Connect Windows VM to network *without* OS X joining network?

[jkozlow3]

How can I have just my Windows VM join the network and not OS X? Even when using Bridged networking in Fusion, OS X gets a network connection first.

Is there a way to basically disable Airport and/or Ethernet in OS X and then have the Windows VM connect to the network separately as if it were a standalone machine? I will mostly be using a hardwired/ethernet connection when I am at the client's office and I can't put an OS X machine on their network.

Please help!

[ehendrix]

For Airport:

1. Get the MAC address for your Airport (System Preferences -> Network -> Airport -> Advanced)

2. Add a new NIC for your VM as Bridged, set it to bind to your Airport and then set the MAC address (under Advanced) to be the same as the MAC address for your Airport.

3. Set your Aiport not to get an IP-address. (System Preferences -> Network -> Airport -> Advanced -> TCP/IP)

4. Ensure you are connected to the Wi-Fi network from the Airport but you did not get an IP-address. So OSX itself is not on the network.

5. Now start your VM. You will now see that your VM does receive an IP address as you have been authenticated to the WiFi from that MAC address since your VM is using the same MAC address as your Airport.

For ethernet, just have a NIC in the VM bound to your ethernet on the Mac so that it is not as auto-detect (similar to step 2 except you do not need to set the MAC address). Then set your ethernet in OSX no to get an IP-address (see step 3 but then for your ethernet). So step 1 and step 4 are not required. When you start your VM it will get an IP address.

I tried both solutions and they both work, enjoy.

[jkozlow3]

Thanks ehendrix. I'm having a little trouble with step #3 however.

Are you saying on the TCP/IP page of Network Preferences to set the IPv4 and IPv6 to "off" instead of DHCP & Automatically? I tried this and Airport turns off. I can then turn Airport back on manually on the main page, but it won't reconnect to my network and I have no internet connectivity inside the VM.

If you could elaborate on step #3 I would greatly appreciate it. Is there another way to tell it not to obtain an IP address aside from setting IPv4 to "off"?

[jkozlow3]

Thanks ehendrix. I'm having a little trouble with step #3 however.

Are

you saying on the TCP/IP page of Network Preferences to set the IPv4

and IPv6 to "off" instead of DHCP & Automatically? I tried this and

Airport turns off. I can then turn Airport back on manually on the

main page, but it won't reconnect to my network and I have no internet

connectivity inside the VM.

If you could elaborate on step

#3 I would greatly appreciate it. Is there another way to tell it not

to obtain an IP address aside from setting IPv4 to "off"?

[ehendrix]

You indeed set the internet connection for IPv4 and IPv6 to Off so that OSX does not try to go out and get an IP-address. Airport might disconnect but you should then be able to connect back to your wireless. With doing this, OSx will not get an IP and thus not be connected to the network.

Make sure that the NIC settings for your VM are set to Bridged to the Airport and that in the Advanced settings for this NIC you entered the MAC address (Airport ID) from your Airport. Make sure the number you type there is correct otherwise it won't work.

[jkozlow3]

I've done all that, but when I try to turn airport back on, it just keeps popping up with my saved wifi connection but never connects after clicking "connect". It doesn't seem to like having IPv4/IPv6 set to off.

[ehendrix]

Sorry,

Not sure what to tell you. I just tried this again.

I set both IPv4 and IPv6 to Off for my Airport, I connected the virtual NIC I had setup with the Airport MAC address and bridged to the Airport to my VM, did a connect again to the wireless network. It now shows in OSX that my Airport is connected but it does not have an IP address. In my VM however I am connected to the network now. Since I have only Wi-Fi it is going through the Airport.

My WiFi connection uses PEAP authentication, so maybe this has something to do with it?

[tjfear]

EDIT: Refer to post below. Didn't see this one went through.

[tjfear]

I've been wanting this same setup for awhile and tried the steps you suggested.

I too can not get it to connect, so it must be something to do with your PEAP settings. I can turn the Airpot IPv4 and v6 off, but then it will not hop back onto the network because it keeps telling me the password is wrong. Maybe having those extra authentication settings allows you into the network without receiving an IP Address?

EDIT: I will also add, that when looking at my network on my gateway web-portal (2wire with Uverse), the Windows machine shows up, but the network type is undetected when in Airport Bridged mode. I'm assuming this is also a problem since no signal is actually going to the device because it doesn't know if it is a wired or wireless connection. In NAT, everything is detected fine.

[jkozlow3]

Those are the same symptoms I have as well.

[ehendrix · Accepted solution]

So I just tried this at home and it is indeed also not working for me. My guess is that this might be a difference between WPA2 and 802.1x authentication or so.

Either way, the original poster stated that he will mainly use hardwire at the client and this will work since there is no authentication as there is with wireless. Just create a VM Nic as bridged and linked to the ethernet on your Mac and then turn IPv4 and IPv6 off.

I think the conclusion we can draw is that this does work with Ethernet, only works with WiFi if authentication is through 802.1x or at least with PEAP.

[jkozlow3]

^ True. Thanks for your help!