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Overview

The Networks page provides management of Docker networks across your environments. It supports all Docker network drivers (bridge, host, overlay, macvlan, ipvlan) and enables connecting/disconnecting containers to networks with advanced configuration.

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Key Features

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Network Management

  • All Network Types: Support for bridge, host, overlay, macvlan, ipvlan, and custom drivers
  • Network Drivers: Color-coded badges for easy identification
  • IPAM Configuration: Manage IP address allocation (subnets, gateways, IP ranges)
  • Network Scope: Local, swarm, or global networks
  • Container Connectivity: View and manage which containers are connected

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Network Operations

Create Networks:
  • Select network driver (bridge, overlay, macvlan, etc.)
  • Configure subnet and gateway
  • Set IP range restrictions
  • Add custom driver options
  • Define labels for organization
  • Enable/disable internal mode
  • IPv6 support
Network Actions:
  • Connect containers to networks
  • Disconnect containers from networks
  • Inspect network details (IPAM, options, containers)
  • Copy network ID to clipboard
  • Duplicate network with similar configuration
  • Remove networks (with protection for built-in networks)
Bulk Operations:
  • Select multiple networks
  • Bulk removal of unused networks
  • Prune unused networks

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Built-in Networks

Docker provides three built-in networks that cannot be removed:
  • bridge: Default network for containers
  • host: Uses host’s network stack directly
  • none: Isolated network with no connectivity

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Container Connection Management

Connect Container:
  1. Choose container from dropdown
  2. Configure network-specific settings:
    • Custom IP address (optional)
    • IP aliases
    • Network aliases
    • Links to other containers
  3. Container joins network immediately
Disconnect Container:
  1. View containers connected to network
  2. Click disconnect icon
  3. Confirm disconnection
  4. Container removed from network
  • Text Search: Filter by network name, driver, or container names
  • Driver Filter: Multi-select for network drivers
  • Scope Filter: Filter by local, swarm, or global scope
  • Persistent Filters: Saved to local storage

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UI Features

Network Table:
  • Sortable columns
  • Status indicators for network state
  • Container count per network
  • IPAM configuration display
  • Quick action buttons
Driver Badges:
  • Bridge: Emerald green
  • Host: Sky blue
  • Overlay: Violet
  • Macvlan: Amber
  • Ipvlan: Orange
  • None: Gray

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How to Use

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Creating a Network

  1. Click the Create button
  2. Basic Configuration:
    • Enter unique network name
    • Select driver type
    • Choose scope (local or swarm)
  3. IPAM Configuration (optional):
    • Subnet: 172.18.0.0/16
    • Gateway: 172.18.0.1
    • IP Range: 172.18.5.0/24
  4. Advanced Options:
    • Internal network (no external connectivity)
    • Attachable (for swarm services)
    • Enable IPv6
    • Custom driver options
  5. Click Create to create the network

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Connecting a Container

  1. Click the Link icon on a network row
  2. Select Container:
    • Choose from available containers
    • Only shows containers not already on network
  3. Network Settings (optional):
    • IPv4 Address: Assign static IP
    • IPv6 Address: Assign static IPv6
    • Aliases: DNS aliases for the container
    • Links: Legacy container linking
  4. Click Connect
  5. Container immediately joins the network

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Disconnecting a Container

  1. Expand network details (if collapsed)
  2. Find container in connected containers list
  3. Click the Disconnect icon
  4. Confirm disconnection
  5. Container leaves the network

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Inspecting Network Details

  1. Click the Eye icon on a network row
  2. Network Information:
    • Network ID
    • Driver and scope
    • IPAM configuration
    • Gateway and subnet
    • Driver options
    • Labels
  3. Connected Containers:
    • Container ID and name
    • IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
    • MAC address
  4. Copy any value to clipboard

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Duplicating a Network

  1. Click the Copy Plus icon
  2. Network is copied with:
    • Same driver and options
    • New name: {original-name}-copy
    • Note: IPAM config (subnet/gateway) is NOT copied to avoid conflicts
  3. Edit the new network to set subnet/gateway

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Removing Networks

Single Network:
  1. Click the Remove icon (not available for built-in networks)
  2. Confirm deletion
  3. Network is removed from Docker
Multiple Networks:
  1. Select networks using checkboxes
  2. Click Delete in selection bar
  3. Confirm bulk deletion
  4. All selected networks removed
Prune Unused:
  1. Click Prune button
  2. Confirms removal of all unused networks
  3. Networks with no containers are removed

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UI Walkthrough

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Header Section

  • Title: “Networks” with total count
  • Search Bar: Filter by name, driver, or containers
  • Driver Filter: Multi-select dropdown
  • Scope Filter: Multi-select dropdown
  • Prune Button: Remove unused networks
  • Refresh: Manually refresh network list
  • Create Button: Open network creation modal

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Selection Bar

Appears when networks are selected:
  • Number of selected networks
  • Clear: Deselect all networks
  • Delete: Remove selected networks (excludes built-in)

