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WSL connection failures usually fall into one of five different problems: DNS name lookup, general outbound routing, VPN interaction, Windows-to-WSL access, or multicast .local discovery. Identify which case you have before changing settings. WSL 2 uses NAT by default; on supported Windows 11 installations, mirrored networking and DNS tunneling can address specific VPN, IPv6, multicast, and resolver issues, but neither mode bypasses every firewall or VPN restriction.
This guide gives you a diagnostic sequence, the relevant WSL settings, commands to verify each layer, and separate fixes for internet access, VPNs, local services, and .local names.
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1. Classify the failure before changing WSL settings
Run the tests below from the affected distribution. They separate name resolution from routing and from application-specific problems.
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cat /etc/resolv.conf
ip route
getent hosts example.com
curl -I https://example.com
| Symptom | What it usually indicates | First check |
|---|---|---|
getent hosts example.com fails, but an IP-based request works |
DNS resolution or DNS transport | Inspect /etc/resolv.conf, DNS tunneling, and VPN DNS policy |
| DNS and IP-based requests both fail | Routing, NAT, firewall, VPN route changes, or a stopped virtual network | Check ip route, Windows connectivity, VPN state, and firewall rules |
| Only one command or application fails | Application proxy, certificate, or its own network configuration | Inspect that application’s proxy and environment variables |
| Windows can reach a service in WSL only by an address, not by localhost | Port binding or localhost forwarding | Check the service bind address and WSL networking mode |
Only names ending in .local fail |
Multicast DNS (mDNS), not ordinary DNS | Check mirrored mode, WSL build, and Linux mDNS support |
Do not treat a failed ping as conclusive: many hosts block ICMP while allowing HTTPS. Prefer getent for DNS and curl for an application-level internet test.
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2. Verify Windows, WSL, and distribution state
Mirrored networking and the current DNS-tunneling behavior depend on Windows and WSL versions. In PowerShell, record the versions before editing configuration:
wsl --status
wsl --version
wsl -l -v
Microsoft documents mirrored networking for Windows 11 version 22H2 and later. The documented mirrored-mode guidance for .local resolution requires WSL build 2.3.17 or later. If your installation is older, update Windows and WSL first rather than assuming a setting is unavailable because it is misspelled or ignored.
Confirm that the distribution is running as WSL 2 in the third command’s output. WSL 1 has a different networking architecture and does not use the WSL 2 virtual machine settings described here.
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3. Understand NAT and mirrored networking
WSL 2 uses a NAT-based architecture by default. The Linux virtual machine normally reaches external networks through a Windows-created virtual adapter and NAT. Microsoft documents mirrored mode as an alternative on supported Windows 11 systems; it gives WSL a more direct presence on the host’s network stack and adds capabilities such as IPv6, multicast, improved VPN compatibility, and LAN access. These are capabilities, not guarantees: a particular VPN, firewall policy, or enterprise network can still block traffic.
| Consideration | NAT (default) | Mirrored mode |
|---|---|---|
| Windows support | Default WSL 2 architecture | Windows 11 22H2 or later, with a compatible WSL release |
| VPN behavior | Can fail when a VPN changes NAT routes or blocks VM-to-host traffic | Often improves compatibility, but documented VPN incompatibilities still exist |
| IPv6 and multicast | More limited | Designed to support IPv6 and multicast scenarios |
| LAN access | Subject to NAT and forwarding rules | Provides improved LAN participation, still subject to network policy |
| Firewall exposure | NAT and Windows/Hyper-V filtering can affect inbound traffic | Windows Firewall and Hyper-V firewall rules still apply |
.local mDNS |
Not supported when DNS tunneling is enabled | Possible with WSL build 2.3.17 or later and Linux mDNS configured |
Enable mirrored networking
Mirrored mode is a global WSL setting. Create or edit %UserProfile%.wslconfig in Windows and place the setting under the [wsl2] section:
[wsl2]
networkingMode=mirrored
Save the file, then restart the WSL virtual machine:
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wsl --shutdown
Start the distribution again and repeat the DNS and HTTPS tests. If a corporate VPN stops working after the change, return to NAT by removing the line (or changing the mode), run wsl --shutdown again, and test the VPN’s documented compatibility instead of assuming mirrored mode is universally better.
