A WSL 2 user reported that switching from NAT to mirrored networking restored connectivity after pings to both the gateway and a public IP failed. That is a useful troubleshooting lead, not a universal fix: the report concerns one specific Windows, WSL, kernel, and Ubuntu setup, and it has not been independently reproduced here.
What the reported failure looked like
In Microsoft/WSL GitHub issue #40688, opened June 2, 2026, the reporter described WSL 2.7.3 on Windows 11 build 26200.8457, running Ubuntu 22.04 with kernel 6.6.114.1-1. The Linux environment had an IPv4 address, a default route, a gateway, and an ARP entry, yet pings to the gateway and 8.8.8.8 failed with 100% packet loss. The report says HTTPS access and ping worked after changing to mirrored networking.
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This distinction matters when diagnosing “WSL2 no internet but Windows works.” A valid address and route show that some local network configuration exists; they do not prove that packets can reach the gateway or the internet. In the cited report, DNS trouble followed the outbound connectivity failure, so the issue does not establish DNS as the root cause.
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Run the checks from the affected WSL distribution and compare the results. Substitute your actual gateway address for 192.168.0.1 if it differs.
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ip route
ip neigh
ping -c 4 192.168.0.1
ping -c 4 8.8.8.8
curl -I --max-time 10 https://google.com- If the gateway and public-IP pings fail, the problem is not explained by hostname lookup alone.
- If direct-IP connectivity works but the hostname request fails, investigate DNS separately.
- Record the exact outputs and whether HTTPS works; ping failure by itself does not prove that every kind of traffic is blocked.
Before changing settings, note the Windows build, WSL version, Linux kernel, distribution, and current networking mode. These details help determine whether the reported case is relevant to your system.
How NAT and mirrored networking differ
Microsoft documents NAT as WSL’s default networking architecture. Mirrored mode is available on Windows 11 22H2 and higher. Microsoft says mirrored mode “addresses networking issues seen with using a NAT (Network Address Translation) based architecture,” but that general statement is not a promise that it fixes every packet-loss problem. See Microsoft’s WSL networking documentation.
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| Consideration | NAT | Mirrored mode |
|---|---|---|
| Availability in the cited Microsoft guidance | WSL’s default networking architecture | Windows 11 22H2 and higher |
| IPv6 and multicast | Not listed as mirrored-mode benefits in the cited guidance | Microsoft lists support for IPv6 and multicast |
| Windows and Linux localhost connectivity | Not listed as a mirrored-mode benefit in the cited guidance | Microsoft lists improved localhost connectivity between Windows and Linux |
| VPN compatibility | Not listed as a mirrored-mode benefit in the cited guidance | Microsoft lists improved VPN compatibility |
| Direct LAN access to WSL | Not listed as a mirrored-mode benefit in the cited guidance | Microsoft lists direct LAN access to WSL |
| Reported result in issue #40688 | The user reported failed gateway and public-IP pings | The user reported that HTTPS and ping worked after switching |
Mirrored mode changes the networking architecture; it should be treated as a diagnostic option when your Windows version supports it, not as proof that NAT is the cause on every affected machine.
Try mirrored mode on supported Windows versions
The setting belongs in the global %UserProfile%.wslconfig file, not in the distribution-specific /etc/wsl.conf. Microsoft explains the distinction and restart behavior in its advanced WSL configuration guide.
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- Save work in every running WSL distribution. The shutdown command stops all running WSL 2 distributions.
- Open the global configuration file. In Windows, open or create
%UserProfile%.wslconfigin a text editor. - Set the networking mode. Add this section, or update the existing
[wsl2]section so it contains the setting:
[wsl2]
networkingMode=mirrored- Stop WSL so the setting can take effect. In PowerShell or Command Prompt, run:
wsl --shutdown- Start the distribution again and repeat the same checks. Compare gateway, public-IP, and hostname results with what you recorded before the change.
Microsoft says wsl --shutdown stops running WSL 2 distributions, and configuration changes apply when WSL starts again. If connectivity returns, mirrored mode is a workable option for your setup; the single GitHub report does not establish why it helped or whether it will help another machine.
Handle DNS, proxy, and firewall settings separately
Microsoft documents DNS tunneling and automatic proxy as separate settings with distinct purposes. DNS tunneling is enabled by default on Windows 11 22H2 and higher; it handles WSL DNS requests through a virtualization feature rather than ordinary network packets. Automatic proxy support concerns use of Windows proxy information. Neither setting is identified as the cause of the outbound failure in the cited issue.
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The reporter’s mirrored configuration also included dnsTunneling=true, autoProxy=true, and firewall=false. Do not copy that entire configuration as a generic fix: the available report does not show that those extra settings were necessary, and disabling the firewall may conflict with your security requirements. Change only settings you have a specific reason to test, and follow your organization’s security policy.
If mirrored mode does not restore access
Stop treating this particular report as a diagnosis if the same checks still fail. Preserve the command output and investigate the actual Windows, WSL, distribution, VPN, proxy, and firewall configuration involved. The cited sources do not establish a fix for other causes of WSL connectivity failures.
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