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Network Table

Columns:
  • Checkbox: Select for bulk operations (disabled for built-in)
  • Name: Network name with badges
  • Driver: Driver type badge
  • Scope: Local/Swarm/Global
  • Subnet: IPAM subnet configuration
  • Gateway: IPAM gateway address
  • Containers: Number of connected containers
  • Actions: Quick action buttons
Name Badges:
  • built-in: Gray badge for Docker’s default networks
  • internal: Outlined badge for internal-only networks
Action Icons:
  • Eye: View network details
  • Link: Connect container to network
  • Copy: Copy network ID to clipboard
  • Copy Plus: Duplicate network configuration
  • Remove: Delete network (only for non-built-in)

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Network Details Modal

Sections:
  1. Overview:
    • Network ID
    • Driver and scope
    • Created timestamp
    • Internal flag
    • IPv6 enabled
  2. IPAM Configuration:
    • Driver
    • Subnet
    • Gateway
    • IP Range
    • Auxiliary addresses
  3. Driver Options:
    • Key-value pairs
    • Custom configuration
  4. Connected Containers:
    • Container name (clickable)
    • IPv4 address
    • IPv6 address
    • MAC address
    • Network aliases
  5. Labels:
    • Key-value pairs
    • User and system labels

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Real Examples

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Example: Bridge Network

Network Configuration:
Name: app-network
Driver: bridge
Scope: local

IPAM:
  Subnet: 172.18.0.0/16
  Gateway: 172.18.0.1
  IP Range: 172.18.5.0/24

Options:
  com.docker.network.bridge.name: br-app
  com.docker.network.bridge.enable_icc: true

Connected Containers:
  - web-server (172.18.5.10)
  - api-server (172.18.5.11)
  - cache (172.18.5.12)

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Example: Overlay Network (Swarm)

Network Configuration:
Name: swarm-overlay
Driver: overlay
Scope: swarm
Attachable: true

IPAM:
  Subnet: 10.0.9.0/24
  Gateway: 10.0.9.1

Encryption: enabled

Connected Services:
  - frontend (replicas: 3)
  - backend (replicas: 5)
  - database (replicas: 1)

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Example: Macvlan Network

Network Configuration:
Name: macvlan-net
Driver: macvlan
Scope: local

IPAM:
  Subnet: 192.168.1.0/24
  Gateway: 192.168.1.1
  IP Range: 192.168.1.200/28

Options:
  parent: eth0
  macvlan_mode: bridge

Use Case:
  Containers appear as physical devices on network
  Direct access to network services
  No NAT or port mapping needed

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Example: Internal Network

Network Configuration:
Name: backend-internal
Driver: bridge
Scope: local
Internal: true

IPAM:
  Subnet: 172.19.0.0/16
  Gateway: 172.19.0.1

Purpose:
  Isolated network for database and cache
  No external internet access
  Only accessible by other containers

Connected Containers:
  - postgres-db (172.19.0.10)
  - redis-cache (172.19.0.11)

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Database Schema

Networks are managed through the Docker API and don’t have persistent storage in Dockhand’s database. All network data is retrieved directly from Docker. Docker API Response includes:
  • Network ID and name
  • Driver and scope
  • IPAM configuration
  • Connected containers
  • Driver options
  • Labels
  • Creation timestamp

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Technical Details

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Network Drivers

Bridge:
  • Default driver for standalone containers
  • Software bridge on host
  • Containers on same bridge can communicate
  • NAT for external connectivity
Host:
  • No network isolation
  • Container uses host’s network directly
  • No port mapping needed
  • Performance benefits
  • Security trade-offs
Overlay:
  • Multi-host networking for Swarm
  • Encrypted traffic between hosts
  • Service discovery built-in
  • Load balancing support
Macvlan:
  • Assign MAC address to container
  • Container appears as physical device
  • Direct connection to physical network
  • No NAT overhead
Ipvlan:
  • Similar to macvlan
  • Uses IP addresses instead of MAC
  • Better for large deployments
  • L2 or L3 mode

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IPAM (IP Address Management)

  • Subnet: CIDR notation (e.g., 172.18.0.0/16)
  • Gateway: First usable IP in subnet
  • IP Range: Restrict IPs allocated to containers
  • Auxiliary Addresses: Reserved IPs for special use

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Performance

  • Real-Time Updates: SSE events for network changes
  • Lazy Loading: Network details loaded on demand
  • Cached Data: Network list cached for 30 seconds
  • Batch Operations: Parallel execution for bulk actions

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API Endpoints

  • GET /api/networks - List all networks
  • POST /api/networks - Create network
  • GET /api/networks/:id - Get network details
  • DELETE /api/networks/:id - Remove network
  • POST /api/networks/:id/connect - Connect container
  • POST /api/networks/:id/disconnect - Disconnect container
  • POST /api/prune/networks - Prune unused networks

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