Using VMWare Workstation Pro 15.5 on Windows 10 (with all updates for both)
I have VM guest machine that is a IP router with DHCP Server on of the virtual interface (VNet12, set to Bridging to a specific physical NIC). Works fine if I have something plugged into the physical NIC. But the problem comes in if there isn't something connected to the physical NIC...in Windows, the physical NIC is show as "not connected" and doesn't get an IP address from the DHCP server within a guest machine. I'd like the host Windows machine to get an IP address on the host, even if nothing is plugged in. If something get's plugged in, the Windows interface become active so the DHCP stuff works in that case. My use case is the host machine would like to access the guest using IP address assigned by the guest machine to the host, and if there is switch to extend the network, then machines other than the host can use the network.
Basically I want to use bridging and have it always enabled on the host, even when something is not plugged in to the physical NIC. Maybe can't be done in Windows and/or VMWare...
If that's not possible, I've thought I could use VMWare's private networks (and enabled on host), then use Windows "Bridge Connection" in Control Panel to connect the VMWare private network with the physical ethernet I'd like "bridge" to (if something is there to bridge to ).
Or maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see any VLAN support in Workstation, which might also solve my issue.