VMware ESXi and vSphere Cluster Management
How to Limit Network Bandwidth for a Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation Player
Learn how to limit a VMware Workstation Player VM's download and upload bandwidth, choose Kbps values, verify the cap, and troubleshoot network-shaping issues.
VMware Workstation Player can restrict the network throughput available to an individual virtual machine (VM). This is useful when a guest operating system is downloading a large update, uploading files, or consuming so much bandwidth that browsing on the host becomes slow.
Bandwidth limiting is also useful for application testing. By giving a VM a slower connection, you can observe how an application behaves when downloads, uploads, or API requests have limited throughput.
What the Terms Mean
VMware Workstation Player is desktop virtualization software that runs virtual machines. The host is the physical computer and operating system running Player. The guest is the operating system inside the VM.
A VM's Network Adapter is its virtual network interface. The adapter's advanced settings include controls for traffic behavior, including bandwidth.
- Incoming or download bandwidth: Data received by the VM from the network.
- Outgoing or upload bandwidth: Data sent from the VM to the network.
- Bandwidth: The maximum rate at which data can be transferred.
- Bandwidth profile: A predefined connection type that applies a known throughput limit.
Prerequisites and Scope
- Use VMware Workstation Player to edit the VM configuration.
- The limit applies to the selected VM's network adapter, not automatically to every VM or to the entire host.
- The VM must have a configured Network Adapter before adapter-specific bandwidth controls can be changed.
- Depending on the Player installation and VM state, the VM may need to be powered off or its settings must otherwise be editable before changes can be saved.
- Know whether you want to limit incoming traffic, outgoing traffic, or both.
Open the VM Network Adapter Settings
- Open VMware Workstation Player.
- Select the virtual machine that needs a bandwidth limit.
- Open Player, then choose Manage Virtual Machine Settings.
- In the virtual machine hardware list, select Network Adapter.
- Open the adapter's Advanced network settings.
Interface labels can vary slightly between Player versions. If the settings cannot be edited, shut down the guest instead of leaving it running or suspended, then reopen the VM settings.
Configure Incoming and Outgoing Limits
- Find the Bandwidth control in the adapter's advanced settings.
- Select an available connection type or bandwidth profile when a preset matches your test or usage requirement.
- If no preset is suitable, choose the custom option and enter a throughput value in the Kbps field.
- Set the incoming or download limit independently from the outgoing or upload limit.
- Save or apply the virtual machine settings.
For example, to keep a guest download from taking over the connection, set a lower incoming value. To test an upload-sensitive application, set a lower outgoing value. Set both directions when the test requires a constrained connection in both ways.
Choose the Correct Bandwidth Values
Kbps means kilobits per second. Mbps means megabits per second. The Player control for a manual bandwidth value accepts Kbps, so convert the desired rate before entering it.
Using decimal network-rate terminology, 1 Mbps is approximately 1000 Kbps. Therefore, a target of 1 Mbps downstream can be entered as about 1000 Kbps. This is a rate conversion, not a guarantee that every application will report exactly that value.
Choose limits below the actual capacity of the host's internet connection. If the host connection is already slower than the configured cap, the ISP connection, Wi-Fi, server, or other traffic is the effective bottleneck and the VM setting will not be observable.
Measured throughput can be lower than the configured maximum because of protocol overhead, speed-test methodology, remote server capacity, Wi-Fi quality, host activity, and congestion elsewhere on the network.
Verify the Restriction
- Start the VM after applying the adapter settings.
- Generate traffic inside the guest, such as a controlled download, file upload, cloud synchronization task, or application request.
- Use an internet speed-test service inside the guest, or measure a controlled transfer from a known source.
- Compare the observed download and upload rates with their configured limits.
- Test the two directions separately when both incoming and outgoing limits are configured.
For a 1 Mbps incoming limit, a download should normally approach, but not necessarily equal, 1 Mbps under favorable conditions. Repeat the test with an upload for the outgoing limit. A test server that cannot provide enough data can make the VM appear slower than the configured cap.
Practical Configurations
Keep the Host Usable During a Guest Download
Before downloading a large installer or update inside the guest, set a lower incoming limit on the VM's active Network Adapter. The guest download is constrained, leaving more capacity for host browsing and other network activity.
Test an Application on a 1 Mbps Connection
Set the VM's incoming bandwidth to approximately 1000 Kbps. Run the application and observe page loading, download progress, timeouts, and retry behavior. If the application also sends substantial data, configure an outgoing limit separately.
Test Upload-Sensitive Behavior
Set a low outgoing limit, then upload a file, synchronize data with cloud storage, or issue an API request that transfers data from the VM. The guest's outbound transfer should be reduced while its download behavior remains controlled by the separate incoming setting.
Bandwidth Limits Compared with Other Network Conditions
A bandwidth limit reduces the maximum throughput. It does not necessarily reproduce latency, jitter, packet loss, DNS delays, or interrupted connections.
For realistic poor-network testing, combine throughput limits with appropriate latency or packet-loss testing where those controls are available, and test connection interruptions separately.
Troubleshooting
The VM Speed Is Not Close to the Configured Limit
- The source server, host connection, Wi-Fi link, or other network congestion may already be slower than the configured cap.
- Protocol overhead and the speed-test method can produce results below the nominal value.
- The wrong Network Adapter may have been configured.
Confirm that the guest is using the adapter whose advanced settings were changed. Try another speed-test server or a controlled transfer, and compare the result with an uncapped or higher-cap baseline.
Only Downloads or Only Uploads Are Limited
Incoming and outgoing values are independent. Review both settings. Use a download test to generate inbound traffic and a file upload or upload speed test to generate outbound traffic.
The Bandwidth Controls Cannot Be Edited
The VM may be running or suspended, or the current user may not have permission to modify its configuration. Shut down the guest, reopen its settings, and verify that the VM files and configuration are writable by the current user.
The VM Lost Internet Access
Review the Network Adapter's connection mode. The adapter may have been changed to host-only networking or another mode that does not provide the intended external access. Restore the intended NAT or bridged configuration before evaluating bandwidth shaping.
The Application Does Not Behave Like It Is on a Poor Network
Throughput limiting alone does not simulate latency, jitter, packet loss, DNS delays, or connection interruptions. Add relevant impairment testing, such as packet loss where supported, and use additional network-testing tools when those conditions matter.
Summary
In VMware Workstation Player, open Player > Manage Virtual Machine Settings > Network Adapter > Advanced, locate Bandwidth, choose a preset or enter custom Kbps values, and configure incoming and outgoing limits independently. Apply the settings, generate traffic inside the guest, and verify each direction with a speed test or controlled transfer.
For related configuration guidance, see VM network bandwidth limiting.