How To Access Virtual Machine From Another Computer

To access virtual machine remotely, you need to configure the guest OS, its network adapter, and the host’s firewall so that another computer can reach it via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). The fastest path for most users is switching the VM to Bridged mode, but first you must enable virtualization in vmware virtual machine for the network settings to function correctly, enabling Remote Desktop inside the guest Windows, then connecting with the built-in Remote Desktop Connection app using the VM’s IP address.

What you need before you access a virtual machine remotely

Before you can access virtual machine remotely, confirm three things are already in place. First, the virtual machine must be powered on and running a guest operating system, this guide assumes Windows inside VMware Workstation or VirtualBox. Second, the guest OS must have a user account with a password; RDP will not allow blank passwords. Third, the host computer and the remote computer must be on the same local network, or you must have a way to route traffic from outside that network (covered later). If you are still building the VM, you may need to use vhd in vmware workstation to attach a disk image, but for remote access the core requirement is a fully installed guest OS with network drivers, so if the VM is blank you must first install an operating system on a vmware virtual machine.

Configure the network for remote access

By default, most virtual machines use NAT (Network Address Translation), which hides the VM behind the host’s IP address. That works for outbound internet but blocks inbound connections from other computers. To let another machine reach your VM directly, you must switch the adapter to Bridged mode.

Switch from NAT to Bridged in VMware Workstation

1. Power off the VM, then open its settings.
2. Go to Network Adapter and select “Bridged: Connect directly to the physical network.”
3. Power the VM back on.

Switch from NAT to Bridged in VirtualBox

1. With the VM powered off, open its Settings.
2. Go to Network, set “Attached to” to “Bridged Adapter.”
3. Choose the host’s physical network interface (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
4. Start the VM.

Once Bridged mode is active, the VM will appear as a separate device on your LAN and get its own IP address from your router. To find that IP, open a command prompt inside the guest and run ipconfig on Windows or ifconfig on Linux. Write down the IPv4 address, this is what you will connect to.

Enable Remote Desktop on the virtual machine

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is the built-in Windows service that lets another computer take over the screen. You must turn it on inside the guest OS before any outside connection can succeed.

1. Log into the Windows guest.
2. Open Settings (or Control Panel) and go to System.
3. Click “Remote Desktop” and toggle it to Enabled.
4. Check the box that says “Keep my PC awake for connections” if present.
5. Confirm that the user account you will use has a password set, RDP refuses passwordless accounts.

If you are running a Linux guest, RDP is not native; you would instead install xrdp or use SSH, but the rest of this article assumes a Windows guest because that is the most common remote-access scenario. Also ensure the Windows firewall inside the VM allows RDP, Windows will usually prompt you to allow it when you enable Remote Desktop, but if not, you may need to add an inbound rule for port 3389.

Connect from another computer on the same network

With the VM in Bridged mode and RDP enabled, you can now connect from any other computer on the same LAN using the native Remote Desktop Connection client.

1. On the remote computer, press Windows+R, type mstsc.exe, and press Enter.
2. In the “Computer” field, enter the VM’s IP address you found earlier.
3. Click “Connect.”
4. When prompted, enter the username and password of the guest account.

You should now see the VM’s desktop on your screen. The connection will work as long as both computers are on the same subnet and the host machine remains powered on. If you cannot connect, skip ahead to the troubleshooting section.

Connect from a computer outside your network

To access the VM from the internet, you need to tell your router to forward incoming RDP traffic to the VM’s internal IP. This is called port forwarding.

1. Find the “Port Forwarding” or “Virtual Server” section.
2. Save the rule and note your host’s public IP address, you can find it by searching “what is my IP” on the remote computer or the host.

Then, from the remote computer, open Remote Desktop Connection and enter the public IP address (or public IP followed by the external port, e.g., 203.0.113.5:3390). Log in with the guest credentials. This method exposes your VM to the internet, so it is only recommended for trusted environments. A more secure alternative is to set up a VPN on the host or router; with a VPN, you connect to your home network first and then use the VM’s local IP as if you were on the same LAN, this avoids opening RDP to the public internet entirely.

Fix common connection problems

When a remote connection fails, the cause is almost always one of four things: firewall rules, Network Level Authentication (NLA), network profile, or the VM’s IP address.

Firewall blocking RDP

On the guest Windows, open Windows Defender Firewall and check that “Remote Desktop” is allowed for both Private and Domain profiles. If you have third-party antivirus with its own firewall, temporarily disable it to test. On the host machine, also ensure that inbound connections to port 3389 are not blocked, especially if you are using a custom external port.

Disable Network Level Authentication

NLA requires the remote computer to authenticate before the RDP session fully starts, which can fail with older clients or when the guest is not joined to a domain. Then try connecting again.

Verify the network profile is Private

This ensures RDP traffic is not silently dropped.

Check the VM’s correct IP address

If you are using a VPN or multiple network adapters, the VM might have more than one IP. Run ipconfig inside the guest and confirm that the IP you are entering matches the adapter connected to the Bridged network, not a virtual adapter or a VPN tunnel. Also verify the VM is actually on the same subnet as the remote computer by pinging the VM’s IP from the remote machine; if the ping times out, the network configuration is wrong.

If you still cannot connect after checking these, restart the VM and the host, then re-test. For persistent issues, consult the documentation for your specific virtualization software, as some versions have additional network security defaults that must be adjusted.