WLS, VPN and Podman's user-mode-networking

[rgaiacs]

Hi,

at work, we use SonicWall's Connect Tunnel as VPN that does not work with WSL. For example, on Windows 11 PowerShell

> ping -n 5 github.com

Pinging github.com [140.82.121.4] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 140.82.121.4: bytes=32 time=38ms TTL=58
Reply from 140.82.121.4: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=58
Reply from 140.82.121.4: bytes=32 time=54ms TTL=58
Reply from 140.82.121.4: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=58
Reply from 140.82.121.4: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=58

Ping statistics for 140.82.121.4:
    Packets: Sent = 5, Received = 5, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 34ms, Maximum = 54ms, Average = 41ms

and on WSL GNU Bash

$ ping -c 5 github.com
PING github.com (140.82.121.3) 56(84) bytes of data.

--- github.com ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss, time 4089ms

We tried to use the new WSL Mirrored mode networking but the problem persists.

Last week, one colleague mentioned that Podman's machine --user-mode-networking is a work around for the problem. After create and start a Podman machine with user mode networking, i.e.

Starting machine "vpn-test"

Starting user-mode networking...

your 131072x1 screen size is bogus. expect trouble

your 131072x1 screen size is bogus. expect trouble

API forwarding listening on: npipe:////./pipe/podman-vpn-test

Another process was listening on the default Docker API pipe address.
You can still connect Docker API clients by setting DOCKER HOST using the
following powershell command in your terminal session:

        $Env:DOCKER_HOST = 'npipe:////./pipe/podman-vpn-test'

Or in a classic CMD prompt:

        set DOCKER_HOST=npipe:////./pipe/podman-vpn-test

Alternatively, terminate the other process and restart podman machine.

Machine "vpn-test" started successfully
```

WSL was able to connect to the internet, i.e.

```
$ ping -c 5 github.com
PING github.com (140.82.121.3) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 140.82.121.3: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.916 ms
64 bytes from 140.82.121.3: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.748 ms
64 bytes from 140.82.121.3: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.948 ms
64 bytes from 140.82.121.3: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.829 ms
64 bytes from 140.82.121.3: icmp_seq=5 ttl=64 time=1.35 ms

--- github.com ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 received, 0% packet loss, time 4035ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.748/0.958/1.352/0.208 ms
```

My questions are

1. What would look like a PowerShell script that would create a similar user-mode-networking so that I don't need to have to run a Podman machine only to have the VPN working?
2. Would be possible to integrate the solution used by Podman machine into a native solution provided by WSL out of box?

Thanks!