Installing Microsot Loopback Adapter Before Installing Oracle or SQL Server

If you’re going to use Oracle Database or SQL Server in a local environment or in virtual machines, make sure you install Microsfot Loopback Adapter first before you even try to install Oracle and SQL Server. Typically, the computer on which you want to install Oracle Database is connected to the network. While doing an installation, both Oracle and SQL Server will check what the current IP of the current computer is, and use this IP in several places in its installation. While this itself isn’t a problem, it might still cause *some* trouble after installation if:

1. You had DHCP dynamically assign new IP for your computer
2. You want to run database server locally in a non-networked computer but was connected to the network while you were installing Oracle or SQL Server.

What you need is the Microsoft Loopback adapter. The Microsoft Loopback adapter is a tool that can be used for:

1. Virtual network environment where network access is not available
2. Assigning a fake constant IP to be used by Oracle or SQL Server installation

How To Install Microsoft Loopback Adapter

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2. If you are in Classic view, click Switch to Category View under Control Panel in the left pane.

3. Double-click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Next.

4. Under See Also in the left pane, click Add Hardware,and then click Next.

5. Click Yes, I have already connected the hardware, and then click Next.

6. At the bottom of the list, click Add a new hardware device, and then click Next.

7. Click Install the hardware that I manually select from a list, and then click Next.

8. Click Network adapters, and then click Next.

9. In the Manufacturer box, click Microsoft
.
10. In the Network Adapter box, click Microsoft Loopback Adapter, and then click Next.

11. Click Finish.

After installation, you will usually get a new network connection known as Local Area Network Connection 2. Right click on it and select properties. Browse down the list, select Internet Protocol(TCP/IP) and click properties. You will then need to insert a fake constant IP address since that’s the whole point of installing the loopback adapter. I usually just use the default 255.255.255.0 as the subnet mask.

If you are using this then do NOT specify dhcp assigned address, use 192.168.1.1 as the IP address and 255.255.255.0 as the subnet mask. This is a standard RFC1918 non-routed IP address so shouldn’t clash with any dial-up address you may be given by an ISP.

In my experience, Orale and SQL Server always looks for the IP address of the computer while doing an installation. I’m not sure whether MySQL does this as well but so far I’ve never had problem with MySQL since I always use a package known as Xampp which have Apache, PHP and MySQL prebundled together.