Host Mac OS Location Services not available to Windows 11 virtual machine

[nickr54]

Hi,

I have Mac OS Location Services enabled for certain apps on my Mac OS host (Sonama 14.5 - e.g. Maps, Google Maps in browser etc) but there doesn't seem any explicit way to enable Location Services for VMWare Fusion virtual machines (Professional Version 13.5.2 - e.g. Windows 11).

I've seen a previous post saying Location Services only work with Bluetooth enabled via nearby Apple devices - but that is a red herring - it does work for other Mac OS apps my host MacBook Pro but not in the virtual machine.

Any clues - or is this a known limitation?

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Nick Rogers.
MacBook Pro - Sonama 14.5
VmWare Fusion Profesional Version 13.5.2
Long term OSX, Mac OS and VmWare Fusion user in Warwickshire, UK.
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[Technogeezer]

The host's location services are not available to the VM.  The VM would have to rely on its own location services implementation.

Microsoft says that Windows 11 location services use the following to determine location in conjunction with their location services implementation:

• GPS. There's no GPS in a VM, so that's not going to be useful.
• Nearby wireless access points. The VM doesn't have a WiFi network controller, so it can't determine nearby wireless access points.
• IP address. The VM's IP address is not unique, because it usually sits behind a NAT network firewall or broadband network router.

So it looks like it might be a limitation of the virtualized hardware environment. 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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[nickr54]

Thanks for that comprehensive explanation - I wondered why W11 though I was in Dublin, if only!

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Nick Rogers - retired IT professional, Warks UK.
Long time Mac OSX, OS and VMWare Fusion user.
MacBook Pro M3 (Sonama)
Fusion Pro
- Windows 11 64-bit Arm
- Ubuntu 64-bit Arm 22.04.3
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[gilby101]

• IP address. The VM's IP address is not unique, because it usually sits behind a NAT network firewall or broadband network router.

Might that work if 1) The VM uses bridged network and 2) the ISP does not use CGNAT. Then any connection from W11 to MS would be from the unique IPv4 address of the router?

[Technogeezer]

Might be better, but not perfect. I just switched a Win 11 ARM VM from NAT to Bridged networking and while the discovered location was closer (within about 6 mi. of my actual locations compared to hundreds of miles), it still wasn't my exact location.

Your mileage may vary.

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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