Private Networks - RamNode Cloud VPS Documentation

Overview

Private networks in RamNode Cloud allow you to create isolated network environments for secure communication between your instances. Traffic on private networks is completely isolated from the public internet and doesn't count against your bandwidth allocation.

You can create custom private networks with your own IP addressing schemes and connect multiple instances for internal communication—all at no additional cost.

Benefits of Private Networks

Enhanced Security

Traffic never leaves RamNode's infrastructure, providing isolation from the public internet.

No Bandwidth Charges

Private network traffic is completely free and doesn't count toward your bandwidth quota.

Custom IP Addressing

Define your own private IP ranges using any RFC1918 address space.

Multi-Instance Communication

Connect multiple instances together for complex application architectures.

Common Use Cases

Database Backend

Keep databases on private networks, accessible only to your application servers. This prevents direct internet exposure while allowing application connectivity.

Microservices Architecture

Connect microservices together on private networks for fast, secure inter-service communication without exposing internal APIs to the internet.

Cluster Communication

Build clusters (Kubernetes, Elasticsearch, databases) with private network communication between nodes for optimal performance and security.

File Sharing & Backups

Transfer large files or backups between instances without using public bandwidth or incurring transfer costs.

Creating a Private Network

Step 1: Access Networks Panel

Log into the Cloud Control Panel
Open the Networks tab
Click Create at the bottom right

Step 2: Configure Network

Give your network a descriptive name (e.g., "production-backend")
Select the Region where your instances are located
Click Next

Networks are region-specific. Instances must be in the same region to use a private network together.

Step 3: Configure Subnet

Give your subnet a name
Enter a private network address in CIDR format
Configure gateway and DHCP settings
Click Create

Common Private IP Ranges

10.0.0.0/8     - Class A (16.7 million addresses)
172.16.0.0/12  - Class B (1 million addresses)
192.168.0.0/16 - Class C (65,536 addresses)

Example subnets:
10.20.30.0/24  - 254 usable addresses
192.168.1.0/24 - 254 usable addresses
172.16.0.0/16  - 65,534 usable addresses

Gateway Configuration

Important

Unless you need a specific gateway for routing, leave Gateway IP as "Do not set gateway IP". This prevents default route conflicts with DHCP.

Step 4: Configure DHCP

Leave DHCP enabled for automatic IP configuration
Enter the IP range for DHCP allocation (e.g., 10.20.30.2 - 10.20.30.254)
Click Create

With DHCP enabled, instances will automatically configure their private IPs when connected to the network.

Assigning Private IPs to Instances

Step 5: Connect Instance

To add an instance to your private network:

Go to the Instances tab
Select your instance
Click the Networking tab on the instance page
Click Assign Fixed IP
Select your private network from the dropdown
Click Assign Fixed IP

If DHCP is enabled, the private IP will be automatically configured on your instance within seconds.

Manual Configuration (No DHCP)

If you disabled DHCP or need to manually configure networking:

Ubuntu/Debian (netplan)

# Edit /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml
network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    eth1:  # Your private network interface
      addresses:
        - 10.20.30.10/24
      dhcp4: no

# Apply the configuration
sudo netplan apply

CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky

# Edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth1
TYPE=Ethernet
BOOTPROTO=static
NAME=eth1
DEVICE=eth1
ONBOOT=yes
IPADDR=10.20.30.10
NETMASK=255.255.255.0

# Restart network
sudo systemctl restart network

Best Practices

Use Standard Private Ranges

Stick to RFC1918 private address spaces (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16) to avoid conflicts.

Plan Your Subnets

Design subnet sizing based on expected growth. It's easier to use a larger subnet initially than to reconfigure later.

Separate Networks by Environment

Create different private networks for production, staging, and development environments to maintain isolation.

Enable DHCP for Simplicity

Unless you have specific requirements, enable DHCP for automatic IP configuration and easier management.

Document Your Network Topology

Keep documentation of which instances are on which networks and their assigned IPs for easier troubleshooting.

Pro Tip

Private networks are region-specific. Instances in different regions cannot communicate via private networks, but you can use them to build highly efficient, secure internal communications within each region at no additional cost.