How can I setup a static IP address for my Debian Virtual Machine?

Question

I have already set a static IP for a virtual machine in a private network in my school's laboratory. However, if I follow the same steps at home I cannot set a static IP for my Debian Virtual Machine.

My etc/network/interfaces file is configured like this:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.59
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.254

Once I restart my machine, and after I type ifconfig in the terminal, I see that my IP address is 192.168.1.59, but I cannot ping any website, such as google.com. I get a message that reads 'unknown host google.com'.

What should I do to set a static IP address then?

I will thank you for any help you can provide.

Solution

The host was unreachable because no DNS server was specified.

The configuration file must be the following (as long as your gateway and nameserver have the same IP address)

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.59
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.254
dns-nameservers 192.168.1.254