Networking with host computers physical nics

timharris777 · Post by **timharris777** » 23. Jan 2008, 18:25

It would be nice to be able to use one or more of the physical nics in the host computer instead of always having virtual nics. This would make it much easyer to use on older operating systems that do not support network bridging. For an example of this feature check out VirtualPC 2007 by Microsoft. I do not like their product, but, it does however have this feature that virtualbox does not.

Post by **JshWright** » 23. Jan 2008, 19:15

That works just fine in VBox.

Rather than setting up a bridge and mapping the host interface to tap0, map it to eth1 (or whatever host nic you want to give to the vm)

I use VBox on a couple boxes that way (if a box already has two nics, why not...)

~JW

Technologov · Post by **Technologov** » 23. Jan 2008, 20:21

JshWright:
>That works just fine in VBox.

Only under Linux.
Under Windows however, it cannot be done that straight-forward. Mainly because VirtualBox lacks any bridging logic.

timharris777: VirtualBox lacks bridging logic.

See: http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/18
I have proposed this solution, but it was rejected. VBox needs either bridging, or libpcap module.

It works fine on Linux, because Linux provides very powerful bridging software (bridge-utils).

-Technologov

Post by **JshWright** » 23. Jan 2008, 21:06

So shouldn't this suggestion be on microsoft's website?

Technologov · Post by **Technologov** » 23. Jan 2008, 21:25

JshWright: might be, but in proprietary world there is only one direction.

Developer ---> Users

Unlike the Open-Source model, where it looks more like:

Developer <--> Users

Exactly for this reason I work together with openSUSE team to improve virtualization support for openSUSE in general; All methods - and as fruit I hope to achieve graphical bridging setup (via Yast) in openSUSE 11.
This solution will help all players, because this solution gets it easier at the OS level.