Tunneling Through the Local Network: A No-Internet SSH Guide

Scenario: Local Network File Sharing and SSH Access

1. Connecting Windows 1 and Windows 2

• Ensure both machines are connected to the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network (even without internet).
• Assign static IPs or use DHCP reservation for consistency in accessing Windows 2.
• Check connectivity using ping <Windows_2_IP> from Windows 1.

2. Accessing Files from Windows 2

• Enable file sharing on Windows 2:

1. Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click Advanced sharing settings.
3. Enable File and Printer Sharing and Network Discovery.
4. Share a specific folder:

• Right-click a folder > Properties > Sharing tab > Advanced Sharing > Check Share this folder.

1. Access from Windows 1 via \\<Windows_2_IP>\<SharedFolder> in File Explorer.

3. Setting Up SSH on Windows 2

• Install and enable the OpenSSH Server on Windows 2:

Add-WindowsFeature -Name OpenSSH-Server
Start-Service sshd
Set-Service -Name sshd -StartupType Automatic

• Allow SSH through Windows Firewall:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="OpenSSH" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=22

• Find Windows 2's local IP (ipconfig in Command Prompt).
• From Windows 1 (WSL), SSH into Windows 2:

ssh username@<Windows_2_IP>

4. Ensuring Connectivity Without Internet

• If Windows 2 is not connected to the internet but is on the same local network, it can still communicate with Windows 1.
• If no router is involved, you can create an ad-hoc network or use a crossover Ethernet cable between them.
• Set manual IP addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.10 for