Parallels Desktop for Mac 19 User's Guide
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  • Parallels Desktop for Mac 19 User's Guide
    • Welcome to Parallels Desktop
      • What You Can Do
      • Editions of Parallels Desktop
      • What's New in Parallels Desktop 19
      • Setting Up Your Mac to Use Windows Applications
      • Other Operating Systems
    • Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop
      • System Requirements
      • Installing Parallels Desktop
      • Activating and Registering Parallels Desktop
      • Purchasing Parallels Desktop
      • Upgrading Parallels Desktop
        • Installing Software Updates
      • Changing the Language
    • Install or Import Windows
      • Installing Windows
      • Using Boot Camp with Parallels Desktop
      • Importing from an Earlier Version of Parallels Desktop or Another Virtualization Application
      • Downloading and Installing Windows from Microsoft
      • Getting Windows from IT
    • Use Windows on Your Mac
      • Getting Started
        • Launching Windows
        • Opening a Windows Application
        • Installing Windows Applications
        • Shutdown and Suspend Windows
          • Startup and Shutdown Settings
      • Setting How Windows Works with macOS
        • Merging Windows and macOS
        • Setting Windows to Appear in a Single Window
          • Adjusting Window Mode Settings
          • Monitoring Windows in a Scalable Window
        • Running Windows in Full-Screen Mode
          • Adjusting Full-Screen Settings
        • Setting an Application to Open When You Insert a CD/DVD
        • Sharing Items between macOS and Windows
          • Copying and Pasting between macOS and Windows
          • Sharing Files and Folders
          • Sharing iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive Folders with Windows
          • Sharing Windows OneDrive Folders with macOS
          • Sharing Applications
          • Setting Files to Open in Your Preferred Application
          • Setting Internet Links or Emails to Always Open in macOS or Windows
          • Opening the Current Safari Page in Microsoft Edge
          • Emailing macOS Files from Windows
          • Sharing External Storage Devices and Volumes
          • Sharing Windows External and Network Drives with macOS
          • Using a Disk Image with a Virtual Optical Drive
          • Adding Windows Disks to macOS Finder
      • Mouse, Trackpad, and Keyboard
        • Setting Your Mouse or Trackpad to Right-Click and Middle-Click
        • Using Keyboard Shortcuts
        • Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
        • Creating New Keyboard Shortcuts
        • Controlling Windows Input Language In macOS
        • Mouse & Keyboard Settings
      • Connecting External Devices
        • Adjusting Device Settings
      • Connecting Bluetooth Devices
        • Connecting Bluetooth Game Controllers
      • Printing from Windows
        • Sharing a Printer Connected to Your Mac
        • Setting Up a Network Printer
        • Setting Up a USB Printer
      • Using the Built-in or External Webcam
      • Presenting on an External Display or Projector
      • Protecting Your Data
        • Isolating Windows from Mac
        • Working in Windows without Saving Changes
        • Setting Password Requirements
        • Using Apple Touch ID to Log into Windows
        • Encrypting Windows to Protect It from Unauthorized Use
      • Connecting to the Internet or a Network
        • Sharing Network Access Between macOS and Windows
        • Applying Separate Network Settings to Windows
        • Using Host-Only Network Settings
        • Using Wi-Fi with Windows
        • Connecting Windows to a VLAN
      • Optimizing Performance
        • Allocating Specific Amount of Memory to Windows
        • Optimization Settings
        • Pausing Windows When No Applications Are Open
        • Optimizing Virtual Machines for Specific Tasks
        • Use Windows in Travel Mode
        • Scheduling Windows Maintenance
      • Saving Time with Parallels Toolbox
      • Saving a Screenshot from Windows
      • Setting the Appearance of Virtual Machine Dock Icons
      • Allowing Windows Updates While Your Mac is Sleeping
      • Translating Words in Windows
      • Using the Touch Bar in Windows
    • Parallels Desktop Preferences and Virtual Machine Settings
      • Parallels Desktop Preferences
        • General Preferences
        • Shortcuts Preferences
        • Devices Preferences
        • Security Preferences
        • Network Preferences
        • Advanced Preferences
        • Parallels Toolbox
      • Virtual Machine Settings
        • General Settings
        • Options
          • Startup and Shutdown Settings
          • Optimization Settings
          • Sharing Settings
          • Application Settings
          • Full Screen Settings
          • Picture in Picture Settings
          • Web & Email Settings
          • Maintenance Settings
          • Travel Mode Settings
          • More Options
        • Hardware Settings
          • CPU & Memory Settings
          • Graphics Settings
          • Mouse & Keyboard Settings
          • Shared Printers Settings
          • Network Settings
          • Sound & Camera Settings
          • USB & Bluetooth Settings
          • Hard Disk Settings
          • CD/DVD Settings
          • Boot Order Settings
          • TPM Chip
          • Printer Settings
          • Serial Port Settings
        • Security Settings
        • Backup Settings
      • Adding and Removing Devices
        • Support for Virtual and Physical Drives
        • Initializing a Newly Added Hard Drive
        • Connecting a Physical Disk to a Virtual Machine as Internal
    • Advanced Topics
      • Working with Virtual Machines
        • Supported Guest Operating Systems
        • About Virtual Machines
          • Set Where Virtual Machines Are Stored
        • Arranging Virtual Machines
        • Making Virtual Machines Distinctive
        • Changing the Virtual Machine Icon
        • Changing the Virtual Machine Name
        • Cloning a Virtual Machine
        • Backing Up a Virtual Machine
        • Creating and Using Virtual Machine Templates
        • Saving Snapshots of a Virtual Machine
        • Changing Virtual Machine Configuration While in Use
        • Scrolling Horizontally with a Mouse
        • Removing a Virtual Machine
        • Donwloading Pre-Configured Virtual Machines
        • Setting Guest OS Type and Version
        • Changing the Number of Virtual CPUs Allocated to a Virtual Machine
        • Controling Your Virtual Machine's CPU & Memory Usage
        • Using Apple Script with the Guest OS
        • Freeing Up Disk Space
        • Archiving/Unarchiving Virtual Machines
        • Transfering a Virtual Machine to Another Mac
      • Using Other Operating Systems on Your Mac
        • Customizing the Keyboard for a Guest OS
        • Running macOS Virtual Machines
          • Supported Trackpad Gestures
      • Installing and Updating Parallels Tools
        • Parallels Tools Overview
        • Parallels Tools for Windows
        • Parallels Tools for Linux
        • Parallels Tools for Mac
      • Setting File Type Associations
      • Picture in Picture Mode
      • Hiding and Showing Parallels Desktop
      • Removing Parallels Desktop
      • Advanced Settings
      • Shared Network Settings
      • Host-Only Network Settings
      • Creating Custom Host-Only Networks
    • Troubleshooting
    • Parallels Desktop Social Media Pages
    • More Resources
    • Glossary
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  • Shared Network
  • Host-Only Network
  • Add a New Host-Only Network

