Cannot enable VMware Bridge Protocol on my Broadband card

[dplema]

Hi Folks!

Quick little problem I am having that I'm wondering if anyone else has run into and resolved.

First, on my old D630 with XP, I had VMware Workstation 6.5.2 installed and was able to configure the networking to:

1. use the wireless card (at a hotel) to VPN into Dell and

2. concurrently run a VM that used the Broadband card to be able to get out without VPN'ing in.

So two different internet connections with two different purposes; one for my laptop, one for the vm running on my laptop.

Now I have a new laptop with Windows7 and Workstation 7.1.3.  I've noticed that the built in Broadband card does NOT have the VMware Bridge Protocol enabled and I therefore cannot select a dedicated vmnic mapped to it for my VM.

So the solution (I thought) would be to enable the protocol.  Sounds easy right?  Wrong, once I select the protocol, VMware Workstation tells me to disable it (see attached error).

Any ideas?

[continuum]

enabling bridged-protocol for a nic that does not have it installed is not trivial.

It can be done manually if you are ready to use regedit.

I would uninstall WS - and re-install it with all nics connected - this usually should enable it.

[dplema]

@contiuum

Thanks for the info.  My problem is not that the bridge protocol isn't installed.....it IS installed per the pic.  My problem is enabling it.

I've already uninstalled and reinstalled Workstation and I've been removing and reinstalling the netbridge.inf service within windows.

However, I have no qualms about going into the registry and trying something.  Let me know what key(s) you are speaking of and I'll give it a shot!

[continuum]

open regedit and export HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetBridge
attach the export

then we can have a look

the vmware_bridge protocol can only be enabled or disabled hostwide
if you want to control it per nic you have to do it manually

[dplema]

OK, attached .reg file

Thanks again for your help!  I've got a bunch of folks who want to get this working

[continuum]

Hi
that registry settings are incomplete which tells me that you have not yet disabled the "automatic bridging" feature - you MUST do that - it is defunct.

So check with vmnetcfg.exe and assign vmnet0 to first physical nic, vmet2 to second physical nic, vmet3 to third ... and so on

[dplema]

Makes sense as I've been making so many changes lately....will diagnose and post back with a new reg entry once I get it back to disabling automatic bridging.

[dplema]

OK, So I've used the "Restore Default" in the virtual network editor.

Come to find out that before I did that, Automatic Bridging was NOT enabled.  After "Restore Default", it IS enabled.

That said, I've attached the latest reg dump and some print screens....

[dplema]

And Automatic Networking is not being used...everything is manually assigned.

[continuum]

what is the service instance ID for the broadband card ?
look for a registry key like HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\{82621D82-1250-4C13-85B8-BBFBDC7FA633}

[dplema]

Hello,

sorry for the delayed response!

The service ID for the broadband card is:

B1925234-18E6-4F14-A9C7-C3D0B916DC79

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\{B1925234-18E6-4F14-A9C7-C3D0B916DC79}]

[dplema]

Also, just performed the following in this order:

1. Uninstalled VMware Workstation
2. Reboot
3. Connect to the broadband card network
4. Install VMware Workstation
5. Reboot
6. Connect to the broadband card network
7. Try to enable VMware Bridge Protocol.
8. Same error that I started this post with.

:smileyangry:GRRRrrrrrr!!!!:smileyangry:

[continuum]

can you use the instance ID of the broadband card to edit the registry settings for bridged directly ?

and I would seriously consider to upgrade to version 6.5.5

[dplema]

@continuum

I'd be happy to give it a shot.  Although I'm not sure what reg keys I need to modify?  Can you assist?

Secondly, "upgrade" to 6.5.5?  I'm using VMware Workstation 7.1.3  Did you mean downgrade or something else?

Thanks!

[continuum]

this is all undocumented stuff - if you want assistance call me via skype and give me access via teamviewer 5

I doubt I can do anything good via this forum  - this is stuff I need to see myself

> Did you mean downgrade or something else?

No - I call installing something that is supposed to be better than what I have now an upgrade.
And so for me changing from 7.1 back to 6.5.5 was definetely an upgrade

[dplema]

lol!

Shoot me an email:

dplema@comcast.net

I'll install TeamViewer now....

[dplema]

oh, and I don't have Skype....sorry

[continuum]

please just run this one
http://www.teamviewer.com/download/version_5x/TeamViewerQS.exe

no need to install anything

[dplema]

see attached

screenshot removed by moderator continuum

[continuum]

don 't post login details here - the can be too easily abused

I'll send you an email in about an hour - then I have time for you

Ulli