How to fix WSL2 having no internet connection in Windows?
Jul 15, 2025 am 12:05 AMIf WSL2 loses internet access, check firewall/antivirus blocking, restart network services, reset Windows networking, and verify proxy settings. First, disable third-party security tools and ensure Vmmem and Wsl are allowed in Windows Defender Firewall. Next, in WSL2, flush iptables and restart networking; if needed, manually set DNS to 8.8.8.8. Then, from Windows PowerShell, run netsh winsock reset and netsh int ip reset, reboot, and use wsl --shutdown before restarting WSL2. Lastly, check and clear outdated proxy settings in shell config files or Windows-level proxies.
If you're using WSL2 and suddenly find that it doesn’t have internet access, you’re not alone. This is a fairly common issue, especially after system updates or network changes. The good news is that in most cases, the problem can be resolved without too much hassle. Here’s how to get your WSL2 instance back online.

Check if Windows Firewall or Antivirus Is Blocking WSL
Sometimes, security software on Windows (like third-party antivirus tools or firewall settings) can block WSL2 from accessing the internet. This isn't always obvious at first glance.
- Try temporarily disabling any third-party firewall or antivirus software to see if internet access returns in WSL.
- You can also check Windows Defender Firewall settings:
- Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall
- Make sure that both
Vmmem
andWsl
entries are allowed through for both private and public networks
This step often fixes unexpected connectivity issues caused by overly aggressive security policies.

Restart WSL Network Services
WSL2 uses a virtualized network stack, which sometimes gets into a bad state. Restarting the network services inside the Linux environment can help.
-
In your WSL2 terminal, try flushing the IP tables and restarting the networking service:
sudo iptables -F sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart
If that doesn’t work, try resetting the DNS configuration manually:
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf
Keep in mind that this last change may be overwritten when you restart WSL. To make it persistent, you can install resolvconf
or modify WSL config files accordingly.
Reset WSL Networking from Windows Side
Since WSL2 runs as a lightweight VM, its network interface is managed by Windows. Sometimes, simply resetting the network from the Windows side helps.
Try these steps:
- Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
netsh winsock reset netsh int ip reset
- Then reboot your computer
These commands reset the TCP/IP stack and Winsock catalog, which might resolve deeper network-related conflicts affecting WSL2.
Another trick: completely shut down WSL using:
wsl --shutdown
Then restart your WSL2 distribution.
Watch Out for Proxy Settings
If you're behind a corporate proxy or have previously configured one, WSL2 might be trying to use it automatically — even if it shouldn’t.
- Check environment variables like
http_proxy
,https_proxy
, etc., in your shell config files (~/.bashrc
,~/.zshrc
) - Clear them or comment them out if they’re outdated or no longer needed
- You can check current proxy settings with:
env | grep -i proxy
Also, some Windows-level proxy tools or settings can affect WSL2. If you're unsure, try disabling any active proxies in Windows temporarily.
Basically, WSL2 internet problems usually come down to firewall rules, corrupted network states, or proxy misconfigurations. Most of the time, a quick reset or config tweak will bring things back online. It's not complicated, but it does require checking a few different layers.
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