Bridged networking (also known as network bridging or virtual network switching) will place virtual machine network interfaces on the same network as the physical interface. Bridges require minimal configuration and make a virtual machine appear on an existing network, which reduces management overhead and network complexity.

To configure bridged networking for a new virtual machine, select Customize Hardware when you run the New Virtual Machine wizard. Procedure Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings. On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter. Select Bridged: Connected directly to the physical network.

Bridged networking connects a virtual machine to a network by using the network adapter on the host system. If the host system is on a network, bridged networking is often the easiest way to give the virtual machine access to that network.