Hey folks! 🙂
I'm currently managing a Portainer cluster that hosts several containers. I've set up Nginx Proxy Manager to route these containers through port mapping, which lets them operate under a single public IP from my ISP.
However, I'm wondering if there's a method to give each container its own public IP, especially since I'm only provided with one IP. From what I've come across, using a reverse proxy might be a viable option, but I'm unsure about where I could source these 'new' or 'dynamic' external IPs from. Any advice or clarification would be truly appreciated! Thanks a bunch! 😀
3 Answers
It sounds like you might want to rethink your setup because needing multiple public IPs for containers on the same private network could indicate a design flaw. What’s the main reason you need different public IPs for these containers?
You could consider leasing a block of extra public IPs from your ISP, especially if you have a business account; they might be more flexible about it.
Just a heads-up though, a reverse proxy could still be necessary—confirm with your ISP about any restrictions on hosting services. Exposing Docker services directly online can be risky unless they’re secured appropriately.
Are you specifically looking for IPs, or do you think a wildcard domain name could meet your needs?
I’m definitely leaning towards needing IPs. I even considered routing some containers through VPNs, but I’m skeptical if that’s the best route. Some of the containers connect to the same service with different credentials, so I want to present them as "fully different clients" with distinct IPs.
I tried that already, but my ISP denied my request because I’m not on a business plan. :/