VPN sharing from guest OS(XP Pro) to Host(OS X)?

shadowreader · Jan 23, 2007

Hi everyone. If anyone can help with this I would greatly appreciate it. Is it possible to start up a VPN client(I use watchguard's SSL vpn for work) on the guest OS which in my case is XP Pro and then share that VPN with the host Mac OS X session? The SSL VPN is not supported under OS X and I've tried the recommended VPN Tracker client but we can't get it working correctly. I need to access my work VPN from OS X. When I go into the properties for the ethernet adapter in XP the sharing tab is not visible(I think because it wants 2 adapters, one to connect to network and the other to share). Thanks.

dkp · Jan 23, 2007

shadowreader said:
Hi everyone. If anyone can help with this I would greatly appreciate it. Is it possible to start up a VPN client(I use watchguard's SSL vpn for work) on the guest OS which in my case is XP Pro and then share that VPN with the host Mac OS X session? The SSL VPN is not supported under OS X and I've tried the recommended VPN Tracker client but we can't get it working correctly. I need to access my work VPN from OS X. When I go into the properties for the ethernet adapter in XP the sharing tab is not visible(I think because it wants 2 adapters, one to connect to network and the other to share). Thanks.

If you understand subneting, routing tables, proxies, DNS, nat'ing, IP forwarding, etc., it is technically possible but the VPN software may not allow it. Talk to the vendor.

moatas · Jan 23, 2007

I have yet to figure this out as well. The closest I have gotten so far is to setup an HTTP proxy server on the windows side and point a browser to it. That way I can at least use Subversion and a browser to access our VPN.

I keep playing with different network configurations, but have not stumbled upon the magic solution yet.

If anyone has any words of wisdom, I would love to hear them.

Birch

AlexEagar · Jan 26, 2007

Please, please help us get this set up!!

I would also like to know how to share a VPN connection from the guest, XP Pro, to the host, Mac OS X. Thanks to the original poster for the clear subject. I had been having a hard time expressing what it was that I want. From my limited understanding of networking, it seems like this is how you would want it configured:

1. Bridged networking for the guest OS
2. Internet sharing turned on in the guest OS
3. VP running in guest OS
4. Host virtual NIC connected to guest's shared connection

I don't know how to do this, but I have seen quite a few requests for it. It's really quite understandable that the need would arise. Windows is supported everywhere and Mac is not. I can imagine people buying Parallels Desktop as a utility for accessing the Internet on a Mac. I know I would buy another copy of Parallels if I could figure out how to get this to work.

I hope someone in the forums or at Parallels can help us share a VPN connection as described. Please, please help us get this set up!!

Thanks,
Alex Eagar

dkp · Jan 26, 2007

Ignore for a moment that you have OS X and a virtual machine - assume you have two stand alone systems. One is connected to a corporate net via VPN and the second is in a local net. How would you connect the second system to the corporate net via the VPN? This is your problem and it has nothing to do with Parallels.

1. The Windows system has to be configured to route between the LAN and the VPN. Some VPN's disallow this, btw.

2. The second machine needs to know that the windows system is going to route certain IP's. This requires a static route in the second machine or that you make the Windows LAN IP the default router for all traffic.

3. The firewalls on both systems have to be configured to deal with this routed traffic

4. The DNS server information for the routed IP block has to get back to the second system or host table entries need to be created.

5. Be advised the second machine cannot be pinged or offer services via the VPN unless routing tables on the other end are set up, or proxy services exist on the Windows box doing the routing.

6. This is probably not the best way to do this. Most of these problems go away when the VPN is established in OS X and Windows is configured to use shared networking. This is somewhat serendipitous but it works.

7. None if this is a consequence of running Parallels - don't blame them.

AlexEagar · Jan 26, 2007

I'm not blaming, just asking for help setting it up

I'm not blaming Parallels for not having this feature in their product. I don't even know for sure that sharing a VPN connection is possible in Windows XP. But if it is possible, it would be very helpful to me and many other people and I think that if the feature were added to Parallels it would help sell more copies of Parallels Desktop. I know that I would buy another copy of Parallels Desktop.

