I'm working with a VMware VM that's running Debian 13 (Trixie) and I've run into a networking issue. The VM boots up fine and I can access it through the VMware remote console. Using SSH from my desktop works for a short time—like when I run 'top'—but then I get an error saying "network Error: Software caused connection abort." After that, I can't reconnect via SSH, and no error messages show up. I have to disable and then re-enable the network in the VM's GUI to get it working for a few more minutes. It feels like the network card is going to sleep, but I'm not sure how to check that. Interestingly, when I can't connect via SSH, I can still ping the internet from the remote console. I've also tried reinstalling the virtual NIC, but that didn't help. What should I check next?
3 Answers
Focus on the type of virtual network your VM is using. Is it NAT, bridged, or something else? The connectivity issues might stem from how it interacts with the host's network. Also, ensure that your vSwitch is configured correctly.
First, check if your VM is using DHCP. There might be an issue with the DHCP lease timing out and causing the connection to drop. If it is set up with a static IP, make sure there’s no conflict with other devices on the network.
You mentioned you're using the VMXNET3 driver and have the latest VMware tools. That’s good! Since the problem started after upgrading to Debian 13, consider any changes in networking configurations or drivers that might not be compatible with the new version.

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