Q: Is there any way to network OSX in VMware?

A: Yes, you can network VMWare to your Windows XP, allowing Internet access.

Method 1 (virtual serial port)

VMWare works with a serial port / PPP connection. I used a demo of Virtual Serial Port Driver XP v5 to create a pair of serial ports. I bound one of them to Incoming Connections, no flow control, 115200. Allow directly connected users to connect without a password, give it a pair of IP addresses under TCP/IP config.

The other serial port I bound to the Virtual Machine. Within OSX select the Null Modem at 115200 as your modem, unselect compression and wait for dial tone. Under PPP Options, select use terminal window. Click Connect. When the terminal window appears, type in CLIENTCLIENT and hit enter (you won't see anything in the window as you type). The XP side should respond with CLIENTSERVER. Click connect. If all goes well you'll be connected via PPP.

Method 2 (dual virtual machines)

Here's something else to try... Basically what you need to do is create a Windows/Linux/BSD VM to run alongside the OSX VM. Then enable "Named Pipe" COM port redirection on both VM's and set up a PPP-Over-Serial link between the two VM's COM ports.

Remark This method doesn't seem to work with deadmoo's image. Seems to work fine (but slow) with a new image(not the one from TPB !).

Remark Correction this method actually works with deadmoo's image. However, if you ever get into a situation where the system preferences network app no longer functions, you may have to start from a clean deadmoo image. The trick is to make sure the builtin-serial device is detected.


Method 3

Install Maxxus' patch to make network work in VMware.

Method 4

If you are using VMWare 5.5.x, just open .vmx (VMWare configuration) file, add/change two lines:

guestOS = "darwin"
ethernet0.virtualDev = e1000

see vmware forum thread [1]