MacVLAN Network

Containers typically use network namespaces for isolation, but some legacy applications require direct attachment to the physical LAN. Docker’s MACVLAN driver assigns each container its own MAC address on a virtual interface, making the container appear as a standalone host on your network. This guide covers how to create a MACVLAN network, the available modes, and a comparison of Docker’s built-in network drivers.

Why Use MACVLAN?

Direct Layer 2 connectivity with your physical network
Unique MAC addresses for each container
Support for legacy applications requiring their own IP on the LAN

Before you begin, ensure the parent interface (eth0 in these examples) is active and not part of another bridge. You may need to bring it up with ip link set eth0 up.

1. Creating a MACVLAN Network

Use the macvlan driver when creating a Docker network:

docker network create -d macvlan \
  --subnet=192.168.1.0/24 \
  --gateway=192.168.1.1 \
  -o parent=eth0 \
  my_macvlan_net

Parameters:

-d macvlan
Selects the MACVLAN driver.
--subnet / --gateway
Defines the IP range and default gateway on the physical LAN.
-o parent=eth0
Binds Docker’s MACVLAN to the host interface eth0.
my_macvlan_net
Your custom network name.

2. MACVLAN Modes

MACVLAN supports two primary modes for segmenting and isolating traffic:

Mode	Description	Use Case
Bridge (`bridge`)	Creates a Layer 2 bridge on the parent interface.	Simple flat network where all containers share a VLAN.
802.1Q Trunk (`802.1q`)	Tags traffic on a VLAN subinterface (e.g., `eth0.100`).	Segmented VLAN routing and filtering per container.

Your physical switch must support 802.1Q tagging, and the parent interface must be configured as a trunk port to carry multiple VLANs.

3. Summary of Docker Network Drivers

Here’s a quick reference table comparing Docker’s built-in network drivers:

Driver	Description	Typical Use Case
none	Disables all networking for the container.	Security testing, isolated workloads
host	Shares the host’s network namespace; removes network isolation.	High-performance scenarios, monitoring tools
bridge	Default driver; creates a local L2 bridge on a single host.	Single-host deployments, simple microservices
overlay	Creates an L3 overlay across multiple hosts (requires a key-value store backend).	Multi-host Swarm services, cross-node traffic
macvlan	Assigns unique MAC addresses for L2 connectivity, available in bridge and VLAN modes.	Legacy apps, direct LAN access
ipvlan	Operates at L2 but routes at host level for higher scalability in dense networks.	Large-scale deployments with many endpoints

4. Next Steps

Once your MACVLAN network is created, you can launch containers on it:

docker run -d --network my_macvlan_net --name webserver nginx

Each container will receive an IP from your defined subnet and appear as a physical host on the LAN.

Links and References

That concludes this lesson on Docker MACVLAN networks. Advanced multi-VLAN and trunking scenarios will be covered in a future guide.

Introduction

Docker Engine

Docker Image Management

Docker Engine - Security

Docker Engine - Networking

Docker Engine - Storage

Docker Compose

Docker Swarm

Kubernetes

Docker Engine Enterprise

Docker Trusted Registry

Disaster Recovery

Why Use MACVLAN?

1. Creating a MACVLAN Network

2. MACVLAN Modes

3. Summary of Docker Network Drivers

4. Next Steps

Links and References

Watch Video

​Why Use MACVLAN?

​1. Creating a MACVLAN Network

​2. MACVLAN Modes

​3. Summary of Docker Network Drivers

​4. Next Steps

​Links and References

Watch Video

Why Use MACVLAN?

1. Creating a MACVLAN Network

2. MACVLAN Modes

3. Summary of Docker Network Drivers

4. Next Steps

Links and References