virtualbox.org

I have installed Windows XP as a Guest OS under my MacOS host system. I have successfully Installed the VirtualBox Guest Additions and changed from the NAT adapter to the Bridged adapter.
I only want to use the Guest OS to install and use some Windows only applications like SQL Server etc....I want to be able to access these applications from the host Mac using the computer name e.g. winxp-guest:1433 etc . This is just an example I also want to install some other servers etc to access them from my Mac applications.

Here are the issues I am having :-

1) When I go to 'My Network Places' on Windows XP - I can see the my MacBook's shared folder on there. However, I cannot access them when I double click on them.
2) I have enabled the C:/ on my Windows XP - enabled File and Print Sharing. But still cant see the Windows Machine appear in the Mac Sidebar under 'Shared'. My assumption is I should see the XP machine appear on the Sidebar if Mac can see it.

Any ideas how the above issues can be resolved?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Sorry I have no anwser. I'm not attempting to hijack your thread either but just like you, I am also trying to have servers in the guest (XP) visible to the host (Mac OS X). I would also like to succeed in making the host servers visible to the guest... in case the people who reply to anujg have the information on how to do one way and the other.

perhaps http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29990

OK. I've suceeded in going both ways: the Mac OS host can access the Windows XP guest and vice-versa.

I've browsed through the web, the user guide and the settings window. Here is a summary of my experiments.

Just use "bridged" as the network adapter. This provided the guest with an IP address from the local network (192.168.49.49, similar to the Mac host's address of 192.168.49.32). At one point, I could ping the host from the guest, but couldn't ping from host to guest. Reason: the Windows firewall deactivates ICMP.

So I guess using the appropriate exceptions will make the guest visible and reachable. Which is the case now for me.

I am still facing a problem because the local network uses DHCP: I want to refer to the guest and host using hostnames (macos.local and win.local) and not IP addresses. I've already configured each hosts file (/private/etc/hosts on Mac OS and C:\windows\systems32\drivers\etc\hosts) so that each responds to the name I want it to have. However, I can't make one refer to the other with the names because the addresses are dynamic. I don't really like the idea of having to update the files. I haven't found yet whether there is a VirtualBox magic trick to help.

Last thing, instead of setting the network card mode to bridged, I added a second card, Intel PRO/1000 T Server, that I set to bridged. When I disabled the first card, the VM refused to launch due to an error. Same thing when I moved the second card to the first position. So I had to revert to the two cards config although I only need one.

I am still facing a problem because the local network uses DHCP: I want to refer to the guest and host using hostnames (macos.local and win.local) and not IP addresses. I've already configured each hosts file (/private/etc/hosts on Mac OS and C:\windows\systems32\drivers\etc\hosts) so that each responds to the name I want it to have. However, I can't make one refer to the other with the names because the addresses are dynamic. I don't really like the idea of having to update the files. I haven't found yet whether there is a VirtualBox magic trick to help.

That's because it has nothing to do with VirtualBox. Go into the guests network settings and configure a static network address in the same address scheme and then update your host records.