A virtual machine in VMware Server, Workstation and Player can have
virtual network cards that are "bridged", "NAT" or "host-only".
In Linux, a network of each type is created when running
vmware-config.pl. In Windows, they are automatically created. If you
didn't create them the first time vmware-config.pl was run, you can
re-run it.
Comparison of the network types |
Type |
Bridged |
NAT
(Network Address Translation)
|
Host-only |
Description |
The VM appears as if it was
a physical host on the network.
|
The VM hides behind the IP address of the VMware host. Other VMs in the same NAT network can access it directly. |
The VM can only access the VMware host and other VMs in the same host-only network |
IP address |
The VM requires it's own IP address from the network it is supposed to belong to.
|
The VM can have any private IP configured on the VMware host. |
Accessibility from network |
Same as a physical host |
Hides behind NAT, so port forwarding on the VMware host required if external access required |
Not accessible from external network unless routed via
another VM with access to both external network and the same host-only
network |
Use cases |
An always-on server hosted on VMware, or a virtual router or firewall |
VMs intended for testing, or cases when the amount of IP addresses in the external network is limited. |
VMs intended for testing with no need to access the network, or VMs which will be protected by a firewall in another VM. |
Other |
Known to have problems with some wireless chipsets especially with Linux, also with Windows Vista. |
NAT is really a host-only network with a default gateway (on the VMware host) that routes and NATs. |
|