Accessing wireless network from XP virtual machine

[pknight]

I have an XP virtual machine running on a 64-bit Win 7 host. I have a home wireless network that I need to access from the XP VM in order to use printers attached to the other computers on the network. All comupters currently on the network have the same workgroup name.

I have networking on the VM set to use the wireless adapter on the host laptop. With this configuration I can see and access the host, but I cannot see nor access any other computers on the network.

Now, it seems to me that I will need to run the XP Network Wizard to set up the network on the VM before I am able to see the network, but after reading dozens of articles and posts on networking a VM, I have never seen this step mentioned. (I am at work now, so I can't test this out on my network until later.)

So, my questions are: (1) Do I need to run the XP Network wizard to get the VM to join the wireless network, and (2) if I don't need to run the wizard, what DO I need to do to get this to work?

Thanks in advance. This forum is a great resource.

 

[strollin]

Yes, you need to run the XP network wizard. It can be tricky to get an XP machine to network with Win 7 machines.

 

[pknight]

Thanks. I understand what you are saying, and in fact I have bridged the VM's virtual NIC to the wireless adapter of the Win 7 host (this is what I meant by "using the wireless adapter" on the host in my original post.)

Everything that I have read, including your comments, suggests that I should be able to see the network the way I have things set up, but all I can see is the host Win 7 machine.

There must be something else that I need to do, and if it is not running the Network Wizard, I'm wondering what it might be.

Thanks again. I appreciate your comments.

 

[pknight]

Yes, you need to run the XP network wizard. It can be tricky to get an XP machine to network with Win 7 machines.

Thanks. I will do this tonight.

I have had another Win 7 machine that I have networked with several XP machines for some time, so I am hopeful that this will work. Thanks again.

 

[mjm6783]

I think it depends on how your network is set up. Although I would assume that no matter what you will have to configure the settings on your virtual machine.

There is also software like VM workstation that acts like a network wizard for virtual machines or servers.

 

[pknight]

Well, that didn't work.

Before I ran the XP Network wizard I could see both the virtual XP machine and the Win 7 host in the list of workgroup computers. After running the wizard, I only have the virtual machine in the workgroup. All of the machines on my wireless network are in a group named MSHOME. It seems that running the network wizard created a new MSHOME workgroup that onlly includes the virtual machine. In neither case am I able to see the computers and printers on the wireless network.

I am once again open to any and all suggestions. Thanks in advance for any advice.