How to expose a WSL app running on 0.0.0.0:8000 to other devices on the same network?

i am using wsl ubuntu how do i allow my 0.0.0.0:8000 to access on another device same network?

✅ Step-by-Step Guide

1. Start your server in WSL bound to 0.0.0.0

Make sure your app is listening on all interfaces:

python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 # Django example
# OR
flask run --host=0.0.0.0 --port=8000 # Flask

2. Find your Windows Host's IP on the LAN

WSL runs in a virtualized environment, so your actual network-facing IP belongs to Windows, not WSL.

Run this in Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell:

ipconfig

Look under the active adapter (e.g., "Wi-Fi" or "Ethernet") for your IPv4 address — it will look like 192.168.1.xxx.

Let’s say it’s 192.168.1.100.

3. Forward a port from Windows to WSL

You need to forward Windows port 8000 to WSL’s internal IP.

Get the WSL IP from Ubuntu:

ip addr | grep inet

Find something like inet 172.x.x.x — that's your WSL IP (e.g., 172.24.93.12).

Now, in Windows PowerShell (as Administrator), run:

example:

netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 listenport=8000 connectaddress=172.24.93.12 connectport=8000

netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 listenport=8000 connectaddress=172.28.192.105 connectport=8000

This sets up a port proxy so requests to Windows:8000 are forwarded to WSL:8000.

4. Allow Port 8000 in Windows Firewall

Run in PowerShell (as Admin) to allow access:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "WSL Port 8000" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 8000 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow

5. Test Access From Another Device

Now, from another device on the same network, go to:

http://192.168.2.6:8000

(Replace 192.168.2.6 with your Windows IP.)

✅ Optional: Remove Proxy Later

To delete the forwarding rule later:

netsh interface portproxy delete v4tov4 listenport=8000 listenaddress=0.0.0.0

To check if a port is exposed (i.e., open and listening) on your machine — whether in WSL or on Windows — you can use the following methods depending on where you want to check:

1. Check Listening Ports (WSL/Linux side)

In your WSL terminal, run:

sudo lsof -i -P -n | grep LISTEN

Or:

netstat -tuln

Look for a line like:

tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:8000 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN

• 0.0.0.0:8000 means the app is listening on all interfaces (good).
  
• If it's 127.0.0.1:8000, it's only bound to localhost — not accessible from outside.
  

🧰 2. Check Windows Port Proxy Rules (if forwarding WSL port)

In Windows PowerShell, run:

netsh interface portproxy show all

You'll see any port forwarding rules from Windows to WSL (e.g., 0.0.0.0:8000 → 172.x.x.x:8000).

🧪 3. Test Port Accessibility (from another device or locally)

From another device:

On another device on the same network, run:

Or open it in a browser.

curl http://192.168.2.6:8000

From the same machine:

You can also test with telnet (install it first if needed):

telnet 127.0.0.1 8000

If the port is open, you'll get a blank screen or some server response. If it's closed, it will say "Connection refused."

🔥 4. Scan for Open Ports (Windows)

In Windows PowerShell:

Get-NetTCPConnection -State Listen | Where-Object { $_.LocalPort -eq 8000 }

Or to list all listening ports:

Get-NetTCPConnection -State Listen