---
title: How to use your Load Balancer with a Private Network
description: Learn how to use Scaleway Load Balancers with Private Networks to distribute workloads securely and efficiently.
tags: load-balancer private-network load balancer private network
dates:
  validation: 2025-10-30
  posted: 2021-05-26
---
import Requirements from '@macros/iam/requirements.mdx'

import image from './assets/scaleway-lb-pn-attach.webp'
import image2 from './assets/scaleway-load-balancer-detach-private-network.webp'


The Private Network feature of the managed Load Balancers product lets you attach your Load Balancer to up to eight different Private Networks. [Scaleway Private Networks](/vpc/concepts/#private-networks) allow your cloud resources to communicate in an isolated and secure network. Load Balancers using Private Networks can communicate with their backend servers without using the public internet.

[Private Load Balancers](/load-balancer/concepts/#private-load-balancer) must be connected to a Private Network in order to be functional, as they do not have a public IP address and can only receive requests from other resources in the same VPC. This is in contrast to public Load Balancers, which are accessible for requests via the internet through their public IP address, but can optionally use Private Networks to communicate with their backend servers. The procedure for attaching either a public or a private Load Balancer to a Private Network is the same, and described below.

<Requirements />

- A Scaleway account logged into the [console](https://console.scaleway.com)
- [Owner](/iam/concepts/#owner) status or [IAM permissions](/iam/concepts/#permission) allowing you to perform actions in the intended Organization
- A [Load Balancer](/load-balancer/how-to/create-load-balancer/)
- A [Private Network](/vpc/how-to/create-private-network/)

## How to attach a Private Network to your Load Balancer

1. Click **Load Balancers** in the **Network** section of the [Scaleway console](https://console.scaleway.com) side menu. A listing of your Load Balancers displays.
2. Use the **region selector** at the top of the page to filter for the region of the Load Balancer you want to configure, then click the Load Balancer in the listing. The Load Balancer's **Overview** page displays.
3. Click the **Private Networks** tab.
4. Click **Attach to a Private Network**. A pop-up displays.
5. Either:
    - Select a Private Network from the drop-down list to attach your Load Balancer to. Remember, only Private Networks in the same region as your server will be displayed.
    - Alternatively, select **Create a new Private Network** in the list. You are prompted to enter a name and tags for the Private Network, and to select the VPC it should be created in. The Private Network will be created with default configuration, meaning its [CIDR block](/vpc/concepts#cidr-block) will be automatically defined.
6. Choose whether to **auto-allocate an available IP from the pool** (the [CIDR block](/vpc/concepts/#cidr-block) defined at the time of creating the Private Network), or use a **[reserved IP address](/ipam/concepts/#reserved-ip-address)** for the attachment.
7. Click **Attach to Private Network** to validate the form. The Private Network is attached to the Load Balancer and displays in the **Private Network** tab.

    To attach several Private Networks to your Load Balancer, repeat the steps above for each of them. To see the Load Balancer's IP address on the Private Network, [follow this procedure](/vpc/how-to/attach-resources-to-pn/#how-to-view-the-resources-ip-address).

## How to detach a Private Network from your Load Balancer

1. Click **Load Balancers** in the **Network** section of the [Scaleway console](https://console.scaleway.com) side menu. A listing of your Load Balancers displays.
2. Use the **region selector** at the top of the page to filter for the region of the Load Balancer you want to configure, then click the Load Balancer in the listing. 
3. Click the **Private Networks** tab. The list of Private Networks attached to your Load Balancer displays.
4. Click the <Icon name="unlink" /> button next to the Private Network that you want to detach from the Load Balancer, then click **Detach resource** when prompted.
    <Lightbox image={image2} alt="" />

The Private Network is detached from the Load Balancer, and disappears from the **Private Network** tab.