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  1. Parallels Desktop for Mac 19 User's Guide
  2. Parallels Desktop Preferences and Virtual Machine Settings
  3. Parallels Desktop Preferences

Network Preferences

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Use Network Preferences to change the shared and host-only network settings or to add a new host-only network.

To open these preferences, choose Parallels Desktop > Preferences, then click Network.

Note: This tab is available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro and Business Editions only.

Shared Network

By default, virtual machines are set to share network settings with macOS. When a virtual machine is connected to the shared network, it can access the Mac, other virtual machines on the Mac, computers on your local network, and the Internet.

To change the shared network settings, click Shared and make the necessary changes to the settings of the Parallels DHCP servers for IPv4 and IPv6. These servers, enabled by default, automatically assign IP addresses to your virtual machines operating in the shared networking mode. Please note that your Mac’s IPv4 address in this network is 10.211.55.2, not 10.211.55.1.

Unchecking the Connect Mac to this network checkbox will prevent virtual machines from accessing your Mac via the network.

Normally, virtual machines set to operate in the shared networking mode cannot be accessed from external computers. The port forwarding functionality allows computers on your local network and the Internet to transfer data to any of your virtual machines that use the shared networking mode. The data sent to a specific port on your Mac will be redirected to a specific port of your virtual machine according to the port-forwarding rule.

To add a port forwarding rule:

  1. Click the Add button (+) below the Port forwarding rules list.

  2. In the displayed window, do the following:

    • In the Protocol field, specify the port type you want to use for establishing network connections. You can choose between the TCP or UDP port types.

    • In the Source Port field, type the incoming port number on your Mac.

    • In the Forward to section, indicate the name or IP address of the virtual machine you want to connect.

    • In the Destination Port field, type the port on the virtual machine to which the data will be transferred.

    • Click OK to add the rule.

When the rule is added, use the following IP address combination for external connections to your virtual machine: <you Mac's IP address>:<Incoming port>.

To edit a rule, select it in the Port forwarding rules list, click the Edit button, modify the necessary settings, and click OK to apply them.

To remove a port forwarding rule, select it in the Port forwarding rules list and click the Remove button (-).

Host-Only Network

When a virtual machine is connected to a host-only network, it can access the Mac and other virtual machines on the Mac.

To change the host-only network settings, click Host-Only and make the necessary changes to the settings of the Parallels DHCP servers for IPv4 and IPv6. These servers, enabled by default, automatically assign IP addresses to your virtual machines operating in the host-only networking mode. Please note that your Mac’s IPv4 address in this network is 10.37.129.2, not 10.37.129.1.

Unchecking the Connect Mac to this network checkbox will prevent virtual machines from accessing your Mac via the network.

Add a New Host-Only Network

If you need to manage network traffic between virtual machines, you can add a new host-only network.

To add a new host-only network, click the Add button (+). Once a new host-only network is added, configure its settings the way you need.

Note: To rename a new host-only network, double-click its name and type another one.

To remove a custom host-only network, select it and click the Remove button (-).