Set Up Remote Access to Your Hyper-V VMs

Remote access to Hyper-V virtual machines requires proper network configuration. While the basic process seems simple - create a VM, enable remote access, and connect - WiFi networking creates complications that most tutorials don't address.

VM Networking for Remote Access

Hyper-V offers two main networking options for VMs: External Switch and Default Switch. Each has different implications for remote access.

External Switch connects VMs directly to your physical network. VMs receive IP addresses from your router and appear as separate devices on your network. This allows direct remote access from any computer to the VM's IP address.

However, External Switch requires bridging your network adapter, which fails on most WiFi connections. WiFi access points typically allow only one MAC address per connection, so they block or drop traffic from bridged VMs. For detailed troubleshooting of WiFi VM connectivity issues, see Why VMs Can't Connect Through WiFi.

Default Switch uses NAT to provide internet access to VMs while isolating them from your local network. VMs get 172.x.x.x addresses that aren't reachable from other computers. You can only connect to these VMs from the Hyper-V host itself.

For remote access, this means External Switch works only on wired connections, while Default Switch prevents remote access entirely.

Setting Up VM Networking

If you're fortunate enough to have a wired ethernet connection, creating an External Switch gives your VMs real network addresses. Run New-VMSwitch -Name "External" -NetAdapterName "Ethernet" in PowerShell, assign it to your VM through the network adapter settings, and your VM will appear as a regular device on your network.

For WiFi users - which includes most developers today - you're stuck with the Default Switch. Change your VM's network adapter to use "Default Switch" and it will get internet access with a 172.x.x.x address, but it won't be reachable from other computers.

Find your VM's IP address by running ipconfig (Windows) or ip addr show (Linux) inside the virtual machine. You'll need this for the connection steps.

Enabling Remote Desktop on Windows VMs

Windows VMs disable Remote Desktop by default for security reasons. You'll need to enable it before you can connect from other computers. The fastest way is through the command line - open an Administrator command prompt in your VM and run these two commands:

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="remote desktop" new enable=Yes

The first command enables the Remote Desktop service, while the second opens the necessary firewall ports. Once these complete, your Windows VM is ready for remote connections.

Connecting to your VM depends on your client operating system. Windows users can open Remote Desktop Connection (type mstsc in the Start menu) and enter the VM's IP address. Mac users will want to install Microsoft's Remote Desktop app from the App Store. Even mobile devices can connect using Microsoft's Remote Desktop apps available for both iOS and Android."

Connecting to Linux VMs via SSH

Linux virtual machines are generally easier to access remotely since SSH comes enabled by default on most distributions. Once your Linux VM has network connectivity, you can typically connect immediately using any SSH client:

ssh username@VM-IP-ADDRESS

If the SSH connection fails, the most common issues are user account configuration and authentication:

Enable your user for SSH login:

# Allow your user to SSH (if restricted)
sudo usermod -s /bin/bash username

# Or create a new user for SSH access
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash sshuser
sudo passwd sshuser

Set up SSH key authentication (recommended):

# Generate SSH key pair on your client
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

# Copy public key to VM (enter password when prompted)
ssh-copy-id username@VM-IP-ADDRESS

After setting up keys, you can connect without entering passwords each time.

SSH provides excellent performance for command-line work and can even forward X11 applications for graphical programs, making it often preferable to graphical remote access solutions for Linux development work.

Setting Up Team VM Access

NAT based "remote access" from host works for individual use, but teams need a better approach. Rather than everyone managing their own VMs with complex networking, you can set up a small team server that shares VMs across your development team.

eryph enables this without requiring a full IT department. Install eryph on a dedicated machine with wired network access, and the VMs get proper IP addresses that team members can connect to directly. Since the VMs run on a server with External Switch networking, the WiFi bridging problems disappear.

This centralizes the complexity - one properly networked server runs all the VMs, while team members simply connect to VM IP addresses via RDP or SSH. The automatic virtual networking and project-based isolation handle VM organization without manual network configuration.

Learn more about eryph's team collaboration features →

Need reliable team access to VMs? eryph provides managed virtual infrastructure that works consistently across all network environments.