How to Limit Network Bandwidth for a Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation Player

Learn how to limit a VMware Workstation Player VM's upload and download bandwidth, use custom Kbps values, verify the cap, and remove it when finished.

VMware Workstation Player can restrict the network throughput available to a virtual machine's selected Network Adapter. This process is commonly called traffic shaping: it changes how much traffic the virtual adapter can transfer without changing the physical Internet connection.

A bandwidth limit is useful when a VM is downloading a large file and slowing the host's browsing, meetings, or other network activity. It is also useful for testing how guest applications behave on a slower connection, including downloads, uploads, streaming, synchronization, and timeout handling.

Prerequisites and scope

The target virtual machine must be available in VMware Workstation Player.
The VM must have a configured virtual network adapter.
You need permission to open and edit the VM's settings.
The limit applies to the selected virtual network adapter. It does not automatically apply to every VM or to every adapter in the same VM.

In this guide, the host is the physical computer running VMware Workstation Player. The guest is the operating system inside the VM. The virtual Network Adapter is the virtual NIC assigned to that guest.

A configured value is a ceiling, not a guaranteed Internet speed. Actual throughput can be lower because of the host, Wi-Fi or LAN conditions, ISP capacity, remote-server limits, protocol overhead, or other traffic competing for the connection.

Open the virtual machine settings

Open VMware Workstation Player and select the target VM.
Open Player > Manage Virtual Machine Settings.
In the virtual machine settings list, select Network Adapter.

The navigation path is:

Player > Manage Virtual Machine Settings > Network Adapter > Advanced

If the VM has multiple adapters, identify which adapter the guest currently uses before applying the limit. A cap on an unused adapter will not shape traffic sent through another adapter.

Open the advanced network adapter options

With the adapter to be shaped selected, open its Advanced settings.
Locate the Bandwidth control.
Review the available connection profiles and the fields for custom limits.

The exact labels or available profiles can vary with the VMware Workstation Player version and virtual hardware configuration. If the advanced controls are unavailable, make sure that the Network Adapter hardware item—not another device—is selected.

Configure download and upload caps

Use the Bandwidth drop-down list when one of the available connection profiles matches the condition you want to model. For a specific value, choose the custom option or enter the value in the appropriate Kbps field.

Setting	Traffic Direction	What It Controls	Typical Testing Use
Incoming/download bandwidth	Inbound	Data received by the VM	Testing downloads, streaming, updates, and synchronization
Outgoing/upload bandwidth	Outbound	Data sent by the VM	Testing backups, media uploads, and form submission
Bandwidth profile selection	Both directions as defined by the profile	A predefined connection condition	Quickly applying a repeatable general network condition
Custom Kbps entry	Each direction independently	A user-specified throughput ceiling	Reproducing a documented test case or asymmetric connection

Example: model a 1 Mbps download connection

Set the incoming or download limit to approximately 1000 Kbps.
Set the outgoing limit separately if the test also requires constrained uploads. Otherwise, configure it according to the test plan.
Confirm the changes using the dialog's Apply or OK control before leaving the settings. If the dialog offers only one of these controls, use that control to save the configuration.

This configuration limits incoming guest traffic to approximately 1 Mbps. A sustained guest download should approach that ceiling, but it may be lower because of normal network conditions and overhead.

Use different limits for upload and download

Real connections are often asymmetric. For example, you can configure a 5000 Kbps download limit and a 1000 Kbps upload limit to test an application with fast inbound traffic and slow outbound traffic. Configure each direction explicitly rather than assuming a single profile will produce the desired result.

Understand Kbps, Mbps, and byte-based rates

Kbps means kilobits per second. It is a bit-based network-rate unit used for entering a custom bandwidth value. Mbps means megabits per second. In common network notation, 1 Mbps is approximately 1,000 Kbps.

File-transfer tools often display byte-based rates such as KB/s or KiB/s. Eight bits make one byte, so a 1 Mbps limit corresponds to roughly 125 KB/s of payload transfer before protocol and network overhead. Do not compare a Kbps setting directly with a KB/s reading without converting the units.

Configured Rate	Approximate Kbps Value	Approximate Maximum Transfer Rate in KB/s
1 Mbps	1,000 Kbps	125 KB/s
5 Mbps	5,000 Kbps	625 KB/s
10 Mbps	10,000 Kbps	1,250 KB/s

When protecting the host connection, choose a cap below the bandwidth normally available to the host, leaving capacity for browsing and other activity. For development and QA, record the exact inbound and outbound Kbps values so that another test run can reproduce the same condition.

Verify that bandwidth shaping works

Start the VM after applying and saving the setting.
From inside the guest, start a substantial download or upload.
Use an Internet speed-test service or a controlled file transfer inside the guest to measure throughput.
Compare the stable measured result with the configured inbound or outbound cap.

Short tests can be misleading because of startup bursts, buffering, measurement intervals, and remote-server behavior. Run the transfer long enough for the rate to settle. A result near, but not exactly equal to, the configured ceiling is normal.

Change or remove a bandwidth limit

To change a limit, return to Player > Manage Virtual Machine Settings > Network Adapter > Advanced and edit the profile or custom incoming and outgoing values. Save or apply the change before closing the settings dialog.

When the restriction is no longer needed, choose the unrestricted or default bandwidth option if it is available. If you used custom values, clear or reset those values according to the controls shown in the dialog, then save the settings. If the VM has more than one Network Adapter, review each adapter and remove limits from any adapter that should no longer be restricted.

Troubleshooting

The VM still appears to use more bandwidth than expected

Confirm that the limit is on the adapter currently used by the guest.
Confirm that the settings were saved or applied.
Check whether the measurement is showing megabits per second while you are comparing it with megabytes per second.
Use a longer, sustained transfer rather than a brief burst.

Measured speed is much lower than the configured cap

Remember that the cap is a maximum, not a guaranteed rate.
Check host network use, Wi-Fi quality, LAN congestion, ISP capacity, and the remote server's throughput.
Check whether another VM, host application, or guest process is competing for the connection.

Downloads are limited but uploads remain fast

Review the separate outgoing or upload bandwidth setting. Make sure you configured the outbound direction rather than only the incoming setting.

The Bandwidth or Advanced option cannot be found

Verify that the Network Adapter hardware item is selected.
Check the VMware Workstation Player version and the virtual hardware options it exposes.
Confirm that permissions or another active configuration state are not preventing changes to the VM settings.

The host connection is still slow

Lower the VM's inbound cap further, especially during download-heavy activity.
Check for additional adapters or other VMs consuming bandwidth.
Look for non-VM applications on the host that are also using the connection.