> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xloud.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Networking User Guide

> Configure networks, subnets, routers, floating IPs, and security groups in Xloud Cloud Platform. Step-by-step workflows for the Dashboard and CLI.

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Overview</p>

Xloud Networking delivers software-defined connectivity for your cloud workloads. Every
project receives its own isolated network plane — you define the topology, address space,
routing policy, and access controls. Project networks remain fully isolated from one another
and from the physical underlay unless you explicitly connect them through a router with an
external gateway.

<Note>
  **Prerequisites**

  * An active Xloud account with appropriate permissions
  * Access to the **Xloud Dashboard** or CLI configured with credentials
  * API credentials sourced (`source openrc.sh`)
</Note>

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Key Concepts</p>

| Resource           | Description                                                                                          |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Network**        | An isolated L2 broadcast domain. Instances attach to networks via virtual ports.                     |
| **Subnet**         | An IP address range assigned to a network, with DHCP, gateway, and DNS configuration.                |
| **Router**         | An L3 device that routes traffic between subnets and provides external gateway connectivity via NAT. |
| **Port**           | A virtual network interface connecting an instance or router to a network.                           |
| **Floating IP**    | A publicly routable address that maps to a port's private IP via NAT on the router.                  |
| **Security Group** | A stateful, per-port firewall ruleset controlling ingress and egress traffic.                        |

<Tip>
  Start with the simplest topology that meets your requirements: one network, one subnet,
  one router with an external gateway, and a security group. Expand from there as your
  workload grows.
</Tip>

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Networking Topics</p>

<CardGroup cols={4}>
  <Card title="Create a Network" icon="network" href="/services/networking/create-network" color="#197560">
    Provision an isolated project network and configure its IP address space with a subnet
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create and Manage Subnets" icon="layers" href="/services/networking/subnets" color="#197560">
    Add subnets, configure DHCP allocation pools, DNS resolvers, and host routes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Routers and Gateways" icon="route" href="/services/networking/routers" color="#197560">
    Connect project subnets to the internet with L3 routers and external gateways
  </Card>

  <Card title="Floating IP Addresses" icon="globe" href="/services/networking/floating-ips" color="#197560">
    Allocate public IPs from the external pool and associate them with instances
  </Card>

  <Card title="Network Security Groups" icon="shield" href="/services/networking/security-groups" color="#197560">
    Define stateful firewall rules controlling ingress and egress traffic per instance port
  </Card>

  <Card title="DNS Configuration" icon="server" href="/services/networking/dns-config" color="#197560">
    Configure DNS name servers pushed to instances via DHCP for hostname resolution
  </Card>

  <Card title="Network Topologies" icon="layout-grid" href="/services/networking/network-topology" color="#197560">
    Reference architectures for three-tier, HA, and shared-services network designs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/services/networking/troubleshooting" color="#197560">
    Diagnose and resolve connectivity, floating IP, and DHCP issues
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Getting Started Workflow</p>

```mermaid theme={null}
graph LR
    A[Create Network] --> B[Create Subnet]
    B --> C[Create Router]
    C --> D[Add Router Interface]
    D --> E[Create Security Group]
    E --> F[Create Instance]
    F --> G[Allocate Floating IP]
    G --> H[Associate Floating IP]
    style A fill:#197560,color:#fff
    style H fill:#3F8F7E,color:#fff
```

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Related Resources</p>

<CardGroup cols={4}>
  <Card title="Networking Admin Guide" icon="settings" href="/services/networking/admin-guide" color="#197560">
    Provider networks, QoS, quotas, agent management, and security hardening
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compute User Guide" icon="server" href="/services/compute/user-guide" color="#197560">
    Launch instances and attach them to the networks you create here
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/cli-setup" color="#197560">
    Configure project credentials and CLI access for networking operations
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI Setup" icon="terminal" href="/cli-setup" color="#197560">
    Install and configure the `openstack` CLI for networking management
  </Card>
</CardGroup>