automatically configured and enabled after they've been defined
in the Vagrantfile as part of the `vagrant up` or `vagrant reload` process.

## Setting Hostname

A hostname may be defined for a Vagrant VM using the `config.vm.hostname`
setting. By default, this will modify `/etc/hosts`, adding the hostname
on a loopback interface that is not in use. For example:

```ruby
Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  # ...
  config.vm.hostname = "myhost.local"
end
```

will add the entry `127.0.X.1 myhost myhost.local` to `/etc/hosts`.

A public or private network with an assigned IP may be flagged for hostname.
In this case, the hostname will be added to the flagged network. Note, that
if there are multiple networks only one may be flagged for hostname. For
example:

```ruby
Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  # ...
  config.vm.hostname = "myhost.local"
  config.vm.network "public_network", ip: "192.168.0.1", hostname: true
  config.vm.network "public_network", ip: "192.168.0.2"
end
```

will add the entry `192.168.0.1 myhost myhost.local` to `/etc/hosts`.
