Connect and disconnect a running container from a Docker network
domain: docs.docker.com · 7 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Documented steps
Connect by name or id: docker network connect mynet container1
Assign an explicit address on the network: docker network connect --ip 172.20.128.2 mynet container2
Add one or more network aliases so other containers can reach it by alias: docker network connect --alias db --alias mysql mynet container2
Use the legacy link form docker network connect --link containerA:alias mynet containerB if you need classic linking
Start a container already attached to a network with docker run -itd --network=mynet busybox instead of connecting afterwards
Remove a container from a network: docker network disconnect mynet container1
Confirm the attachment via docker network inspect mynet or the container's Networks block in docker inspect container1
Known gotchas
Once connected, containers on the same bridge reach each other by IP or container name; only overlay and multi-host plugins provide cross-engine reachability
A container can join multiple networks of different types at once
If a pinned --ip is taken by another container on restart, the container fails to start - keep static IPs outside the network --ip-range
You cannot change a container's networks while it is running; stop, start/recreate, then network changes apply
Per-interface sysctls via --driver-opt use an IFNAME placeholder Docker replaces at attach time
Official docs: https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/network/connect/
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