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DNS tunneling sends WSL DNS requests through a virtualization feature rather than as ordinary network packets from the Linux VM to the Windows host. Microsoft says it is enabled by default on Windows 11 22H2 and later and recommends it for VPN scenarios and complex host networking. It is particularly relevant when a firewall or VPN blocks DNS packets traveling between the WSL VM and Windows even though Windows itself has internet access.
Check whether the distribution is allowed to generate its resolver file
DNS tunneling depends on WSL managing /etc/resolv.conf. Inspect the distribution configuration:
cat /etc/wsl.conf
cat /etc/resolv.conf
In /etc/wsl.conf, the relevant setting is in the [network] section. Automatic generation must not be disabled. If you find generateResolvConf=false, remove that line or change it to generateResolvConf=true, then restart WSL:
wsl --shutdown
Do not permanently hand-edit a generated resolv.conf without understanding this relationship: WSL can recreate the file when the distribution starts, and a manual nameserver can become stale when you change networks or connect to a VPN.
What tunneling changes
| Feature | Effect when DNS tunneling is enabled |
|---|---|
| VPN policy | Windows NRPT policies can be applied to WSL DNS queries. |
| DNS server count | Windows DNS servers beyond the three-server limit associated with a Linux resolv.conf can be used. |
| Search suffixes | Windows DNS suffixes are made available to Linux. |
| Windows DNS encryption | Windows DNS encryption settings apply to tunneled WSL queries. |
| Linux-managed DoH or DoT | If you need DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS configured inside Linux itself, disable tunneling and manage DNS in Linux instead. |
| Docker Desktop containers | Container DNS queries managed by Docker Desktop bypass WSL DNS tunneling. |
After changing VPN, DNS, or wsl.conf settings, use wsl --shutdown from PowerShell and reopen the distribution. A shell that was already running can retain the old virtual network and resolver state.
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5. Troubleshoot VPN-specific failures
VPNs can alter routes, DNS policy, firewall rules, and interface order simultaneously. Treat a failure that begins immediately after connecting the VPN as a separate branch rather than repeatedly replacing nameservers.
Recommended order for a VPN test
- Disconnect the VPN and run
getent hosts example.comandcurl -I https://example.comin WSL. - Connect the VPN and run the same two commands in Windows and WSL. If Windows fails too, the issue is not WSL-specific.
- On Windows 11 22H2 or later, keep DNS tunneling enabled unless you intentionally manage DNS inside Linux.
- If NAT fails only while the VPN is connected, test mirrored mode. Restart WSL after changing
.wslconfig. - Check the VPN vendor’s current compatibility notes. Microsoft specifically documents Cisco AnyConnect route changes that can prevent NAT from working and lists some VPN versions that are incompatible with mirrored mode.
Do not infer that every VPN will work in mirrored mode. Enterprise VPNs can enforce their own adapter binding, route, or firewall policy, and a version update can change behavior. Capture the VPN name and version, Windows version, WSL version, active mode, and whether DNS or all traffic fails before requesting an administrator’s workaround.
6. Keep .wslconfig and wsl.conf straight
The two files have different scopes:
.wslconfig: a Windows-side, global file in your user profile. It controls WSL 2 virtual-machine options, includingnetworkingMode=mirrored.wsl.conf: a Linux-side file inside one distribution, normally/etc/wsl.conf. It controls that distribution’s behavior, including whether WSL generates/etc/resolv.conf.
A setting in one file cannot substitute for a setting in the other. After editing either file, fully stop the WSL virtual machine with wsl --shutdown; closing a terminal window is not equivalent.
7. Repair general outbound connectivity
When both name lookups and IP-based HTTPS requests fail, inspect the path rather than only DNS.
Check the Linux route and interfaces
ip addr
ip route
cat /etc/resolv.conf
You should see an active interface and a default route. If the distribution has no default route or the interface is down, restart WSL with wsl --shutdown. If the problem returns after every restart, compare NAT and mirrored mode and check whether a VPN or security product is removing the route.
Separate host, WSL, and application tests
- In Windows, open a browser or run a PowerShell web request to confirm the host has internet access.
- In WSL, run
curl -I https://example.comto test outbound TCP and TLS without relying on ICMP. - Run
getent hosts example.comto test the resolver independently. - If only one tool fails, inspect its proxy variables and configuration. A proxy required by Windows may not be automatically available to Linux, while a stale
HTTP_PROXYorHTTPS_PROXYvariable can break one application.
WSL’s automatic proxy handling is a networking consideration, not a guarantee that every Linux program inherits the Windows proxy. Check the application’s own proxy settings before changing global WSL networking.
