# Network Settings

In the **Network** pane, you can view and configure the virtual machine network adapter-related settings.

To open these settings, choose **Actions** > **Configure** > **Hardware**, then click **Network**.

<figure><img src="https://4047593329-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FNgaOYFJddKmopmi2cfn5%2Fuploads%2FTaALzc5NFa2BAMcHV9iH%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1c50791a-e5bf-48e3-b18a-8c1e6b0e4705" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="224">Option</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Source</strong></td><td><p>Use this menu to choose one of the following network types for the virtual machine network adapter:</p><ul><li><strong>Shared Network</strong>. Select this option to enable the Network Address Translation (NAT) feature for the virtual machine. In this case, your virtual machine will share whatever network connection is currently used by your Mac.</li><li><strong>Bridged Network</strong>. Select this option to allow the virtual machine to access the local network and Internet through one of the network adapters installed on your Mac. In this case, the virtual machine is treated as a stand-alone computer on the network and should be configured in the same way as a real one. You can choose the physical adapter where the virtual machine adapter will be bridged in the list below the <strong>Bridged Network</strong> option.</li><li><strong>Host-Only Network</strong>. Select this option to allow the virtual machine to connect to your Mac and the virtual machines residing on it and to make it invisible outside the Mac. If this option is selected, the virtual machine cannot connect to the Internet.<br><br><a data-footnote-ref href="#user-content-fn-1"><strong>Note</strong>: If you have an Apple silicon Mac and want to run a macOS virtual machine in host-only mode, you need to update your Mac's OS to macOS Sequoia 15 or newer and Parallels Desktop to version 20.4.0 or newer.</a></li><li><strong>Disconnect</strong>. Fully disconnect the virtual machine from any networks.</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Network Conditioner</strong><br>(not available on macOS virtual machines)</td><td>Use this option to imitate behavior characteristic of particular types of network connections listed in the <strong>Profile</strong> drop-down menu. You can set up a <strong>Custom</strong> profile and click the <strong>Configure</strong> button to adjust speeds, latencies, and packet loss as you see fit.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Advanced -> MAC</strong></td><td>In the <strong>MAC</strong> field, you can change the MAC address currently assigned to the virtual machine. MAC addresses are automatically generated during the creation of the virtual machine. However, you can modify the default MAC address by typing another value in the <strong>MAC</strong> field or clicking the <strong>Generate</strong> button. When entering a new MAC address, make sure that it is unique within your network. This option is for advanced users only.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Advanced -> Type</strong><br>(only available on Intel Macs)</td><td><p>You can use it to change the type of the network interface card. It is not recommended that you change the default setting unless the Parallels support team tells you to do so. This option is for advanced users only.<br></p><p>On Apple Silicon Macs, virtual machines are configured to always use the Virtio network adapter.</p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Advanced -> Open Network Preferences</strong></td><td>This button forwards you to the Network tab of the Parallels Desktop preferences panel. See <a href="../../parallels-desktop-preferences/network-preferences">this page</a> for more information.</td></tr></tbody></table>

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