Why use private networking?
A private network lets your servers talk to each other (and to your devices) over encrypted WireGuard tunnels, without exposing those services to the public internet. Use it for databases, internal APIs, dashboards, Home Assistant, Pi-hole, NAS shares, and anything else that should not be reachable from outside.
One network per customer
Every account gets its own private subnet, in the form 10.N.0.0/24. You can see it, and everything connected to it, on the Network page. To get there, click Manage Network on a VPS's Networking page, open it from your All Services list, or search for private network.
Joining a VPS to the network
- Open the VPS service page and click the Networking card under Actions.
- In the Private Network section, click Join Private Network.
- The panel assigns the next free
10.N.0.xaddress and sets up WireGuard on the server. - Within seconds the VPS can reach the other members of your private network.
Public VPS vs HomeLab VPS
| Service | Public IP | Private network |
|---|---|---|
| VPS (public) | Yes | Optional, free to join |
| HomeLab VPS | No public IPv4 | Required — the only way in |
| Game Server | Yes | Not supported |
| Web Hosting | Yes | Not supported |
Worked example
Customer network: 10.42.0.0/24
Public VPS (web) 10.42.0.1 + 203.0.113.10 public
HomeLab VPS (database) 10.42.0.2 no public IP
HomeLab VPS (Home Assist) 10.42.0.3 no public IP
Your laptop 10.42.0.4 WireGuard device
The web server connects to the database over 10.42.0.2:3306.
You reach Home Assistant from anywhere via 10.42.0.3:8123 over WireGuard.
The internet cannot reach the database or Home Assistant at all.Leaving the network
On the VPS's Networking page, click Leave Network and confirm. The server is removed from the private network. HomeLab VPS servers cannot leave, because the private network is their only way in.