Unblock Windows Firewall for Specific IP Address in WSL 2

Introduction

In this article, we will cover the steps to unblock a specific IP address in the Windows Firewall for a WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2) Ubuntu 22.04 system running on Windows 10. This process is essential when you want to use a proxy or other applications that require outgoing connections and encounter firewall issues.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have the following:

• A Windows 10 system with WSL2 installed and Ubuntu 22.04 running.
• A proxy or other application requiring outgoing connections.
• The IP address you want to unblock.

Check if Proxy Application is Blocked

First, let's check if your proxy application is indeed being blocked by the Windows Firewall. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
2. Navigate to Inbound Rules, right-click, and select New Rule.
3. Select the "Protocol and Ports" option and choose the appropriate protocol for your application (e.g., TCP or UDP).
4. Input the exact IP address and port number used by your application in the "Local Port" field.
5. Set the "Action" to "Block the connection" and click "Next."
6. Select the "Domain, Private, and Public" profile and click "Next."
7. Provide a name for the rule and click "Finish."

If your application is blocked, you should see the new rule in the list of inbound rules. If not, proceed to the next section.

Unblock Specific IP Address

To unblock the specific IP address, follow these steps:

1. Open the Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
2. Navigate to Inbound Rules, right-click, and select New Rule.
3. Select the "Protocol and Ports" option and choose the appropriate protocol for your application (e.g., TCP or UDP).
4. Input the exact IP address and port number used by your application in the "Local Port" field.
5. Set the "Action" to "Allow the connection" and click "Next."
6. Select the "Domain, Private, and Public" profile and click "Next."
7. Provide a name for the rule and click "Finish."

In this article, we covered the steps to unblock a specific IP address in the Windows Firewall for a WSL2 Ubuntu 22.04 system running on Windows 10. By following the provided instructions, you should now be able to use your proxy or other applications that require outgoing connections without encountering firewall issues.