Satya Maharjan
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Kubernetes Networking Fundamentals

Published on January 23, 2026

Kubernetes Networking Fundamentals


Understanding Kubernetes networking is essential for deploying and managing containerized applications effectively.


Network Model


Kubernetes implements a flat network where:

  • All pods can communicate with each other
  • Containers within a pod share network namespace
  • Services provide stable network identities
  • Network policies control traffic flow

    • Core Components


    Services

  • ClusterIP: Internal service discovery
  • NodePort: External access to services
  • LoadBalancer: Cloud provider integration
  • ExternalName: External service references

    • Network Policies

  • Ingress rules: Traffic coming into pods
  • Egress rules: Traffic leaving pods
  • Label-based selectors for targeting

    • Ingress Controllers

  • Route external traffic to services
  • SSL/TLS termination
  • Load balancing and routing rules

    • Best Practices


  • Use network policies to restrict traffic
  • Implement proper DNS and service discovery
  • Monitor network performance
  • Plan IP address allocation carefully

    • Mastering Kubernetes networking enables secure, scalable application deployments.