Proxy Access To Mac http://localhost/ from guest OS

[Jcao]

I use paralells for web development work, specifically, to test front end code on sites that I build. Typically, I build the sites on my mac, using the built in apache server, and php.

As it is, I need to use a dynamic DNS system to access the mac http://localhost/ server from the guest os--that works fine if I am connected to a network with internet access, but it doesn't work if I am travelling, at a no-wifi coffee shop or am working on a project that is too sensitive to be broadcasted via a dynamic dns service.

It would be great, if there was some kind of proxy system available in the paralells network driver, such that typing http://localhost/ would retrieve output from the mac localhost server, rather than the guest os's localhost server. It would probably be just as useful to be able to reverse this situation and read the guest localhost server from the mac (though I suspect that would be a lot more difficult for you guys to do).

I know that I can probably do what I want by messing around with my hosts files and maybe configuring a proxy server but ... who wants to deal with all that stuff?

 

[misterjangles]

I am not a genius with networks and routing but basically in bridged mode the host and guest are operating as if they were just totally independant machines. So, if there's no router and DHCP - they will each self-assign an IP and will not be able to "see" each other - just exactly as you would expect from two seperate computers with no router connecting them.

i can see a couple of possible solutions that i think you could try. i have a feeling what you want is possible, but maybe some of the people with better networking skills could help you. here are my ideas:

1 - install a DHCP server on either the OSX or Windows OS and then have them both configured to use that. One of the OSs will act as the router. or, play around with static IPs - i don't know if you can get by without a physical gateway, but maybe there is a way to do it?

2. just buy a cheap, small router and take it with you. it doesn't need to be online

3. experiment with shared or host-only mode and see if you can connect that way.