Issue with VMNet8 and/or DNS configuration in VMWare Workstation 12

I set up a virtual private network by enabling VMNet8 in VMWare Workstation 12.5. The network entails an Active Directory domain controller (and DNS server role) installed with Windows Server 2012 R2. In addition, I have set up a SQL Server, an app server and a web server with Windows Server 2016.

I am unable to ping from the AD/DNS server to other servers, but the other way works.

All 4 servers have connectivity to the Internet, even though all of them have an exclamation mark superimposed over the network icon (in the taskbar).

I have assigned static IP addresses in succession, from 192.168.153.15 to 192.168.153.18. Using Virtual Network Editor, I enabled a Virtual Network Adapter VMNet8 with following properties:

• Type: NAT
• Subnet address of 192.168.153.0
• Gateway IP is set by default to 192.168.153.2

In the AD/DNS VM, following properties are set on the single network adapter:

• Static IP of 192.168.153.15
• subnet mask is 255.255.255.0
• Default gateway is 192.168.153.2
• Preferred DNS server is 127.0.0.1 (loopback address)
• Computer belongs to contoso.local domain (established by AD setup)

In the other VMs, following properties are set on the single network adapter:

• Static IP of 192.168.153.16, 192.168.153.17 and 192.168.153.18 (respectively)
• subnet mask is 255.255.255.0
• Default gateway is 192.168.153.2
• Preferred DNS server is 192.168.153.15 (IP of the AD/DNS server)
• Computer belongs to contoso.local domain (established by AD setup)

Firewall rules on the other VMs prevented any traffic flowing in or out of them. Since this is only a playground, I turned off the firewall at the scope of the domain network on all of them. This immediately allowed all the VMs to communicate with one another.

I should set up inbound/outbound rules for the specific routes, in the real world.