WSL VPN workflow

VPN for WSL and Windows terminal workflows.

For WSL projects, keep the VPN control path explicit: install Free VPN CLI on the Windows host with PowerShell, verify state with JSON, and avoid assuming that a Linux package command inside WSL controls the host VPN tunnel.

Install on Windows CLI overview
Windows host WSL workflow JSON output Doctor
#1 Free VPN
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Battle-tested VPN core
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Servers · global exits
WSL setup

Start from the Windows host.

WSL workflows run on Windows, so the safest documented install path is the Windows PowerShell installer. Keep WSL-specific assumptions out of scripts unless you have verified your environment.

Use PowerShell for the VPN install

Install Free VPN CLI from PowerShell, verify status, then run WSL project tasks with a known host VPN state.

Paste in PowerShell
PS>iex "& { $(iwr https://freevpnapp.org/install.ps1) }"
PS>freevpn status --json
PS>freevpn up --json
Practical notes
  • Install through the documented Windows PowerShell path.
  • Verify host VPN state before launching WSL tasks.
  • Do not invent WSL-specific package-manager commands.
  • Use JSON output for scripts and diagnostics.
Runs where your work already lives

A VPN CLI for WSL VPN users.

Use terminal commands where free VPN CLI work already happens.

Terminal

Run VPN commands directly where you work.

JSON output

Parse status, regions, and doctor output safely.

Region testing

Use explicit region selection when location matters.

Diagnostics

Capture structured evidence when network behavior is unclear.

Two lines and you're connected

Install on Windows, verify before WSL work.

Keep the host VPN state visible before running Linux-side tests.

Paste in PowerShell
PS>freevpn status --json
PS>freevpn up --json

Use freevpn doctor --json from PowerShell if a WSL network task behaves unexpectedly.

How it works

up. status. down.

Three verbs cover most day-to-day VPN work. set-region and doctor cover region selection and troubleshooting.

1 Check where you are · connect
2 Switch region · verify · disconnect
Workflow

Make WSL network state explicit.

Use PowerShell to control VPN state, then run WSL tasks only after status is verified. This avoids pretending that an undocumented Linux package command manages the Windows host tunnel.

Paste in PowerShell
PS>freevpn status --json
PS>freevpn up --json
PS>freevpn doctor --json
CommandWhy it matters
iex "& { $(iwr https://freevpnapp.org/install.ps1) }"Install Free VPN CLI on the Windows host.
freevpn status --jsonCheck host VPN state before launching WSL work.
freevpn up --jsonConnect from the documented Windows CLI path.
freevpn doctor --jsonCollect diagnostics when WSL-adjacent networking fails.
Features

Features for free VPN CLI.

Use only the CLI features that matter to this workflow.

Terminal-first control

Use freevpn commands directly.

JSON output

Use --json instead of scraping terminal text.

Region control

Set a region, connect, and verify the result.

Doctor diagnostics

Use structured troubleshooting output on failures.

Ad Block

Enable VPN-layer blocking during connected sessions.

SKILL.md

Agents can read the supported command surface before acting.

Ad Block

Use Ad Block during free VPN CLI sessions.

Ad Block applies while the VPN is connected and can help reduce known ad, analytics, and tracker domains across the device.

  • Blocks known ad, analytics, and tracker domains across the device.
  • Works at the VPN layer, so it helps outside the browser too.
  • Use stats to inspect what was blocked during the current VPN session.
Optional desktop app

The CLI stays primary; the desktop app is optional.

These workflows are terminal-first. On a desktop machine, you can add the optional companion window for human status checks while keeping scripts and agents on CLI commands.

Paste in Terminal
$freevpn gui install
$freevpn gui open
$freevpn gui uninstall
Agent Skill

Give VPN commands to coding agents.

SKILL.md documents Free VPN CLI commands, JSON output, exit handling, and troubleshooting flows so agents can use terminal commands without guessing from screenshots.

Download SKILL.md CLI overview
Works with Claude Cursor Codex OpenClaw Hermes+ any MCP tool
Built for

Built for WSL VPN users.

Use Free VPN CLI when free VPN CLI needs visible VPN state and practical diagnostics.

Developers

Keep network state explicit in tests and scripts.

Terminal users

Run commands without opening a GUI.

Agents

Use SKILL.md and JSON output for safer automation.

Privacy-aware workflows

Use a VPN layer and Ad Block where appropriate.

Service presets

Inspect service presets from the host CLI.

Service presets can be listed and inspected from the Windows CLI. Free users can use Off or General; non-default presets are paid and return a license-required response.

  • freevpn services list shows supported service presets.
  • freevpn services categories groups presets such as Streaming, Sports, Social, AI, and Other where available.
  • freevpn services current prints the current preset name on one line.
  • freevpn services --json is the safest form for scripts and agents.
Paste in PowerShell
PS>freevpn services list
PS>freevpn services categories
PS>freevpn services current
PS>freevpn services --json
Pricing

Free forever. Upgrade only if you want it.

Free VPN CLI is genuinely free to use: no signup, no email, no credit card. Use it for WSL VPN users without signup or a credit card. The paid option removes the continuous connection limit for people who want the VPN running all day. Cancel any time. Prices in USD.

Always free

Free plan — $0 forever

No signup. No card. No expiry. Use it as much as you want.

  • 30-min sessions with a 3-min break in between, on repeat, forever.
  • Same servers, regions and Ad Block as the paid plan.
Install free

Need the VPN running non-stop?

The paid plans below remove the 30-min session limit. Nothing else changes.

Weekly
$7.99/wk

Unlimited time, billed weekly. Cancel in one click from the billing portal.

Get unlimited
Annual
$99/yr

Unlimited time. Save ~58% vs. monthly: one charge a year, nothing else to think about.

Get unlimited
Monthly
$21.99/mo

Unlimited time, billed monthly. Swap plans any time from freevpn manage.

Get unlimited
Payments handled by Stripe Cancel anytime No email required for billing
Practical notes

Free VPN CLI notes.

Keep examples practical and source-supported.

  • Do not invent schema fields; inspect JSON output structurally.
  • Use freevpn status --json before and after region changes.
  • Use freevpn doctor --json for troubleshooting evidence.
  • Use explicit regions only when the task requires a location.
FAQ

VPN for WSL FAQ.

Should I install Free VPN CLI inside WSL?
Use the documented Windows PowerShell install path for Windows-host VPN control. Do not invent Linux package commands inside WSL.
Can WSL tasks use the VPN connection?
They can run while the Windows host VPN state is active, but you should verify your own WSL networking setup rather than assuming every environment behaves the same.
What command checks state?
Use freevpn status --json from PowerShell before running WSL network-sensitive work.
What if WSL networking fails?
Run freevpn doctor --json from the host CLI and inspect the structured diagnostics.
Does this need a GUI?
No. Use PowerShell commands for automation; the desktop app is optional for human checks.

Start using VPN for WSL.

Keep VPN state visible, parseable, and easy to troubleshoot from the terminal.

Install on Windows Main CLI page