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VirtualBox USB Passthrough Guide

Editorial Team Editorial Team
May 12, 2025

Out of the box, VirtualBox has limited USB passthrough support. You can improve it with the Extension Pack and the Guest Additions. However, this doesn’t solve the problem of passthrough to remote VM sessions over RDP.

In this article, you will learn how to set up the Extension Pack, how to access USB in a virtual machine, and also how to use USB Network Gate to redirect your devices to a remote VirtualBox RDP session.

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VirtualBox iPhone redirection

Setting Up the Extension Pack

The Extension Pack allows USB use on VirtualBox VMs

The Extension Pack is a downloadable addition to VirtualBox. Unlike the base package, which is licensed under GPLv3, the extensions are licensed under PUEL, which restricts their use significantly. However, it’s necessary for proper USB passthrough support. Here’s how to use USB in VirtualBox.

First off, you’ll need to add your user to the vboxusers group. Do this by running the command “adduser [username] vboxusers” as root, and then restarting the computer.

Next, download the Extension Pack. It can be found on the VirtualBox download page. Open VirtualBox, and go to Tools > Extensions. Click the “+” button and select the downloaded file.

Using the Tools menu to open Extensions in the VirtualBox Manager

After you authenticate the installation and agree to the terms and conditions, the process is complete and you can add USB to VirtualBox.

Note: Mouse input and general performance can also be improved by installing Guest Addons on the VM of your choice.

How to Connect USB to Virtual Machine - VirtualBox

1
Make sure that the USB controller is enabled for your virtual machine. This can be checked in Expert Settings > USB.
USB controller selection under individual VM settings
2
Run the virtual machine.
3
Open Devices > USB from the menu bar.
USB device selection for an actively running virtual machine
4
Select the device you want to enable.

If you failed to attach usb device, VirtualBox may require you to install the Extension Pack, may not support the specific device, or VirtualBox USB filters that disallow it may be enabled for the virtual machine.

USB Network Gate

Do you want to use your USB device on a remote VRDP virtual machine? Or is it an exotic device, such as a 3D sculpting mouse, that VirtualBox USB extensions don’t support? In either case, USB Network Gate is the solution for you. It’s a utility that allows any USB device connected to one machine to be shared to another on the same network, and this includes VMs.

VirtualBox USB passthrough with USB Network Gate

In addition to supporting a variety of hardware - printers, webcams, and dongles - connections created by USB Network Gate allow for a lot of security, with options for encryption, password protection, and automatic disconnect. It also works through NAT. USB Network Gate is both versatile and easy to use, never requiring complicated setup to access any of its features. A Free Trial is available to let you experiment and decide before buying.

Easy VirtualBox USB Passthrough
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How to Use USB Network Gate

video guide
1
Start a VirtualBox session and connect to it over RDP.
2
Download and install USB Network Gate on both the virtual machine and your computer. The client on the virtual machine can be installed with the connection-only option, while the local computer should be able to share devices.
USB Network Gate installation settings - a complete install is selected for the host
3
Activate USB Network Gate on the local computer. This is also where you can use the temporary code from the Free Trial.
4
In USB Network Gate on the virtual machine, select Connected devices > Add Server, and type in the IP address of the local computer, which can be found with ipconfig.
Server addition in USB Network Gate is necessary if the host is not detected automatically
5
On your computer, press “Share” next to the device you want to access in the virtual machine.
A USB flash drive highlighted and ready to share
6
The device should appear in the VM USB Network Gate client, where you can click “Connect” to start using it.
The USB flash drive detected on the client USB Network Gate installation

The hardware that this app can redirect ranges from storage devices to iPhones, and with full cross-platform support, users can enjoy USB Network Gate on Windows, macOS, Linux, and even ARM platforms.

FAQ

Mostly, you need to verify that the Extension Pack is present and its version is compatible with the version of your VirtualBox. Uninstall your current pack from the extension manager if necessary.
In some cases, such as with many RDP clients or some devices, VirtualBox is incapable of redirecting them to the virtual machine. One of the methods you could try is USB Network Gate.
USB Network Gate
Redirect USB devices over network
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14-day Free Trial available
License price starts at $159.95
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