VB on Mac OS X Host running Windows XP - Network very slow

[mrdo]

Host: Mac OS X Mavericks - 10.9.1
Guest: Windows XP (same issue with Windows 8.1)
VB version: 4.3.6 r91406

I'm wanting windows (any version, really) installed for the sole purpose of being able to play MSN games on my macbook pro.
I am able to open IE, go to zone (on the msn site) -- the main game I play is Spades. Spades launches, I can login, and connect to a game.
I can even play the game, but it is a multi-player game and the other players indicate how very very slow I am in playing... I can feel it too -- lots of sluggishness and lag compared to playing it on my pc. It's to the point that I get timed out for not playing in time and am bumped out of the game -- over and over.

I initially tried this with Windows 8/1 installed as a vm. Same problem there.
Then, I thought maybe it was a W 8.1 issue, because I'd never used that OS before - and the MSN games are a little older.
So, I made a second VM, this one just installing good old XP on it (with SP3).
Same exact problem.

I'd really like to get this working! I know it sounds trivial, but I seem to be a spades addict, and not being able to play it on my brand new macbook is killing me!!!

[socratis]

I hope you're still alive . Playing multi-player spades, on MSN, via IE, on a VirtualMachine, on your Mac... it is not trivial or usual.

But, to the point... You say network is slow. There are a gazillion factors that can affect this. Just to make sure that it is not a VirtualBox issue, have you tried any (let's say) large downloads from a site with a known fat pipe? Like, try to download 10.9.1 from Apple (http://support.apple.com/downloads/DL17 ... 10.9.1.dmg), once in your host, and a second time from your guest. Compare the times.

If you still have problems, post you configuration and info according to this article.