Parallels shuts down Internet connection

With the latest builds of Parallels Desktop, I have a problem of either Parallels or my guest OS (Vista Home Premium) shutting down my Internet connection if I have not launched the program for a few days. I get a message that says I'm connected to a local network, but no matter what I do, no matter whose instructions I follow, I can't connect to the Internet. This is happening with PD build 5584, but it didn't happen a few builds ago.

I have consulted the user documentation and the instructions on the Parallels support pages, but they don't help. Sometimes the procedures they recommend (such as reinstalling Parallels Tools) don't fix the problem. At other times, they seem to explain the procedure in terms of a previous version of Parallels or of the Mac OS, so that the menus don't correspond to what comes up on my screen.

The only way I have found to deal with the problem is to completely reinstall Parallels Desktop and then install Parallels Tools. However, I don't want to keep reinstalling the program every time I haven't opened it for a few days, so I'm looking for a more permanent solution.

Can you suggest anything?

 

Hello Jpkirchner,

Please check Parallels NAT port indicator status in Mac System Preferences -> Network menu. Is it green or red?

Are you using Shared Network or Bridged Ethernet?

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Thanks for responding.

The NAT port indicator is green.

I'm using Shared Networking.

 

Jpkirchner, is Parallels Host-Guest port indicator is green as well?
Please check if network connection will get restored if you disable Firewall both on Mac and Windows side and all antivirus programs.
Are you using Keyspan software?

We usually ask for a number of screenshots that help us to analyze the issue:

- the output of ifconfig command run in Terminal on Mac side;
- the output of ipconfig /all command run in CMD on Windows side (Start -> Run -> type CMD and press Enter -> run the command);
- the output of ping www.parallels.com command run in CMD on Windows side;
- the output of ping IP - please copy the IP from Mac System Preferences -> Network -> Ethernet -> Router.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

One of your suggestions seems to have fixed the problem. Turning off the firewall in Windows Vista and restarting seems to have done the trick. I hadn't gotten deep enough into Vista to know there was an automatic firewall blocking incoming and outgoing data, and I had just been using Vista based on my knowledge of XP.

And thank you for making me go into the Mac's UNIX shell. I'm not scared of it anymore. (Just a little side benefit.)

 

Thanks for the feedback, Jpkirchner. Good luck!

Best regards,
Xenos