docker-network

List all available and configured networks on Docker daemon

$ docker network ls

$ docker network create [[-d|--driver]] [driver_name] [network_name]

$ docker network inspect [network_name1 network_name2 ...]

$ docker network connect [network_name] [container_name|ID]

$ docker network disconnect [network_name] [container_name|ID]

$ docker network prune

$ docker network rm [network_name1 network_name2 ...]

docker network COMMAND [OPTIONS]

Commands:
connect Connect container to network
create Create network
disconnect Disconnect container from network
inspect Inspect network(s)
ls List networks
prune Prune unused networks
rm Remove network(s)

--debug
    Enable debug mode

--help
    Print usage

-v, --verbose
    Enable verbose output

--version
    Print version information

The docker network command manages networks for Docker containers, enabling isolated communication between containers, the host, or external networks.

Docker networks abstract connectivity, supporting drivers like bridge (default, single-host), overlay (multi-host/Swarm), host (shares host network), none (no network), macvlan, and ipvlan. Custom networks provide automatic DNS resolution using container names, improved isolation, and scalability for microservices.

Key uses include Docker Compose multi-container apps and Docker Swarm services. Subcommands handle creation, listing, inspection, connection/disconnection of containers to networks, removal, and pruning unused ones. Essential for secure, efficient container orchestration without manual iptables rules.

Default networks (bridge, host, none) cannot be removed. Networks must have no connected containers to delete. Use docker network inspect to check usage.

bridge: Default single-host.
overlay: Multi-host, VXLAN encrypted.
host: No isolation.
none: Disable networking.
macvlan/ipvlan: L2/L3 host-like IPs.

Introduced in Docker 1.9.0 (November 2015) with libnetwork and Container Network Model (CNM). Evolved for Swarm mode in Docker 1.12+; drivers expanded in later releases for Kubernetes compatibility via plugins.

docker(1), docker-container(1), docker-network-create(1), docker-network-ls(1), bridge(8)