Mac Host / Windows 7 Guest ~ Networking issues

[Helmut J]

Hello

Let me start off by saying how much I love virtualbox, and running Windows 7 therein. It actually operates and performs more efficiently than it's sluggish Mac host with only 2GB of the 8GB memory allocated!

I have been running WIndows 7 on my I-Mac (Version 10.7.5) with the utmost pleasure. Accessing shared folders on my Mac and printing to my printer using the USB connectivity has bever been a problem.

Recently I decided to simplify things try and keep the printer on the host, and simply share the printer so that WIndows 7 can print through that network. This has been a bit of a nightmare, and I have tried all situations on the net as well as Bonjour which I later found out is redundant for use with Windows 7. Basically it appears I do not have access to the network which hosts the printer on the Mac side.

Also, I am unable to share my Macintosh HD drive to my guest... I can only share folders within the HD which I thought may be the cause of my printing problem as well? How do I go about sharing my main host HD or network so it shows up as the vboxsrv drive?

I can sometimes see the network in the guest but it won't allow me to access it and I have no idea how to. My printer sharing is enabled in the host, and both host and guest have the correct printer drivers installed.

Heeeelp Pleeeease.

I have found a temporary solution using google chrome's cloud printing solution. Seems to work quite nicely, but you obviously have to have chrome on both host and guest and signed into your account on both sides as well.

[BillG]

Are you using the default network setting of NAT? File and printer sharing is usually easier if the two machines are in the same network and the same IP subnet. Sharing between Windows and Mac is always trickier than Windows to Windows or Mac to Mac but is pretty well established these days.

Sharing drives rather than folders is not something I have any desire to do (and do not do ever). This has no effect on printer sharing. The printer is only interested in the file it has to print.

[Helmut J]

I am using bridged networking, but have tried to use NAT as well. All default settings.

Printer is the Samsung 3405F.

[BillG]

If you are using bridged networking, file sharing should work just as it does between two physical machines in the same network. In other words, it is a Mac/Windows sharing problem with nothing to do with VirtualBox. I don't use a Mac, so I can't help you with that. Perhaps you could try an OSX forum.

[Helmut J]

Cool. Thanks anyway.