Windows client
The Windows release includes the CLI, desktop tray controller and a Windows Service wrapper. Normal desktop users should start with knotroute-desktop.exe.
Install
Section titled “Install”powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Install-KnotRoute.ps1Then launch the desktop application.
System integration
Section titled “System integration”KnotRoute does not create a TUN adapter by default. Windows integration can install a PAC rule that routes .knot browser traffic to the local KnotRoute HTTP proxy while leaving ordinary destinations direct from KnotRoute’s perspective.
This generally allows coexistence with VPN/TUN applications because non-.knot traffic continues through the OS routing stack.
KnotRoute can create and install a per-device local Root CA into the current user’s trust store. It is used only for local .knot browser compatibility.
Never import another user’s private CA key.
Typical local endpoints
Section titled “Typical local endpoints”| Function | Address |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | 127.0.0.1:8484 |
| SOCKS5 | 127.0.0.1:9477 |
| HTTP proxy | 127.0.0.1:9478 |
Diagnostics
Section titled “Diagnostics”knotroute doctor --config knotroute.json --probeknotroute address --config knotroute.jsonCheck Network ID, peer count, routes/circuits and recent events in the dashboard.
Stability and diagnostics
Section titled “Stability and diagnostics”Desktop data and logs live under %LOCALAPPDATA%\\KnotRoute. The tray controller now validates config/identity before starting the daemon and waits for the old daemon to actually exit before restart, preventing the previous stop/start race. Set KNOTROUTE_LANG=ru to force Russian tray strings when Windows UI language is not Russian.