When you add a network adapter, you have the choice between :
If you select Host-only and NAT, the IP of this interface will be given by the VMWare service.
Using NAT, the VM will be able to access resources on your network or the Internet. However services, such as a web server, running inside the VM won’t be directly accessible from outside of the VM.
You can make specific services on the VM accessible using port forwarding. For example you can configure port forwarding so that port 8080 on your host system maps to port 80 on the VM.
If you select bridge, the ethernet adapter will behave as the host machine didn't exist and if it's configured to take his IP with a DHCP, it will get this IP from a DHCP server on the network.
You can manage them with the Manage Virtual Network software :
If you have a very slow throughput, try to disabled the Large Send Offload property.