How to Create Networks

Purpose

Managing Networks in Netmaker

Introduction and the Default Network

Netmaker networks serve as segmented overlay networks, essentially acting as virtual subnets that allow you to isolate traffic for different use cases, environments, or customers. This segmentation is a fundamental architectural component for managing secure communications between distributed nodes.

The Default Network

Immediately following the installation of the Netmaker server, the system automatically provisions an initial network for your environment. This default configuration allows you to begin connecting nodes without manually defining address ranges or access policies right away.

• Locating the Network: Access the Netmaker dashboard and find the entry named Netmaker in the central networks list.

• Viewing Network Details: To inspect the specific configuration or manage devices within this segment, click on the Netmaker network name. This view will display all associated nodes and their status.

Purpose of Network Segmentation

While the default network is fully functional for general use, creating multiple networks is a best practice for organizational security and clarity. Using distinct networks allows administrators to:

• Segment Use Cases: Separate production traffic from development or edge device management.

• Tenant Isolation: Create unique network environments for different clients or departments.

• Address Management: Assign specific IPv4 or IPv6 CIDR blocks to different logical groups of devices.

Creating a Custom Network

Creating custom networks in Netmaker allows for effective segmentation of use cases, such as managing edge devices or isolating specific customer environments. Each network acts as a unique subnet or segmented overlay network.

Initiating Network Creation

To begin, navigate to the Networks dashboard. Locate and click the blue + Create network button positioned above the main network list. This action opens the configuration modal where you will define the parameters for your new segment.

Configuring Network Details

In the creation modal, you must provide a descriptive name and define the address space for the network:

• Network Name: Enter a specific identifier, such as Edge Access, in the name field to distinguish this segment from the default network.

• IP Address Ranges: Toggle the IPv4 switch to enable it. It is recommended to use the Auto-fill feature to automatically generate a CIDR address range (for example, 100.92.191.0/24). If your environment requires it, you can also enable IPv6 to assign virtual IPv6 addresses to your devices.

Defining Access Control

Before finalizing the network, you must determine how devices within this segment will interact by default:

• Default Access Control: Select the dropdown menu and set the policy to ALLOW. This ensures that nodes can communicate with each other immediately upon joining the network. Alternatively, you can choose to disable default connections if you prefer to manually authorize every peer-to-peer link.

Finalizing the Setup

Once the naming, addressing, and access controls are configured, click the Create Network button at the bottom of the modal. This saves the configuration and adds the new Custom Network to your dashboard, making it ready for device enrollment.

Segmenting with Multiple Networks

Netmaker allows you to create multiple segmented overlay networks to isolate different environments such as corporate offices, edge infrastructure, or cloud environments. This section demonstrates how to build out these specific use cases to keep traffic logically separated.

Adding a Use Case Specific Network

To create a network dedicated to a use case, for example employee office access, navigate to the main dashboard and click the + Create network button.

In the network creation modal, enter Office as the network name. This network is typically used for employees to access internal office resources securely. While the system can automatically assign an IP range, you can customize the subnet mask to fit your organization's scale.

• IPv4 Configuration: Enable the Auto-fill switch.

• Subnet Adjustment: If you anticipate a large number of employees, manually change the CIDR suffix from /24 to /16 (e.g., 100.77.15.0/16) to increase the available IP address pool.

Creating a Cloud Overlay

For scenarios involving the connection of disparate cloud or data center environments, you can establish a separate Cloud Overlay. This keeps infrastructure-to-infrastructure traffic separate from user-to-office traffic.

1. Click + Create network again from the network list.

2. Input Cloud Overlay in the Network Name field.

3. Enable Auto-fill for the IPv4 range and, similar to the office network, adjust the CIDR to /16 to ensure plenty of address space for various cloud nodes.

Once finished, return to the main Networks dashboard to view your new segments. You should now see a list of all active networks, including the default, edge, office, and cloud segments, each functioning as an isolated subnet.

Deleting a Network

When a network segment is no longer required or was created for temporary use, it can be permanently removed from the Netmaker dashboard to maintain a clean workspace.

Navigate to the Networks List

To begin, return to the main dashboard by selecting Networks from the breadcrumb navigation or the sidebar menu. This view provides an overview of all currently active segments, such as the default "Netmaker" network or any custom overlays like "Office" or "Edge Access."

Initiate Network Destruction

Locate the row for the network you wish to remove. On the right-hand side of the entry, click the Destroy button. Because deleting a network is an irreversible action that disconnects all associated nodes, Netmaker requires a safety confirmation.

Verify and Confirm Deletion

A confirmation modal titled Destroy network [Network Name] will appear. To finalize the process, follow these steps:

1. Type the exact name of the network (e.g., Netmaker) into the validation input field.

2. 
3. Once the name is correctly entered, click the red Destroy button at the bottom of the modal.

After clicking destroy, the network and its configuration will be permanently purged from the server, and the dashboard list will update to reflect the change.

Conclusion and Next Steps

This tutorial has outlined the essential process of configuring and managing networks within the Netmaker dashboard. By creating segmented overlay networks such as "Edge Access," "Office," and "Cloud Overlay," you can effectively isolate traffic and simplify administrative oversight for distinct environments or client projects.

Next Tutorial: Device Integration

Now that the network segments are established, the next stage of the setup is to populate these subnets with active nodes. In the upcoming video in this series, we will focus on how to add devices to these networks to begin building out your secure, peer-to-peer infrastructure.