I have friends that live in Ukraine that have a Macintosh computer. They have cable Internet that puts them on a local network, but to connect to the Internet they have to connect through VPN. Unfortunately the IT kids that set up their computer only know how to configure Windows. So they can not use the internet on their Macintosh. Instead, they are now running Windows all the time in Boot Camp. If someone were to help me set up sharing a VPN connection from the guest OS to the host OS, I would buy another copy of Parallels desktop for them so that they could just start up Windows when they want to use the Internet. If they had Parallels in Coherence mode launch at startup, they would hardly even notice that they had Windows running.

I have nothing against Parallels. I use Windows running in a VM as my primary workstation at work. I think it's great and it does everything I need it to do. If it had this extra feature or if someone just gave some simple instructions on how to set it up, Parallels Desktop would be even better and I would buy another copy of it as would others.

Alex Eagar

dkp · Jan 26, 2007

AlexEagar said:
I use Windows running in a VM as my primary workstation at work. I think it's great and it does everything I need it to do. If it had this extra feature or if someone just gave some simple instructions on how to set it up, Parallels Desktop would be even better and I would buy another copy of it as would others.

Alex Eagar

By blame I meant that Parallels forums are not the best place to look for a solution for a Windows problem. This may help: http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

titetanium · Jan 26, 2007

Just to make sure I understand what the OP is requesting;
He/she needs to set up a VPN in windows to connect to a private network but wants to share it with his/her mac. If the vpn works in the windows VM, then why would it be necessary to share it with the host when you can do all of your work in the windows VM?

I have ssh working in my windows VM and can securely access my office server and all of the files I need. Mostly I use it for remote connections to the server to access the quickbooks company file remotely and directly instead of copying the company file back and forth.

If this sounds like the scenario that the OP wants, then all the OP needs to do is set up the vpn connection client in the windows VM, connect and access the company server or network through that without having to share the connection with the mac. In a sense, the mac is hosting the connection, but windows is the one that starts it. Am I clear enough for you?

dkp · Jan 26, 2007

titetanium said:
If this sounds like the scenario that the OP wants, then all the OP needs to do is set up the vpn connection client in the windows VM, connect and access the company server or network through that without having to share the connection with the mac. In a sense, the mac is hosting the connection, but windows is the one that starts it. Am I clear enough for you?

It's true what you say, but the OP wants to connect to the VPN from OS X. Perhaps it is an intellectual exercise, or possibly he uses OS X apps for reading his mail and surfing the net because it is safer to do so in OS X than Windows. It should be possible to do what he wants and will involve a lot of IP traffic crossing paths within the machine, not to mention the path there is heavy in networking detail. If I didn't dislike Windows so much I'd give it a try myself.

serv · Jan 29, 2007

Here are some raw instructions using (mostly) OSX GUI:

0. Make sure you're running 3120 and that VM network is set to Bridged.
1. Open /Library/Parallels/.parallels_dhcp_nat in a text editor. If the file is originally empty create [en2] section by adding the line:
[en2]
Now disable Parallels DHCP service by adding the line:
disabled = 1
below [en2]. Restart Parallels DHCP/NAT service by executing the following command from OSX Terminal:
sudo killall -HUP pvsnatd
2. Add a second network adapter to VM and set it to Host-Only Networking and boot your VM.
3. Open Windows network connections, right-click your VPN connection and open properties dialog. Select Advanced tab, enable Internet Sharing and select Local Area Connection that corresponds to Host-Only Networking (you can identify this connection by 169.254.x.x IP address).
4. Open OSX System Preferences -> Network. Select your active network connection (Built-in Ethernet or AirPort) and set it to Manual IPv4 configuration. Be sure to type in the same IP and mask. Now, erase Router field and apply changes.
5. In OSX Network preferences, select Parallels Host-Only and renew DHCP lease. The updated address should be something like 192.168.0.x.
6. You should be all set now. Mac should now use your Windows VM as gateway and DNS server. Start your VPN connection in Windows and see if it works.

To restore Mac network settings set Host-Guest to Manual, erase router address then set primary ethernet connection to DHCP.