[Feature Request]: Options to disable public IPv4 and/or IPv6 when creating nodes

[laurentpellegrino]

This would help reduce fees and more. See the discussion started in #837

[aleksasiriski]

There are a few limiting factors with Hetzner IPv6 only VMs, read my reply here

[mysticaltech]

@aleksasiriski Yes, for sure, but I have a feeling it's worth trying, maybe it will work out of the box..

[aleksasiriski]

I'm interested in this, so will give it a go when I'm done with uni tests next week.

[mysticaltech]

@aleksasiriski I remember that time, may the wind be at your back!

[LuigiClemente]

Implementing a Nebula Network could bridge limiting factors with Hetzner IPv6 only VMs

Implement a Nebula network with Terraform to address certain limitations and improve network connectivity within a Hetzner environment.

Addressing Limitations

IPv6-Only Environment

Hetzner provides IPv6-only virtual machines (VMs), which can pose challenges when dealing with IPv4-only resources or external network access. Nebula can help bridge the gap between IPv4 and IPv6 networks.

Limited External Connectivity

In an IPv6-only environment, issues may arise when trying to access resources that do not support IPv6, such as DockerHub or GHCR.io. Nebula can provide a private overlay network, potentially allowing servers to access external resources through a proxy or caching mechanism.

Implementing Nebula with Terraform

To implement Nebula with Terraform, follow these steps:

1. Nebula Configuration:

   • Define your Nebula network configurations, including certificates and keys. These configurations will be used to secure communication between nodes.

2. Terraform Resources:

   • Create Terraform resources for Nebula nodes. Define the necessary infrastructure components, including virtual machines, security groups, and network configurations.

3. Node Configuration:

   • Configure each server to use Nebula for networking. Ensure that the Nebula binaries and configurations are set up on your servers.

4. Network Isolation:

   • Use Terraform to define network isolation rules, allowing you to control which servers can communicate with each other over the Nebula network.

5. Testing and Validation:

   • Thoroughly test the Nebula network to ensure secure and reliable communication among your servers.

Benefits of Using Nebula

Implementing Nebula with Terraform offers several benefits:

1. IPv4/IPv6 Bridging:

   • Nebula allows servers with IPv4-only, IPv6-only, or dual-stack configurations to communicate seamlessly over a private network.

2. Security:

   • Nebula provides secure communication between nodes, helping protect your data and traffic, especially in untrusted environments.

3. Routing Control:

   • Nebula gives you control over routing and network isolation, allowing you to define complex network topologies tailored to your specific requirements.

4. Mitigating External Connectivity Issues:

   • Nebula can help mitigate challenges related to external network access in an IPv6-only environment. It enables private communication with external resources through proxy or caching mechanisms.

graph TD

subgraph "Addressing Limitations"
    subgraph "IPv6-Only Environment"
        A((Hetzner IPv6-only VMs))
        B(Nebula Bridge)
        C((IPv4-Only Resources))
        A -->|IPv6| B
        B -->|Nebula Overlay| C
    end

    subgraph "Limited External Connectivity"
        D((IPv6-Only Environment))
        E(Nebula Overlay)
        F((External Resources))
        D -->|Nebula Overlay| E
        E -->|Proxy/Caching| F
    end
end

subgraph "Implementing Nebula with Terraform"
    G["Nebula Configuration"]
    H["Terraform Resources"]
    I["Node Configuration"]
    J["Network Isolation"]
    K["Testing and Validation"]
    G --> H
    H --> I
    I --> J
    J --> K
end

subgraph "Benefits of Using Nebula"
    L["IPv4/IPv6 Bridging"]
    M["Security"]
    N["Routing Control"]
    O["Mitigating External Connectivity Issues"]
    L --> M
    M --> N
    N --> O
end

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[LuigiClemente]

Another benefit is that we can use Nebula to create a private overlay network that spans across multiple cloud providers or data centers, such as AWS and Hetzner. This allows you to replicate a similar network topology and configuration in Hetzner as you have in AWS, with some modifications. Here's how it works:

1. Nebula Overlay Network: Nebula creates a secure, private overlay network that operates independently of the underlying infrastructure. You can deploy Nebula nodes on servers in different cloud providers, including AWS and Hetzner.

2. Replicating AWS Topology in Hetzner:

   • Servers: You can set up servers in Hetzner that correspond to the instances you have in AWS. These servers become part of the Nebula overlay network.
   • Security Groups: While AWS uses security groups, Hetzner may use firewall rules. You'll need to adapt your security configurations to the specific cloud provider.
   • VPC/Subnet: In AWS, you have Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and subnets. In Hetzner, you might have different network configurations. Nebula abstracts these differences by creating a private network between your nodes.

3. Cross-Cloud Communication: With Nebula, servers in Hetzner can securely communicate with servers in AWS over the Nebula overlay network. This network operates independently of the public internet, providing a secure and private communication channel.

4. Terraform Modifications: While you can use Terraform to manage infrastructure in both AWS and Hetzner, you'll need to make adjustments to your Terraform configurations to accommodate the differences in cloud providers. This includes changes to resource types, configurations, and security settings.

5. Security and Isolation: Nebula allows you to define network isolation and security policies, ensuring that communication between cloud providers is secure and controlled.

By using Nebula as a bridge between your cloud providers, you can create a unified private network that connects resources in different environments, such as AWS and Hetzner, with relative ease. However, keep in mind that there may still be some cloud-specific configurations and adjustments required in your Terraform code to match the nuances of each provider's infrastructure.

[mysticaltech]

Now supported, see docs.