VMWARE how do I disable my host machines network adapter, while maintaining network access in virtual machines

[toontitan]

After completing yet another rebuiild of my machine, I would like to be able to keep it away from the web as much as i can. My idea is to have a virtual machine for internet based tasks that way i can still access the outside world but all my stuff in my main machine can be kept away from the web and whatever malware tends to get into it. Im a video editor so im really trying to keep my work machine in tip top shape this time around.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[digip]

Well, if you have a wireless router, easiest solution is a USB wifi adapter for the VM. I use mine like this so I can be on my host machine on one network(MY ISP through my ethernet card), and the wifi exclusively on the VM for other networks. Using the USB adapter setup in a VM makes it work with the VM while the host can't use it unless VMware has released the USB device.

[decepticon_eazy_e]

After completing yet another rebuiild of my machine, I would like to be able to keep it away from the web as much as i can. My idea is to have a virtual machine for internet based tasks that way i can still access the outside world but all my stuff in my main machine can be kept away from the web and whatever malware tends to get into it. Im a video editor so im really trying to keep my work machine in tip top shape this time around.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

What VMware product are you using?

ESX methods will be different than Server. In ESX (and ESXi), you can manage your network connections through the Virtual Infrastructure Client.

[toontitan]

What VMware product are you using?

ESX methods will be different than Server. In ESX (and ESXi), you can manage your network connections through the Virtual Infrastructure Client.

I'm using the free vmware server (version1 cause version 2 is craptastic).

P.S. thank you for the replies. Any additional ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[loftrat]

Don't think you can do it the way you want to, because of the way the virtual NICs are 'bridged' across your host machine's physical adaptor it needs to be up and running.

The only way of doing this (as has been suggested already) is to completely bypass the host machine's adaptor using something like a USB wireless adaptor.

You could also try firewalling it off completely. Drop a firewall between you and the Internet, then block the IP of your host machine inbound and outbound. That should still allow your VMs to communicate, but stop anything getting to/from your host.

[decepticon_eazy_e]

Don't think you can do it the way you want to, because of the way the virtual NICs are 'bridged' across your host machine's physical adaptor it needs to be up and running.

The only way of doing this (as has been suggested already) is to completely bypass the host machine's adaptor using something like a USB wireless adaptor.

You could also try firewalling it off completely. Drop a firewall between you and the Internet, then block the IP of your host machine inbound and outbound. That should still allow your VMs to communicate, but stop anything getting to/from your host.

Agreed, the free Server version doesn't allow that much with the networking side.

If you have a box to dedicate, use the free ESXi version. Lots of possibilities there.

[dookie2000ca]

When you use bridged networking, the VMware guest has its own MAC address and will grab its own IP address from your router. If you only want network connectivity within the guest OS, you can remove the TCP/IP stack from your host OS. That will give you the isolation you're looking for.