Win8.1 host, WinXp guest - how to limit network access

[tomte]

Hi!
I have virtualbox 4.3.20 on a Windows 8.1 host. I'm unfortunately in need of an older accounting software which doesn't work properly in compatibility mode. I decided therefore to install a guest Windows XP. All of that worked more or less flawless.

I do not need internet access in the guest, but I need to access my printer that is attached over network. Instead of securing all of windows xp I thought it might be an option to just allow this one printers IP and probably a shared folder. Is that doable? What is the correct way to do this?

Thanks for your help.

[socratis]

If you went with the defaults, then you have one and only one network card which is attached to 'NAT' (VM Settings, Network, Adapter 1, Attached to: ). If you change the 'Attached to:' to 'Host-Only', then your XP guest will get an IP address in an isolated network between the guest and the host only. So, share your printer in your host, and connect to it via Windows networking (Add network printer) in your XP guest.

[tomte]

That wasn't as easy as it sounded
I set the network adapter to host only, shared the printer in the host and couldn't find any printer in the guest. Unfortunately I don't have a clue about printer sharing and windows networks. I got asked by the guest about the location and exakt name of the printer. How do find the IP of the shared printer? Do the guest and host have to be in the same workgroup? Could the firewall on the host os block the guests access?

I ended up using a bridged network to get access to the printer - but that's not the solution that makes me comletely happy.

[socratis]

In a Host-Only network, the default IP for the host is 192.168.56.1. After that, it's the network name of the shared printer, for example '\\192.168.56.1\SharedPrinter'. After you've installed the printer in the host, check its sharing properties. There is plenty of help in Windows itself on how to share a printer, as well as in Windows sites and Windows groups.

[scottgus1]

If your printer has an IP address on the network your host is attached to, you may not be able to access that IP address with host-only, unless the host is sharing the printer. You can get what you want with Bridged, if you can get into your network router.

Most network routers have an Access Restrictions page (or some such name) that blocks internet access to certain IP addresses. One can run guests with Bridged network, allowing full access to the network the host is on, and by blocking IP addresses (setting guest or host to fixed IP is necessary) one can keep internet out of either the guest or the host if desired. (I do this at home and at work, some work guests and some work physical PCs have blocked internet, while others can get to the web. My home movie server is blocked, but the Bridged guest on the movie server has internet access.)

Set your guest to Bridged, set an unused fixed IP address in your network's address range on your guest NIC, then block that IP address in your router's Access Restrictions. No web but full network access in the guest, which should let you get to that printer.

[tomte]

thank you, I will try again - one way or the other