# Setting a two-node private network
**URL:** https://forum.algorand.co/t/setting-a-two-node-private-network/1608
**Category:** General
**Created:** [May 2, 2020, 7:13am UTC](https://forum.algorand.co/t/setting-a-two-node-private-network/1608 "2020-05-02T07:13:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kctam](https://forum.algorand.co/u/kctam)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 7:13am UTC](https://forum.algorand.co/t/setting-a-two-node-private-network/1608/1 "2020-05-02T07:13:40Z")
There’s a tutorial setting a private network in a node, with Primary and Node two “nodes” running as two directories and in two processes when brought up in a single machine. I am doing similar thing but into two physical nodes (VMs), **Primary** on one VM and **Node** on another.
What I am doing is to create the net1. Then replicate this directory to another VM.
In **Primary** VM, I remove net1/Node directory and bring up the network as `goal network start -r net1`. I mark the [algod-listen.net](http://algod-listen.net).
In **Node** VM, I bring up the node with `goal node start -d net1/Node -p ""`.
Both processes are running (in each VM). However I didn’t see sync between Primary and Node.
Kindly let me know if anything is missed here, OR any good document showing how to bring up a private network across two VMs.
Thanks in advance. cheers, kc
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### Author:  [@rfustino](https://forum.algorand.co/u/rfustino)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.algorand.co/t/setting-a-two-node-private-network/1608/2 "2020-05-18T18:17:06Z")
Can you expand more on “I didn’t see a sync between Primary and Node”. I am trying to re-create your scenario. Are both VMs on the same network? Also, what is the use case for using Private network across VMs? Just curious on that one, vs two TestNet nodes?
I have confirmed you can run on separate machines but you have to create a record for lookups like described in the phonebook here
[https://developer.algorand.org/docs/reference/node/artifacts/#phonebookjson](https://developer.algorand.org/docs/reference/node/artifacts/#phonebookjson)
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### Author:  [@kctam](https://forum.algorand.co/u/kctam)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://forum.algorand.co/t/setting-a-two-node-private-network/1608/3 "2020-05-18T23:36:01Z")
Hi @rfustino,
Thanks for your reply. It is more for studying “how things work”. From the one-vm-private-network tutorial I observe that the two “nodes” are in fact two processes in a VM, reaching each other. Therefore I am thinking how to make them into two VMs such that it’s more simulating the real network.
The observation is that, once I put the Primary and Node into two VM, the blockchain is not growing up, which is different from what happens in one VM situation (block keeps increasing). Therefore I think they are not synced (guess it’s not the right term).
Guess phonebook is the right direction for me. I will explore this and try to setup.
Thanks again.
kc