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alok-38

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Reliable SSH to Ubuntu VMs on VMware Workstation: Bypassing Bridged Wi-Fi Issues

#vmware #ubuntu #ssh

How to SSH into Ubuntu VMs on VMware Workstation Using NAT and Port Forwarding

Connecting to Ubuntu virtual machines from a Windows host can be tricky, especially when using Bridged networking over Wi-Fi adapters like Killer Wi-Fi, which often block VM traffic. In this guide, we show a simple, reliable method using NAT networking and port forwarding, allowing you to SSH into your VM safely and consistently without dealing with network or firewall headaches.

1️⃣ The Problem

I wanted to SSH from my Windows host into a Ubuntu VM on VMware Workstation Pro.

  • My first attempt used Bridged networking, like my EC2 setup: 
Windows Host ↔ VM via bridged IP (192.168.45.100)
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  • SSH timed out, and ping failed.

  • Firewall on Windows wasn’t the cause — disabling it changed nothing.

Why Bridged failed:

  • I'm using a Killer Wi-Fi adapter. Many modern Wi-Fi cards don’t handle Bridged VM traffic reliably.

  • Even though the VM and host were “on the same subnet” and the VMware Bridge Protocol was enabled, packets from Windows could not reach the VM.

  • Bottom line: Bridged looked right but couldn’t communicate over Wi-Fi.

2️⃣ First Attempts / Misleads

  • Tried to SSH using the old Bridged IP (192.168.45.100) — failed.

  • Tried ssh 127.0.0.1 locally inside the VM — worked, but only from inside the VM itself.

  • Firewall checks confirmed it wasn’t blocking the traffic.

  • VMware settings (VMnet0, VMnet1) were correct for Bridged / Host-only, but Bridged Wi-Fi still didn’t work.

➡ At this point, I realized Bridged over Wi-Fi is unreliable, and we needed a NAT + port forwarding solution.

3️⃣ Switching to NAT 

Windows Host ↔ NAT (VMnet8) ↔ VM
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4️⃣ SSH Works via NAT 

ssh -p 2222 alok@127.0.0.1
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  • Worked immediately — host connected to VM via NAT + port forwarding.

  • Ping and firewall issues no longer mattered.

  • Bridged issues were completely bypassed.

5️⃣ Optional SSH Config Shortcut

  • Added to C:\Users\alok\.ssh\config: 
Host vm
  HostName 127.0.0.1
  User alok
  Port 2222
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  • Now you can simply run: 
ssh vm
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6️⃣ Key Takeaways

Step/Problem How We Solved It
Bridged networking fails over Wi-Fi Use NAT instead; Wi-Fi cards often block Bridged
Old IP still assigned to VM Release old IP (sudo dhclient -r) & request new
Host cannot reach VM NAT IP Set up VMware NAT port forwarding (host:2222 → VM:22)
Long SSH commands Use SSH config shortcut (ssh vm)
Reliable Wi-Fi-safe connection NAT + port forwarding works even on Wi-Fi adapters

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