VMWare over VPN

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  1. Posts : 425
    Windows 10
       #1

    VMWare over VPN


    PCs here connect to a VPN at start up.
    I want to install VMWare to load games. The VM will contain the OS and the game and nothing else.
    I will need internet access because the games use launchers like Origin, Steam and Battle.net
    If the host is connected to the VPN

    1. Will the VM route traffic through the VPN?
    2. Do I need to install the VPN on the VM - Wouldn't that result in a VPN over a VPN?

    I'm sure I'm going to get asked the question "Why go to so much trouble". Easy - I don't trust the launchers and wish to minimize their access to the host system's drives. I don't like the telemetry.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #2

    Hi there
    @Wobitancrawfodi

    The VPN is just a server like any "bog standard" server on the planet. The desktop that is presented to you is usually a simple application that allows you to surf the internet, access blocked torrent sites and basically use a browser - these are mainly used to avoid "Geo-blocking" so you can get content not available in your home location.

    To use VMWare you would need your VPN to provide you with a full Linux or Windows desktop OS where you could install your own software.

    Companies often have their own VPN's which provides a Windows Server desktop to its clients. The clients can then access the windows applications on that server.

    If you really need a full Windows or Linux server system it's probably cheaper to buy a domain and then pay a hosting service where you can install your own applications. I'm not sure if typical VPN's that people use for the things I've mentioned above provide that type of facility at any sort of "affordable price".

    For Linux start reading these : Best Linux web hosting services of 2019 | TechRadar

    I think you though would be looking at some sort of bill of around 20 EUR a month for anything remotely suitable though.

    For Windows it will cost a bit more

    BTW VMWare runs just fine on Linux and no problems with Windows Guests.

    I think though for running games on this type of VPN would cause problems -- not because of the "telemetry" but I just don't think you'd get any sort of optimised graphics at the server end at any even stratospheric price doing it this way -- you'd need to have some sort of "dedicated games" server with an optimised graphics system to get this to work.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 913
    CP/M
       #3

    1. Will the VM route traffic through the VPN?
    It can depend on type of vm networking (bridged/nat) and on type of vpn software. May be modified by (some) vpn config file and routing table. Experimenting needed.
    2. Do I need to install the VPN on the VM?
    Completely dependent on answer of question 1.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 65
    Windows 10 Pro 1909 18363.959
       #4

    I have several windows and linux guest VM's running within a win10pro host pc. On the win10pro host pc I connect to the Internet with NordVPN.....
    On the guest VM's I use Bridged(Automatic) connections. I used the vmware Virtual Network Editor to point my physical Ethernet Adapter on my Host to VMNet0. I select Bridged Under Network Connection and check the box for Replicate physical network connection state

    VMWare over VPN-virtual-network-editor.jpg

    This results in an IP being assigned to each guest OS VM that is within my router DHCP IP Address range.
    TheGuest VM's have no issue with connecting thru the Host Internet connection which is running NordVPN.
    I also have IP routing enabled on each guest VM and the win10pro host pc itself. This requires a registry edit. and ip forwarding to be enabled in Linux.

    On the win10pro host pc the local lan network runs as the Private network, while NordVPN runs as a Public network, as the win10pro host firewall sees them . All the windows guest Vm's run as private networks.
    Last edited by shockwaveriderz; 06 Aug 2019 at 09:53. Reason: Update
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #5

    shockwaveriderz said:
    I have several windows and linux VM's running within a win10pro pc. On the win10pro pc I connect to the Internet with NordVPN.....
    On the VM's I use Bridged(Automatic) connections. I used the vmware Virtual Network Editor to point my Ethernet Adapter to VMNet0. I select Bridged Under Network Connection and check the box for Replicate physical network connection state

    VMWare over VPN-virtual-network-editor.jpg

    This results in an IP being assigned that is within my router DHCP IP Address range.
    They have no issue with connecting thru the Internet.
    I also have IP routing enabled on each VM and the win10pro pc itself. This requires a registry edit. and ip forwarding to be enabled in Linux.

    On the win10pro pc the local lan network runs as the Private network, while NordVPN runs as a Public network, as the win10pro firewall sees them . All the windows Vm's run as private networks.

    Hi there

    @shockwaveriderz

    that´s not quite the same "Modus Operandi".

    You are doing

    1) Running Windows 10 on your PC -- OK we all need to have an OS to connect to a VPN.

    BUT THEN :

    2) Running your VM's from Within windows - from your post it looks like you are using VMWare for the VM's.

    3) connecting to the VPN from within windows or the VM's by using bridged networking so the VM's can access the VPN as a public network.

    What I understood what the OP wanted was :

    1) OK run windows as you are doing

    BUT then :

    2) logon to his VPN

    3) on the VPN run a full Windows / other VM desktop -- to do that he'd need a full OS be it Linix or Windows on his VM where he could install software of choice.

    Note though if one does it that way you are still unlikely to get decent "Pro Games" type graphics available -- and in any case even if the graphics was better than NASA standards you'd still need to be able to display the screen output on your host computer !!!.

    I might have mis-understood the problem here but I'm sure the OP wanted to run his VM's directly ON THE VPN machine as HOST. Accessing any VPN via a VM on his HOST Windows pc (not the VPN) is no different to acessing a VPN via the HOST PC directly.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 425
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hey guys, thanks for all the posts. I'll try and clarify a little.
    I run a HOST PC with Windows 10. At boot up this PC connects automatically to NordVPN. I do everything on the VPN.
    When I want to run Hearthstone (which requires battle.net, which is known for it's telemetry and other questionable practices), I run a VMWare VM on which I have Windows 10 installed. Also installed is battle.net and hearthstone and that's all. I don't have drives mapped to my server like I do on my host, and there zero other programs.

    My concern is that when running the VM, connections to the Internet would bypass the VPN and go out the standard network, thereby losing the encryption and benefits of the VPN.

    Gaming on the VM is certainly slower and lags a lot compared to the HOST PC but its a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I would never run Origin, Steam, Battle.net, Epic Launcher or any other of these programs on my host. I also won't use Facebook, Instagram, snapchat, google, youtube or twitter on my host PC (Actually I refuse to use any of those sites even on a VM).
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #7

    Hi there @Wobitancrawfodi


    I'm still a bit confused here

    you say you run Windows 10 as a VM on VMWARE -- so what is the host as I'm sure you aren't running this as a nested VM i.e W10 HOST-->W10 VM and then VPN -- that would make any serious game extremely slow.

    Any idea of say drawing a figure of network setup as I'm mystified now.

    draw a diagram / scan and load as an attachment or take a pic with a phone of the diagram and attach as a smallish png file.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 425
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Lol. Yes, I'm running a Windows 10 VM via the "VMWare Player" (free), on a Windows 10 host.
    The VPN is started by the HOST OS.

    I have a fiber Internet connection 100/40 Mbps (D/U) connection. It's not too bad.. tolerable

    I'll draw you a picture shortly.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #9

    Wobitancrawfodi said:
    Lol. Yes, I'm running a Windows 10 VM via the "VMWare Player" (free), on a Windows 10 host.
    The VPN is started by the HOST OS.

    I have a fiber Internet connection 100/40 Mbps (D/U) connection. It's not too bad.. tolerable

    I'll draw you a picture shortly.
    Thanks

    cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 425
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #10

    I'm not real good at network diagrams. VMWare over VPN-host_with_vpn_runs_vm.png
      My Computer


 

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