Legacy Software
Preserved for existing users, compatibility testing, and historical Windows networking environments.
Legacy Utility NDIS Miniport Driver Freeware

VirtNet: Virtual Network Adapter for Windows

A configurable dummy virtual network interface driver for Windows. Registers with the NDIS subsystem to provide a virtual Ethernet adapter visible to the operating system as an ordinary network card. Essential for network software development, protocol testing, and packet filtering frameworks.

Download VirtNet Architecture & Rules → ← All Developer Tools
Driver Models: NDIS 6.0 (Modern) • NDIS 3.0 (Legacy)
Architectures: x64 • x86
Operational Mode: Dummy Virtual Miniport (Non-Forwarding)
License: Freeware (Private / Educational)
Technical Architecture

How VirtNet Operates in the Windows Network Stack

VirtNet registers with the NDIS subsystem as an Ethernet miniport driver, presenting a standard IEEE 802.3 MAC interface to TCP/IP and upper protocol layers.

Dummy Miniport Emulation

VirtNet behaves identically to a physical Ethernet network adapter from the operating system perspective. It receives an IP address (static or DHCP), has a configurable MAC address, and binds to standard Windows networking protocols without requiring a real physical connection or link state.

WinpkFilter & Ecosystem Integration

VirtNet is purely a dummy adapter; it does not forward, route, or bridge packets on its own. However, when combined with Windows Packet Filter (WinpkFilter) or the Ethernet Bridge sample, software can intercept packets bound to VirtNet, bridge them to physical networks, or tunnel them through custom VPNs.

Multi-Adapter Instantiation

Multiple VirtNet instances can be installed concurrently on a single machine (e.g., using root\virtnet60_a through root\virtnet60_d). Each virtual adapter operates independently with its own MAC address, IP subnet, routing metric, and firewall rules, enabling complex multi-homed network simulation locally.

Operational Boundary • Dummy Virtual Adapter
Bridging and Routing Capabilities: VirtNet provides only the local network interface endpoint. To connect a VirtNet interface to a real physical network, you can use the Windows Packet Filter-based Ethernet Bridge application. The C++ source code is available in the ndisapi GitHub repository →, and documented on our Ethernet Bridge sample page →.
Driver Packages & Compatibility

Two Distinct Driver Architectures

VirtNet is engineered in two completely separate packages tailored to different generations of the Windows NDIS subsystem:

NDIS 6.0 Driver Package v1.2 (28.05.2020)

VirtNet (NDIS 6.0)

For Windows Vista through Windows 10 & Windows Server 2016 (NT 6.0+ Kernels)

Engineered for the NDIS 6.x miniport driver architecture. Supports 64-bit and 32-bit Windows kernels with full PnP root-enumeration.

Operating Systems: Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Windows Server 2008–2016 (32-bit & x64; INF supports NT 6.0+ architectures)
Package Contents: virtnet60.inf, virtnet60.cat, virtnet60.sys (x86 & x64)
Hardware IDs: root\virtnet60_a … root\virtnet60_d
Download VirtNet60.zip (68 KiB)
Legacy Driver Package v1.0 (02.05.2011)

VirtNet (NDIS 3.0)

For Windows 95 up to Windows 10 Version 1803

Historical NDIS 3.0 miniport driver supporting legacy Windows releases. Note: Microsoft permanently removed NDIS 3.0 support starting with Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019.

Operating Systems: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (up to 1803)
Package Contents: netVirtNet.inf, netvirtnet86.cat, netvirtnet64.cat, oemsetup.inf, virtnet.sys
Hardware ID: *NM_VIRTNET
Download VirtNet.zip (32 KiB)
Driver Signing & Windows Compatibility
NDIS 6.0 Attestation-Signed Driver: The virtnet60.cat security catalog is Microsoft attestation-signed (signed by Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher via the Hardware Dev Center attestation signing workflow), and virtnet60.sys carries a vendor EV code signature. The package is Microsoft attestation-signed and is not WHQL-certified. It installs on 64-bit Windows Vista through Windows 10 without requiring test-signing mode (bcdedit /set testsigning on is not required). On Windows 11 or environments with Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI / Memory Integrity) active, compatibility should be verified in a test environment. The legacy NDIS 3.0 package uses an older SHA-1 signature and cannot run on Windows 10 version 1809+ or Windows 11 because Microsoft removed the NDIS 3.0 driver subsystem.
Hardware Addressing

MAC Address Configuration & IEEE 802 Rules

VirtNet features a configurable MAC address accessible via the "Network Address" property in Device Manager or the Windows Registry.

NDIS 6.0 MAC Address Validation Requirements

The NDIS 6.0 version of the driver enforces strict IEEE 802 MAC address formatting rules. An address must satisfy all three criteria:

  1. Must NOT be a multicast address: (addr[0] & 0x01) == 0 (the least significant bit of the first octet must be 0).
  2. Must NOT be the broadcast address: FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF is rejected.
  3. Must be locally administered: (addr[0] & 0x02) == 0x02 (the second least significant bit of the first octet must be set to 1).
Valid MAC Address Example
A valid example address meeting all NDIS 6.0 criteria is: 06-01-02-03-04-05 (or entered without delimiters as 060102030405 in the Device Manager text field).
Installation Guide

Installing VirtNet on Windows

Install manually via Windows Device Manager or automate installation using the Microsoft DevCon utility from the Windows Driver Kit (WDK):

Automated Command-Line Installation (DevCon)

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator in the unzipped driver directory:

# Install VirtNet NDIS 6.0 (Windows Vista through 10 / Server 2016; NT 6.0+ kernels):
devcon.exe -r install virtnet60.inf root\virtnet60_a

# To install additional concurrent adapters, use root\virtnet60_b, root\virtnet60_c, or root\virtnet60_d:
devcon.exe -r install virtnet60.inf root\virtnet60_b

# Install VirtNet NDIS 3.0 (Legacy Windows 95 through Windows 10 1803):
devcon.exe -r install netVirtNet.inf *NM_VIRTNET

# Verify installed adapter status:
devcon.exe status root\virtnet60*

Manual Installation via Device Manager

  1. Open Device Manager (run devmgmt.msc from Run prompt).
  2. Select the root computer node at the top, then click Action → Add legacy hardware.
  3. Select "Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)" and click Next.
  4. Select "Network adapters" and click Next, then click the "Have Disk..." button.
  5. Browse to the unzipped driver folder, select virtnet60.inf (or netVirtNet.inf for NDIS 3.0), and click OK.
  6. Select "VirtNet Network Adapter" from the list and finish the wizard. The virtual adapter will appear under Network Connections.
Download Packages

VirtNet Driver Downloads

Choose the appropriate driver package for your target operating system:

NDIS 6.0 Package

VirtNet (NDIS 6.0)

Includes virtnet60.inf, virtnet60.cat, and virtnet60.sys for x86 and x64 platforms. Compatible with Windows Vista through Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 (INF supports NT 6.0+ kernels).

Version: 1.2 • Date: 28.05.2020 • Size: 68 KiB
Download VirtNet60.zip
Legacy Windows

VirtNet (NDIS 3.0)

Includes netVirtNet.inf, driver catalog files, oemsetup.inf for NT 4.0, and 32-bit and x64 virtnet.sys binaries. For Windows 95 through Windows 10 1803.

Version: 1.0 • Date: 02.05.2011 • Size: 32 KiB
Download VirtNet.zip

Pricing, Licensing & Warranty Disclaimer

Freeware License: VirtNet is distributed free of charge for private (non-commercial) or educational (including non-profit organization) use.

Disclaimer: The VirtNet virtual network interface driver is supplied AS-IS, without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied.