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Manually forcing VMware Fusion to use specific network interfaces or connections

Details

  • The Mac hosting VMware Fusion has more than one network card, adapter, or interface
  • Forcing VMware Fusion to use a manually configured network interface
  • Forcing VMware Fusion to use a wired ethernet interface instead of a wireless interface

Solution

In Fusion 1.x and 2.x, you cannot specify an ethernet network interface directly from the Fusion application. However, you can manually edit the configuration script.
 
To manually configure virtual network to host ethernet interface mappings:
  1. Shutdown the virtual machines and quit the VMware Fusion application.
  2. From the desktop open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities.
  3. Start the Terminal application.
  4. Type  sudo /Library/Application\ Support/VMware\ Fusion/boot.sh --stop and press Enter to stop the Fusion services.
  5. Type sudo vi /Library/Application\ Support/VMware\ Fusion/boot.sh and press Enter to edit the configuration script.
  6. Search in the script file for the following lines:

    # Bridge to host network interface 'en0'.
    #"$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet0.pid vmnet0 en0
    # Bridge to the primary host network interface (which can change over time).
    "$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet0.pid vmnet0 ''

  7. Modify the second and fourth lines by moving the # character to resemble the sample below:
    # Bridge to host network interface 'en0'.
    "$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet0.pid vmnet0 en0
    # Bridge to the primary host network interface (which can change over time).
    #"$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet0.pid vmnet0 ''

  8. Add the following entry to the boot.sh file, below the fourth line:

    "$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet2.pid vmnet2 en1

    Note: You may add additional lines to correspond to any additional network interfaces.

  9. The lines in boot.sh now appear similar to:

    # Bridge to host network interface 'en0'.
    "$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet0.pid vmnet0 en0
    # Bridge to the primary host network interface (which can change over time).
    #"$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet0.pid vmnet0 ''
    "$LIBDIR/vmnet-bridge" -d /var/run/vmnet-bridge-vmnet2.pid vmnet2 en1

  10. Save the boot.sh file.
  11. Restart the Mac.
  12. If you already have two virtual network cards configured to your virtual machine, proceed to step 13. Otherwise, add a new virtual network card bridged to your virtual machine and follow the steps below:

    1. Power off the virtual machine.
    2. From Mac OS Finder locate .vmx file, open the .vmx file in a text editor.

      Note: Virtual machine files are stored in a package (with the extension .vmwarevm). Control-click or right-click the package in Mac Finder and select Show Package Contents to find the configuration file.

    3. Add the following line as the last line in .vmx file:

      ethernet1.connectionType = "custom"
      ethernet1.vnet = "vmnet2"
    4. Save and close .vmx file.

  13. Start VMware Fusion.
  14. Edit the settings for the virtual machine you want to modify.
  15. Configure the network in virtual machine as per your network environment. Using the above settings, Virtual Network 1 maps to en0 (Ethernet 1 of Mac) and Virtual Network 2 maps to en1 (Ethernet 2 of Mac), etc.

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Actions
  • KB Article: 1001875
  • Updated: Oct 28, 2009
  • Products:
    VMware Fusion
  • Product Versions:
    VMware Fusion 1.x
    VMware Fusion 2.x