Recommendations please

[tinyang]

Hi all.  I am not new to VMware, I've been using the free server version for years as a self education tool to run different OSes.  But now I find myself with a new situation at work I need to try to figure out.

They want to buy a Mac Book Pro which will be used as a field machine, not connected to the company network.  They want to run a windows virtual machine on the Mac Book Pro which will be a corporate controlled IT machine and will need network access.  Is there any way to allow the windows machine network access without having the Mac interacting on the network?

Can we lock down the ethernet port as being in use only for the VM?  Or should I have the VM connect to the network through the wireless card and disable the wireless connection for the Mac Book Pro?

Thanks for any helpful input.

[ColoradoMarmot]

The Mac will have to have access to some network.  Then you can run VPN software inside the VM to allow it, but not the Mac, to connect to the company network.

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

It is very simple to have the Virtual Machine connected to the Network while disallowing the Host.

Set the Virtual Machine's Network Adapter to Bridged.

On the Mac set its Network Adapter to "Using DHCP with manual address" and set the IP Address to a 169.254.xxx.zzz Address.  This will allow the Virtual Machine to receive an IP Address from the Physical LAN's DHCP Server or to manually configure it on the Host's Physical LAN while disallowing other connectivity for the Host to interact.

[ColoradoMarmot]

Hadn't thought of that as a workaround - good idea!  Not sure if you can lock it down so that the OSX user can't reenable it though (i.e. is network settings protected against modification by non-admin OSX users?)

[WoodyZ]

Hadn't thought of that as a workaround - good idea!

BTW On a Windows Host this is easily done by unchecking all but the VMware Bridge Protocol on the General tab of the Network Adapters Properties.

Not sure if you can lock it down so that the OSX user can't reenable it though (i.e. is network settings protected against modification by non-admin OSX users?)

On a Mac, you have to be an Administrator you modify Network Settings otherwise you get the following message when typing a non admin account name and password: