SSH into VirtualBox Guest: Connection Refused

Are you sure the IP is for the guest OS. I had the same problem and it turned out that the IP I had been using all along, the 192.168.56.101 was actually the Windows interface IP and the host OS IP was 192.168.56.103.

You can verify by doing ipconfig / ifconfig on both.

NOTE: I had also setup a static IP which it turns out I didn't need at all. In case you try from the start I found this tutorial to be better.

None of the other solutions are good because:

1. There is no point to ssh to your guest via bridge if the guest will loose access to internet
2. All the other solutions above tell you to build a rocket to cross the road.

Scenario

• Host Ubuntu Desktop 16.04
• Guest Ubuntu Server 16.04 (Running on Virtual box 5)

Problem

SSH connection refused

Solution

1. Shut your guest Ubuntu down
2. On Virtualbox go to Setting>network>Adapter1>Advanced>Portforwarding
3. Name=SSH Hostport=2022 (or any port but 22) Guestport(22)
4. Reboot your guest
5. On you host open a Putty or whatever you use for SSH
6. ssh [email protected] -p2022 (or any port you mentioned as hostport)
7. Have fun you are in

You should check that your guest OS firewall is not blocking incoming connections on port 22.