USB WIFI - Doesn't function well in VM - Please read :)

[PowerHungry]

Hi,

Vmware 8.x

Host is Win7, Gues is Win7.

I need an isolated Guest VM and it must use its own USB WIFI to connect to wireless networks.

I have some serious issues with any USB WIFI dongle I connect to my guest.

I have tried about 4 different USB WIFI dongles from different manufacturers connected to the guest os.

It seem to work well sometimes, but more often than not, it reports it cannot connect to wireless networks, and I need to try sometimes 10 times to connect until it can connect. Sometimes it would connect well, but would show no internet connection. Other time it would connect fine but may disconnect after a few minutes. Sometimes need to spend about 2 hours just tryting to connect to wireless networks from my guest VM just to get about 10 minutes of interuppted surfing. It really is unpredictable and I was unable to characterize the problematic pattern, it seems random to me.

Before you offer the obvious solutions, here's what I already did:

- Tried to run the Win7 VM Guest on 3 different laptops.

- Tried 5 different USB WIFI dongles from different manufacturers, they are all acting up strangely.

- Tried to connect to at least 10 different WIFI Hotspots! All produce the same unpredictable connection problems. So it's not a router specific problem.

- When I try the same USB WIFI dongles in the HOST system (of course disabling the internal wifi card first), they all work perfectly fine! So the problem is only when they are operating under the VM Guest, in which they are acting up making it impossible to work.

I know this thing is crazy!

Other USB stuff like external HD and USB sticks seems to work just fine on the VM guest. It's just that for some completely unexplained reason any WIFI USB dongle I connect to the guest is acting up, randomly causing connection problems, making it really impossible to work. Sometimes I need to spend about 2 hours of taking out the USB and reinserting, restarting the VM etc...etc.. only to get a good connection for 10 minutes before things are messed up again. And that's on 2 different computers from different manuacturers.

So far I spent dozens of hours trying to fix it, but just couldn't.

I'm desperate.

I promise honestly I'll pay $100 if someone can come up with a solution that would cure the problem.

Thanks

Rick

[yurikus]

Here's an attempt:

Hardware required:

1. motherboard with at least two Ethernet contollers or an addon 3c905C

2. extra router set to AP mode.

set your VM to use a dedicated Ethernet controller and connect its jack to a dedicated router, as a result you get a fully hardware-based separate network.

EDIT: Unless I misunderstood and you actually need WiFi exposed to the VM.

[sakibpavel]

Please make sure that you have install the wifi USB dongle driver in your host. Also make sure that you have bridge mode between your host and guest and USB dongle are insert in host not in guest.

Sakibpavel

[PowerHungry]

Thanks guys but it doesn't solve the problem.

@yurikus : It needs to be via WIFI as explained in the post, not ethernet.

@sakibpavel : The USB dongle MUST be inserted in the Guest NOT host. It should be totally isolated from the host system. We are talking total isolation from the host. Any USB dongle be it WIFI, HDs, Flashdrive etc.. when connected to the USB port it and configured to work only through the VM guest, is working just like that. The only problem I encountered is with WIFI USB, and as I thoroughly explained in the post, the problem is random, i.e. disconnects, unreliable communications etc..

[PowerHungry]

Any help anyone please?

[yurikus]

Have you thought about an add-on (PCI or PCIe) WiFi card?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Des...

[continuum]

> Have you thought about an add-on (PCI or PCIe) WiFi card?

and what would that help ? - OP wants WIFI inside the guest so adding a PCI-card to the host will acchieve nothing.

@ OP
I would use WS 7.1.4 instead of WS 8.
WS 8 has a buggy USB-support

[yurikus]

I disagree - OP says USB WiFi is flaky, my suggestion is to have a PCIe WiFi, which should be better.

[continuum]

and how would you access that device from a guest ???

[yurikus]

Like this?

I can't show images inline because forum works like this, or I'm a n00b here?

[continuum]

you are kidding arent you ?

that approach will appear as Vlance,VMXnet or E1000 inside the guest but not as a Wireless device.
Also keep in mind that automatic bridging only works on hosts with just one device

[yurikus]

I stand corrected .. it would not be exposed as a WiFi card.

[Kopierkatze]

You may try some USB-over-Ethernet software. It may help, if the implementation of VMWare's USB-redirection causes the trouble.

http://www.eltima.com/products/usb-over-ethernet/

This is just one example, and it explicitly mentions support for virtual machines (though any USB-over-Ethernet solution should work).

[continuum]

Yes - we are aware of that option.L

But if someone wants USB-wireless inside a VM on a notebook such a solution is not suitable.

Somehow like hiring a Learjet when all you want is a taxi to the next station

[Kopierkatze]

Ulli Hankeln schrieb:

But if someone wants USB-wireless inside a VM on a notebook such a solution is not suitable.

Why's that?

You can't change VMWare's (maybe faulty) implementation, so this is the only other option you have to get USB devices into your virtual machine.

I run lots of heavy-weight applications on my notebook (MATLAB, VMWare Workstation, Adobe Photoshop, MS Visual Studio, ...).

Why shouldn't a notebook be able to run some rather lightweight USB redirection software?

[continuum]

sure you could use that
but if you use a laptop you move it around and if you want wireless support inside a guest you probably want to use it for VMs like Backtrack
scanning netwroorks.
In such a case USB redirection is not a practcal solution

[micdyr]

I have been trying to solve the same problem. According to VMware knowledgebase there is no support for a dedicated wlan adapter in VMware. It will always rely on a NAT or bridge connection through the host. As you note yourself it 'somewhat works' with a USB, but it is not reliable. I could really use the feature as well. I am using VMware Fusion on Mac and run WinXP and Win7 in a VM. I need the wifi for a number of wireless LAN survey tools.

[JasonAngelLLC]

Hi,

I am currently having the same issue. I did however find that if you disable and re-enable the Wireless Network Connection under Network Connections or Remove and Re-add the USB WiFi receiver from the VM it will connect immediatley ... well, at least for me for now.

I am using ESXi 4.1, Win7 guest. And, I too want to have wi-fi come into the VM.

Thanks,

Jason

[JasonAngelLLC]

It seems that the USB 2.0 cannot handle the amount of data pushed through it. I can stay connect forever if I don't surf or download over the USB 2.0 receiver. But, as soon as I stream radio and download a service pack I loose connection.

Has anyone tried USB 3.0 and Wi-Fi? My server can handle 3.0, but no the version of ESXi that supports 3.0.

Thanks,

Jason

[sparrowangelste]

correct jason, the usb 3 will be utilized at 2.0 speeds