Host without net; Guest with net; Possible? [Maybe...]

[markfilipak2]

The subject about says it all, except why I would want such a crazy thing... Hahahaha.

I don't trust Windows with an Internet connection. (I've heard rumors that I'm not alone! - smile!) So I want to run Windows completely local - no networking at all!

But I want to browse the Internet and send & receive email. So I want to run Linux in a VM. But of course that VM needs to have networking installed.

So, no networking in the Windows host, but networking installed in the Linux guest.

Now, I can imagine a way it could be made possible (networking as a special device about which Windows is ignorant), but from a practical standpoint, is it possible? - has it been done?

Notice that Linux host with net & Windows guest without net is not an option. Windows must be the host and Linux must be the guest. Why? Because I will be in Windows most of the time and my engineering & video applications require all of the system resources, so I can't run them inside a VM.

Thanks all. Ciao - Mark (whose off now to have his head examined).

[noteirak]

1. Disable any TCP/IP stack in the settings of the host NIC - see my attached screenshot.
2. Set VM NIC as bridged on your physical NIC
3. It works!

[markfilipak2]

Thanks, but that only appears to work. Networking is still installed in the Windows host. As a result, the Windows port listeners are there, both the known ones and the unknown ones. Also as a result, paths into the kernel are there. No, the Windows host cannot have networking installed.

Edit...

Wait a minute... You're right. Wonderful! You're brilliant. Thank you so very much.

More edit...

Do you realize how powerful this will be? A VM guest with Internet access that can be started and disposed of independent of the host, which does not have Internet access.

More edit...

Actually, to be sure, I'm going to kill the TCPIP service running in the host. Just disabling TCP/IP for the user might not be enough. I'll be back in a few days with the result. Stay tuned...

[jorgensen]

You could have a firewall to block internet access for the hosts IP address.

[noteirak]

Wait a minute... You're right. Wonderful! You're brilliant. Thank you so very much.

You didn't read point 3, did you

Do you realize how powerful this will be? A VM guest with Internet access that can be started and disposed of independent of the host, which does not have Internet access.

It's neat "trick" yes, that's magic of the stacks in networking, you never need them all if you don't want to.

Actually, to be sure, I'm going to kill the TCPIP service running in the host. Just disabling TCP/IP for the user might not be enough. I'll be back in a few days with the result. Stay tuned...

AFAIK there is no such service. They are helpers, but no direct tcp/ip stack service, but I could be wrong on this one. As long as the user is not administrator or UAC is on, there is no problem like this.

[markfilipak2]

You didn't read point 3, did you

Oops! I did. Forgive me. That first response was sort of 'stream of conscientiousness'. Over the years I've found some well-meaning folks say things based on notions, not testing. Besides that, I don't trust Microsoft Windows and I don't trust my own knowledge because the OS seems to hide so many things. I'm probably just being paranoid.