DNS request time out - virtual box environment

Hi I have the following:

DNS server server 2008 R2.

Multiple clients all running 2008R2, all configured to point at DNS server on ~.09 address.

NSLOOKUP fails for from all clients.

I have run a repair on the TCP stack 

Set the order to be IPv4 above IPv6

I can ping the DNS server ok from the clients

Checked firewalls and they are all disabled

Checked / unchecked the suffix setting

But still getting:

DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
Server:  UnKnown
Address:  <ipaddress>

DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
*** Request to UnKnown timed-out

Driving me insane.