How to Share Internet Without Virtual Host Interface Connctn

[unni]

I have been using VirtualBox 2.0.4 till recently. Yesterday, I upgraded to 2.1.0. I have a Windows Vista host running Windows XP as guest. Till 2.0.4, the 'Virtual Box Host Interface' option was available both in the 'host network connections' and 'guest settings'. With that, I was able to access Internet simulataneously in both host and guest. I just had to enable 'Internet Connection Sharing' for the Virtual Box host interface (in the host).

With 2.1.0, the virtual host interface is not available. If I choose my physical interface as the host interface (in the VMs settings), I am able to access internet either only in the host or guest. I am using a WiMax connection for Internet. It has an antenna on the terrace. From the antenna, a LAN cable is connected to the LAN port. I need to login using user name and password before start browsing. If I login through host, I can access internet only in the host. If I login through guest, I can access internet only in guest.

I tried to create a virtual host interface using the command

VBoxManage.exe createhostif VirtualBoxHostInterface1

But it failed. Later I came to know from another thread that this command is now obsolete.

Then I gave the same MAC address to the VM. This time, even if I login to the connection through host, I can browse from the guest. But, once I start browsing in the guest, browsing in host won't work.

Please give me a solution for sharing the internet connection between the host and guest. Please note that my networking knowledge is very limited.

[Sasquatch]

For simple internet access, you should use NAT. If the authentication starts on the interface level and not with some kind of proxy application, this should work just fine.

[MartinHK]

Hi,

You wrote: "With 2.1.0, the virtual host interface is not available."

You are right, for this new version, we do not need the old "virtual host interface" anymore. On the Network settings of the VM, for "Attached to" you may still choose "Host Interface", but on the available "Host Interfaces", now you can use your network adapter directly.

If your host machines' network adapter is not included on "Host Interfaces", you may go to its properties on network settings, look for "VirtualBox Host Interface Networking Driver", choose it.

I love this new design. It makes the things much simpler, and for more than one VM, they can use the same "Host Interface" simultaneously.

Martin Lam

[unni]

Hi,

You wrote: "With 2.1.0, the virtual host interface is not available."

You are right, for this new version, we do not need the old "virtual host interface" anymore. On the Network settings of the VM, for "Attached to" you may still choose "Host Interface", but on the available "Host Interfaces", now you can use your network adapter directly.

If your host machines' network adapter is not included on "Host Interfaces", you may go to its properties on network settings, look for "VirtualBox Host Interface Networking Driver", choose it.

I love this new design. It makes the things much simpler, and for more than one VM, they can use the same "Host Interface" simultaneously.

Martin Lam

Thanks for pointing this out. But my problem seems to be somewhat different, which I feel is because of the type of internet connection.

For simple internet access, you should use NAT. If the authentication starts on the interface level and not with some kind of proxy application, this should work just fine.

Thanks for the quick reply. Sorry for this long delay in replying back. I was waiting for Christmas vacation to confirm one thing which I have given below.

I had tried NAT before going to the method of sharing which I mentioned in my first post. It didn't work for me. I thought it could be because of the Comodo Firewall I am using or because of some of the host Vista services which I had disabled ( I had disabled some of the services which were unnecessary for my use).

However, during the Christmas holidays, I went to my home. There, we have a DSL connection. With that connection, I was able to access internet through the guest Windows XP system directly using NAT. Today I came back to the place where I am the WiMax connection. Here, when I tried using the same VM without changing any settings, internet access didn't work.

So, it is clear that NAT doesn't work for some reason with the WiMax connection. But the same VM with the same settings worked with a DSL connection.

Please suggest any alternate method.

[Sasquatch]

Hi,

You wrote: "With 2.1.0, the virtual host interface is not available."

You are right, for this new version, we do not need the old "virtual host interface" anymore. On the Network settings of the VM, for "Attached to" you may still choose "Host Interface", but on the available "Host Interfaces", now you can use your network adapter directly.

If your host machines' network adapter is not included on "Host Interfaces", you may go to its properties on network settings, look for "VirtualBox Host Interface Networking Driver", choose it.

I love this new design. It makes the things much simpler, and for more than one VM, they can use the same "Host Interface" simultaneously.

Martin Lam

Thanks for pointing this out. But my problem seems to be somewhat different, which I feel is because of the type of internet connection.

For simple internet access, you should use NAT. If the authentication starts on the interface level and not with some kind of proxy application, this should work just fine.

Thanks for the quick reply. Sorry for this long delay in replying back. I was waiting for Christmas vacation to confirm one thing which I have given below.

I had tried NAT before going to the method of sharing which I mentioned in my first post. It didn't work for me. I thought it could be because of the Comodo Firewall I am using or because of some of the host Vista services which I had disabled ( I had disabled some of the services which were unnecessary for my use).

However, during the Christmas holidays, I went to my home. There, we have a DSL connection. With that connection, I was able to access internet through the guest Windows XP system directly using NAT. Today I came back to the place where I am the WiMax connection. Here, when I tried using the same VM without changing any settings, internet access didn't work.

So, it is clear that NAT doesn't work for some reason with the WiMax connection. But the same VM with the same settings worked with a DSL connection.

Please suggest any alternate method.

You can use Host Interface Networking, but with the old method (prior to 2.1.0) this does not work with wireless interfaces.
And as I stated before, you might need some sort of proxy setting in the Guest. Check your Host browser to see how the proxy is set there. If it's on auto-detect, disable that so there is absolutely no proxy set whatsoever. Now try to access the internet through the WiMax connection.