[Novalug] Advance virtual TCP/IP networking question

[DonJr]

OK I've been experimenting in setting up a Local/Virtual network on my
host.
  What I want is a internal{to the host} network to hang/connect Virtual
Machines off of that will be able to talk to each other and to the host
through the tcp/udp protocols.

This is how far I've gotten so far:
   I'm using the following additional packages so far:
       vde2, libdeplug2, daemon
       qemu  {and related}
       VirtualBox   {the binary version}
       firestarter   {although I've already had to edit it manually}
       dnsmasq       {for both local DNS and DHCP services}

/etc/network/interface:
   # The loop back network interface
   auto lo
   iface lo inet loopback

   # The primary network interface
   auto eth0
   iface eth0 inet dhcp

   # # My virtual local network
   auto qtap0
   iface qtap0 inet static
        address 192.168.154.1
        netmask 255.255.255.0
        VDE2_SWITCH -
      # trigger my addition to make "vdeqemu -net vde" work,
      #  adds a pair of missing links to /var/run
        VDEQEMU qtap0
    ##  VDE2_SLIRP -network 192.168.154.0 -dhcp

Note there is also an as of yet undefined at this level WIRELESS
interface. Although for the host's only usage it does function and
functions far better then any M$ setup that I ever dealt with in the
past.

I tried "slirpvde", but didn't like it plus it won't do all that I want.
And you cannot set up a way to communicate between the HOST and the
Private LAN.

Think of my "qtap0" as being something like VmWare's vmnet1 or vmnet8,
depending on other factors.

So far I can hang one or more "vdeqemu" virtual machines off the Private
LAN and they talk to each other, the HOST and through masquerading the
outside world.

I read documentation both local and on the Internet until I can't see
straight and I still cannot figure out how to make a TAP to connect a
VirtualBox machine onto it.

Where I'm currently using the above setup VirtualBox's "nat" network
support won't do what I want, plus causes other problems.
And they don't go far enough in explaining how to setup "host
networking" as they define it.

So how do I make a TAP{connection} to the above qtap0 (vde_switch)
network and tell VirtualBox to use that connection?

Note none of the "bridge type" descriptions that I've found on the
Internet has made any sense and/or functioned.

--  
 DonJr