How to Use the Virtual Switch Networking Setting to Assign a Network Adapter to a Virtual PC Guest PC

This article describes how to use the virtual switch option to assign a network adapter to be used by your Virtual PC guest PCs or guest PCs. You may have to do this if you want your guest PCs to run networking or server software that is not compatible with network address translation (NAT) .

Assign the network adapter that you want to use in the virtual switch setting in Virtual PC Preference dialog box, and then configure your guest PC in virtual switch networking mode.

1. Bring the Virtual PC window to the front.
2. On the File menu, click Preferences.
3. Under Global Setting, click Virtual Switch.
4. Click the network adapter that you want to use for your Virtual PC guest PCs, and then click OK.
5. In the Virtual PC window, click the guest PC that you want to configure, and then click Settings.
6. Under PC Setting, click Networking, and then click Virtual Switch.
7. In the Virtual Switch list, click one of the following options:
   • Local, host, and external.
   • External only. Use this option only if you want to limit this guest PC network access to external computers.
8. Click OK.