Setting up Virtual PC Internet Connection and its Troubleshooting

[Sanith]

This step-by-step article describes how to configure and troubleshoot Internet connections in Virtual PC.Troubleshooting network communication problems can be complicated. This article only describes the basic steps to troubleshoot the problems that you may most likely experience in a Virtual PC virtual machine.

For more detailed information about troubleshooting TCP/IP and networking problems, see the Microsoft KB articles that are listed in the "REFERENCES" section of this article.

Network Options
You can use any of the following methods to connect a Microsoft Windows virtual machine to the Internet:

• Virtual Switch
  Use this option if you want to do basic tasks, but also must connect to a Windows NT domain, share files with other windows systems, use specific ports to make connections, or network between the host operating system and the guest operating system.
  
• Shared Networking
  Use this option if you want to view Web pages, check your e-mail for messages, search FTP sites, and do other basic tasks online. You can use this option if the host Macintosh computer is constantly connected to the Internet with a modem.
  
• Modem
  Use this option if your host Macintosh computer is not connected directly to a network or is connected to the Internet intermittently. You must use a modem from within the guest operating system.

Before you configure networking, update your operating system and your copy of Virtual PC.

Before you configure networking, update your operating system and your copy of Virtual PC.

To update your version of Mac OS X, follow these steps:

1. On the Dock, click System Preferences.
2. Click Software Update.
3. On the Update Software tab, click Check Now, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen to install the latest version.

To download the most recent update to Virtual PC for Mac version 6, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx

Use the following table to determine what version of Virtual PC you can use with your Macintosh operating system:


Virtual Switch
Virtual Switch sets up a separate IP address for the virtual machine. You can fix this IP address or configure it dynamically with DHCP.

Note Microsoft does not recommend using Virtual Switch when the host Macintosh computer is connected to a network with AirPort or other wireless networking.

To configure Virtual Switch, follow these steps:

1. Start Virtual PC.
2. Click the virtual machine in the Virtual PC list, and then click Settings.
   
   Note If you cannot see the Virtual PC list, click Virtual PC, and then click Virtual PC List.
3. Click Networking, and then click to select Enable Networking.
4. Click Virtual Switch, and then click OK.
5. Click Start Up. Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
6. In the Windows virtual machine, start Microsoft Internet Explorer. If the New Connection Wizard does not start, follow these steps:
   
   1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
   2. On the Connections tab, click Setup.
7. Click Next.
8. Click Connect to the Internet, and then click Next.
9. Click Set up my connection manually, and then click Next.
10. Click Connect using a broadband connection that is always on, and then click Next.
11. Click Finish.

Shared Networking
You can use Shared Networking when the host Macintosh computer is always connected to a network with an Ethernet cable, AirPort or other wireless networking, or with a modem to an Internet Service Provider or network. The host Macintosh computer must establish a connection before you start the virtual machine.

To configure Shared Networking, follow these steps:

1. Start Virtual PC.
2. Click the virtual machine in the Virtual PC list, and then click Settings.
   
   Note If you cannot see the Virtual PC list, click Virtual PC, and then click Virtual PC List.
3. Click Networking, and then click to select Enable Networking.
4. Click Shared Networking, and then click OK.
5. Click Start Up. Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
6. In the Windows virtual machine, start Internet Explorer. If the New Connection Wizard does not start, follow these steps:
   
   1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
   2. On the Connections tab, click Setup.
7. Click Next.
8. Click Connect to the Internet, and then click Next.
9. Click Set up my connection manually, and then click Next.
10. Click Connect using a broadband connection that is always on, and then click Next.
11. Click Finish.

Modem
You can connect to the Internet or a network with a modem. You can use the modem only to connect when the host Macintosh computer or other virtual machines are not using the modem.

To configure networking with a modem, follow these steps:

1. Start Virtual PC.
2. Click the virtual machine in the Virtual PC list, and then click Settings.
   
   Note If you cannot see the Virtual PC list, click Virtual PC, and then click Virtual PC List.
3. Click Networking, and then click to clear the Enable Networking check box.
4. Click COM1 Port, and then click Mac serial port.
5. Point to modem, and then click your modem.
6. Click to clear the Advanced Settings check box, and then click OK.
7. Click Start Up.
   
   Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
8. In the Windows virtual machine, point to Start, and then click Control Panel.
9. Double-click Phone and Modem Options.
10. If you are prompted for the location information, type the information, and then click OK.
11. On the Modems tab, click Add.
12. Click to select the Don't detect my modem; I will select it from a list. check box, and then click Next.
13. Under Manufacturer, click Standard Modem Types.
14. Under Models, click (Standard 56000 bps Modem).
    
