Segregating lab Hyper-V environment using NAT Switch network

Question

I'm creating a Hyper-V lab network on my machine and wanted them to have internet access as well as communication to each other in the lab. I used Powershell to create a new NAT switch for the ethernet adapter and all works as expected. My lab machines are on the same subnet and can talk to each other and have external internet access.

My question is how can I ensure that my lab machines can't affect my home machines? I can ping other machines in my home network from lab machines which concerns me that my lab could possibly send out DHCP IPs, other settings, or viruses to my home machines.

Sorry new to this and want to learn how to ensure the separation of the two networks? Or is the only real way to separate the two is to only use the NAT switch when I absolutely need internet?

Thanks!

Answer 1

By having a proper router somewhere in front and putting the home network under the same style of NAT setup. That will mean you can not reach the home network from the lab.

That said, you do not ahve to worry about DHCP - DHCP is only local broadcast domain and does not cross routing (unless you use a forwarder which has to be excplicitly set up in the target network).