WireGuard: Update for Windows client after four years
After problems with driver signing caused by Microsoft's blockade were resolved, WireGuard 0.6.1 for Windows has now been released.
After several years, there is again a WireGuard update for Windows.
(Image: heise medien)
The WireGuard client for Windows has been released in version 0.6.1. This is the first release in several years for the VPN software. It was delayed by a blocked developer account at Microsoft, used for signing Windows drivers.
Developer Jason Donenfeld announced the update last Friday. He usually doesn't do this, but after the first update in years and recent media reports, he felt compelled to. The update includes the kernel driver and management software, as well as command-line tools.
Changes in WireGuard for Windows
New features have been added, such as removing allowed IPs without packet loss, which has already been implemented in the software for Linux and FreeBSD, or support for very low MTU values for IPv4 connections. However, the biggest improvements are the collected bug fixes, performance enhancements, and, above all, streamlining by raising the minimum requirement for supported Windows versions to Windows 10 Build 1507.
This puts the projects on a more solid foundation without having to maintain decades of compatibility hacks and alternative code paths, as well as bizarre program logic and dynamic dispatching. Furthermore, Donenfeld has updated the toolchain for building the software and used libraries such as the Go version for the GUI and the EV certificates, as well as the signing infrastructure. All of this should work together to ensure better performance and more modern code.
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As this is the first update in several years, users are encouraged to test it extensively. The integrated update mechanism should find the update and offer installation. Alternatively, a direct download of the installer is available on the WireGuard website.
Donenfeld also briefly addresses the blocked developer account at Microsoft, which delayed the signing of the new driver. He dismisses conspiracy theories about it. Nevertheless, the reporting helped to attract Microsoft's attention and achieve faster unblocking of the account. He sees it as a case of bureaucracy run amok. For those wondering why an update for WireGuard for Windows has been released even though the account was blocked, it was quickly unblocked. However, many media outlets did not include this update.
(dmk)
