If I enter the Wi-Fi settings of Android-x86 (currently v8.1-r1) inside VirtualBox (currently v6.0.4) and turn it on, why does it just immediately get turned off?
Some Android apps try to find devices inside the network so it's essential (e.g. if you want to use Chromecast and iRobot Home).
Turns out according to the official docs, "VirtualBox provides up to eight virtual PCI Ethernet cards", which means no Wi-Fi card is available to emulate. Even if the host provides Internet to the guest via Wi-Fi, all the guest sees is Ethernet.
But if VirtualBox is incapable of it, then how does Genymotion bypass it?
Major update:
thanks for using this very question as motivation, as of version 8.1-r2, Android-x86 simulates WiFi on its own!
Q & A