What are Private Networks?

Private Networks are a managed cloud service allowing you to create layer 2 ethernet-switched domains.

These domains can also be called virtual LAN (VLAN). They are virtual but completely private local networks that securely connect your Scaleway resources without necessarily exposing them publicly. Scaleway resources including Instances, Elastic Metal servers, Load Balancers, and Databases are all compatible with Private Networks.

What’s the difference between Private Networks and VPC?

Scaleway VPC offers layer 3 network isolation, while layer 2 Private Networks are created inside a given VPC. See the VPC FAQ for more information.

Can I connect multiple Private Networks to the same Scaleway resource?

Yes, you can configure multiple Private Networks on the same Scaleway resource. For example, you can connect up to 8 Private Networks to the same Instance. A virtual network interface is created for each Private Network the Instance is attached to. For Elastic Metal, some additional configuration is required: check out our documentation on configuring the network interface.

You can configure:

• Up to 8 Private Networks per Scaleway resource
• Up to 255 Private Networks per Organization
• Up to 512 Scaleway resources per Private Network

Do I have to restart a Scaleway resource after adding Private Networks?

No, Private Network interfaces will appear on your resources without any reboot.

Does Private Network support IPv6?

Yes, when you create a Private Network both an IPv4 and an IPv6 CIDR block are defined. The IPv6 CIDR block is defined automatically and “invisibly” by default at the time of creating the Private Network. It cannot be modified either at the time of creation, or afterward.

It is a /64 block, guaranteed to be unique within the VPC and not overlapping with any of your other Private Networks. Resources that support private IPv6 addressing, e.g. Instances, can then acquire an IPv6 address when they join the Private Network.

Do resources in a Private Network require a public IPv4 address?

No, they do not require a public IPv4 address.

Can resources in a Private Network access the internet without a public IPv4 address?

Yes. You can attach a Public Gateway to your Private Network to provide internet access to your Instances, Elastic Metal servers, and other attached Scaleway resources.

Do non-IP protocols work over Private Networks?

Technically, any ethernet payload should work over Private Networks. However, only IPv4 and IPv6 are officially supported. If you have real use cases for other protocols, let us know by reaching us on the Scaleway Community Slack.

Do Private Networks support IP autoconfiguration?

Yes, DHCP is an inbuilt function of Private Networks and provides IP autoconfiguration for your attached resources. Alternatively, you can use Scaleway IPAM to reserve specific IP addresses on a Private Network and use these to attach resources.