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8. Make Windows and WSL services reachable
Windows accessing a service hosted in WSL
WSL supports localhost forwarding for applications hosted in the distribution. Bind the development server to the address and port it documents, then test from Windows with http://localhost:PORT. If it works on Linux but not Windows, verify that the service is listening on the expected interface and that Windows Firewall is not blocking the port.
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In mirrored mode, Linux can use Windows localhost through 127.0.0.1 for supported scenarios. IPv6 localhost ::1 is not supported for this Linux-to-Windows localhost case, so try the IPv4 loopback address when an application prefers IPv6.
Allow only the required inbound port
Inbound traffic can be filtered by Windows Firewall and Hyper-V firewall rules even when routing is correct. Scope a rule to the service’s protocol and port rather than disabling the firewall:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "WSL development service" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 3000
Run the command in an elevated PowerShell window, replace 3000 with the actual service port, and remove or narrow the rule when the service is no longer needed. In managed environments, local policy may prevent changes; ask the administrator for a narrowly scoped rule.
9. Resolve .local hostnames correctly
.local names are commonly resolved with multicast DNS (mDNS), not a conventional unicast DNS server. That distinction explains why ordinary DNS fixes can leave these names broken.
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Microsoft documents that NAT-mode .local resolution is not supported when DNS tunneling is enabled. The documented alternatives are to disable DNS tunneling or use mirrored mode. Mirrored-mode support for this scenario requires WSL build 2.3.17 or later.
Configure mDNS inside Linux
Mirrored networking supplies the multicast path, but the distribution still needs an mDNS-capable resolver. On Debian- or Ubuntu-based distributions, a typical package is:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install libnss-mdns
Ensure the distribution’s name-service configuration includes an mDNS method, following that distribution’s package guidance. Then test with:
getent hosts printer.local
Replace printer.local with a real device name. If Windows can resolve the name but Linux cannot, verify the Linux mDNS package and service configuration; if neither can resolve it, investigate the LAN’s multicast support and device advertising.
10. A focused recovery sequence
Use this sequence when you need a repeatable reset without changing several variables at once:
- Record
wsl --status,wsl --version,wsl -l -v, the Windows version, VPN status, and the exact failing hostname or URL. - Classify the symptom with
getent hosts,curl, andip route. - Disconnect the VPN and retest. This identifies route and NRPT interactions.
- Confirm
/etc/wsl.confhas not disabledgenerateResolvConf. - Run
wsl --shutdownto discard the old virtual network. - On Windows 11 22H2 or later, test DNS tunneling in its default enabled state for ordinary DNS and VPN use.
- If the failure involves IPv6, multicast, LAN discovery, or NAT-specific VPN routing, test
networkingMode=mirroredin%UserProfile%.wslconfig, then shut down WSL again. - For a Windows-to-WSL service, check the listening address and create a port-specific firewall rule instead of disabling protection globally.
- For
.local, verify WSL build 2.3.17 or later and install/configure Linux mDNS support. - If only one application remains broken, stop changing WSL networking and inspect that application’s proxy, certificate, and DNS settings.
11. Common mistakes and safer corrections
- Replacing
/etc/resolv.confrepeatedly: this can be overwritten and can discard VPN-provided DNS policy. First decide whether DNS tunneling should be handling the request. - Editing
wsl.confto change global networking: networking mode belongs in the Windows-side.wslconfigfile. - Assuming DNS failure means no internet: test an IP-based HTTPS request and inspect the route separately.
- Assuming mirrored mode fixes every VPN: vendor versions and enterprise policies can remain incompatible.
- Using a Windows DNS server manually for
.local: mDNS is multicast and requires Linux mDNS support plus a networking path that carries multicast. - Disabling Windows Firewall entirely: allow only the required port and protocol, and remove temporary rules afterward.
- Testing Docker Desktop containers as if they were ordinary WSL processes: their DNS path is managed separately and bypasses WSL DNS tunneling.
12. When to escalate
Provide an administrator or VPN team with a concise evidence set: Windows edition and version, WSL version and build, distribution name, NAT or mirrored mode, whether DNS tunneling is enabled, VPN product and version, the output of ip route and cat /etc/resolv.conf, and which of getent hosts or curl -I fails. Include whether Windows itself can reach the same hostname or URL. This distinguishes a WSL configuration issue from an enforced VPN, firewall, or LAN policy.
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