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+--- Thread: What steps are necessary to set up an external virtual switch in Hyper-V? (/showthread.php?tid=69)
What steps are necessary to set up an external virtual switch in Hyper-V? - savas - 09-29-2021
Setting up an external virtual switch in Hyper-V isn’t that complicated once you get the hang of it. The first thing you need to do is launch the Hyper-V Manager. You’ll find it on your Windows machine if Hyper-V is installed. Once you open it, look for the section on the left where it shows your Hyper-V host. Right-click on the host name and select “Virtual Switch Manager.”
In the Virtual Switch Manager window, you’ll notice options for different types of switches. Since you want to set up an external switch, choose the option that says “External” and click on the “Create Virtual Switch” button. You can give your switch a name that makes sense to you. Something like "ExternalSwitch" is pretty straightforward.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. After naming it, you’ll need to select the physical network adapter you want to bind this virtual switch to. This allows the VMs to access the external network. It’s essential you pick the right one—if you have multiple adapters on your machine, it can get a bit tricky. Just make sure it’s the one you use to connect to the internet or your network.
Once you select the adapter, there are some other settings you’ll see. You’ll have options regarding allowing management operating system to share this network adapter with the virtual machines. If you’re running tons of VMs, you might want to check this box, but if you only need the switch for specific VMs, you can leave it unchecked. There’s also an option to enable VLAN identification, which is a bit more advanced but useful if you're diving into specific network configurations in bigger environments.
Don’t forget to check the setting you’re comfortable with. Once everything looks good, click “OK” or “Apply” to finish creating the switch. Hyper-V may take a moment to configure it, but after that, you can start connecting your virtual machines to this new external switch.
Now, when you create or modify any virtual machine, you’ll see the option to connect it to that external switch you just set up. Just select your new switch from the drop-down menu, and your VM will have access to the external network. It’s pretty seamless once you get everything set up properly. Just make sure to power on the VM to test the connectivity, and you’re all set. Jumping into the networking side of things might feel a bit daunting at first, but with these steps, you'll be managing external switches like a pro in no time.
I hope my post was useful. Are you new to Hyper-V and do you have a good Hyper-V backup solution? See my other post