    Note This may appear as Generic v.90 56000 bps Modem or Standard 56000 bps V90 Modem.
15. Click Next.
16. Click COM1, and then click Next.
17. Click Finish, and then click OK.
18. Start Internet Explorer. If the New Connection Wizard does not start, follow these steps: Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
    
    1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
    2. On the Connections tab, click Setup.
19. Click Next.
20. Click Connect to the Internet, and then click Next.
21. Click Set up my connection manually, and then click Next.
22. Click Connect using a dial-up modem, and then click Next.
23. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to configure the connection to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
24. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
25. On the Connections tab, click Always dial my default connection, and then click OK.
26. Close Internet Explorer, and then start Internet Explorer.

[Sanith]

Troubleshooting
Any of the following issues can cause problems when you try to connect to the Internet:

• The host Macintosh computer has physical connection problems such as problems with the cables or the network adapter.
• Windows cannot contact a DHCP server.
• Windows cannot contact a DNS server.
• Virtual Switch and AirPort are not compatible.

Check Macintosh Connectivity
If you are using Shared Networking or Virtual Switch, any problems that affect the host Macintosh computer also affect the virtual machines that use Shared Networking.

Verify that the host Macintosh can connect to the Internet. If you cannot connect to Web sites, or if the Internet browser only displays offline versions of Web sites, the host Macintosh computer may have connectivity problems. For help to solve this problem, visit the following Apple support Web sites:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=50520 (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=50520)

Test the Name Resolution
A DNS server provides host name resolution. If you cannot connect to the Internet, there may be an issue with the DNS configuration. To determine whether there is an issue with the DNS configuration of your dial-up connection to your ISP, follow these steps:

1. At a command prompt, type:
   Ping Microsoft.com
   
2. Press ENTER.

Either of the following behaviors occur:

1. If the computer can contact the DNS server to translate Microsoft.com to an IP address, a reply appears that is similar to the following reply:
   
   

   Pinging microsoft.com [207.46.245.222] with 32 bytes of data:
   
   Request timed out.
   Request timed out.
   Request timed out.
   Request timed out.
   
   Ping statistics for 207.46.245.222:
   Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss)

2. If the computer cannot contact the DNS server to translate Microsoft.com to an IP address, a reply appears that is similar to the following reply:

Ping request could not find host microsoft.com. Please check the name and try again.

Verify That DHCP is Working
To verify if DHCP is working correctly in Virtual PC, follow the instructions for your specific operating system.

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition
To view your IP settings, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type winipcfg, and then click OK.
2. In the Ethernet Adapter Information box, select the network adapter.
3. Click More Info to view the complete details.

To reset your IP settings, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type winipcfg, and then click OK.
2. In the Ethernet Adapter Information box, select the network adapter.
3. Click Release, click Renew, and then click OK.

If the virtual machine does not obtain an IP address from the host, you may have to enable the DHCP service on the host or manually assign a static IP address to the client.

When it uses Shared Networking, the virtual machine should obtain IP information that is similar to the following information:

DNS Servers: 192.168.131.252
IP Address: 192.168.131.### (where ### is a number between 2 and 251)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.131.254
DHCP Server: 192.168.131.254

If these numbers do not match, and you are using Shared Networking, try to manually configure the IP address for the virtual machine. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Network, scroll down to the bottom of the list, and then click TCP/IP ->Ethernet Network Adapter.
   
   Note If more then one TCP/IP -> Ethernet Network Adapter device appears, click either the Intel Ethernet controller or the DEC Ethernet controller.
3. Click Properties, and then click Specify an IP address.
4. In the IP Address box, type 192.168.131.### where ### is any number between 175 and 200.
   
   Note These numbers are only suggested numbers that are least likely to interfere with existing addresses on your network. Any number between 2 and 251 may also work.
5. In the Subnet Mask box, type:
   255.255.255.0
   
6. Click the Gateway tab, and then in the New Gateway box, type:
   192.168.131.254
7. Click Add.
8. Click the DNS Configuration tab, click Enable DNS.
9. In the Host box, type:
   host
10. In the Domain box, type:
    domain
11. In the DNS Server Search Order box, type:
    192.168.131.252
12. Click Add, and then click OK.
13. Restart the virtual machine.

If you cannot connect to the Internet by following these steps, Virtual PC may not be able to find your Macintosh's DNS server, and you must type the server's IP address manually into Virtual PC.