VPC FAQ

VPC basicsLink to this anchor

What is the difference between VPC and a Private Network?Link to this anchor

One default VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) for every available region is automatically created in each Scaleway Project. A VPC offers layer 3 network isolation.

Within each VPC, you can create multiple Private Networks and attach Scaleway resources to them, as long as the resources are in an AZ within the network’s region. Resources attached to a Private Network can then communicate between themselves in an isolated and secure layer 2 network, away from the public internet. VPC routing facilitates communication between resources on the different Private Networks within the VPC.

In the future, VPC will allow you to interconnect your VPC with other networks, define access control lists and more.

What happened to my classic, mono-AZ Private Network?Link to this anchor

When VPC and regional Private Networks moved from Public Beta to General Availability, all mono-AZ Private Networks were automatically migrated to be regional. Read the documentation to find out more about the migration process.

What is a default VPC and why can I not delete it?Link to this anchor

Scaleway currently has three regions: Paris, Amsterdam and Warsaw. One default VPC is automatically created for each region, in each Scaleway Project. Any new Private Networks that you create will be added to the default VPC for their region, unless you override this by specifying a different VPC.

You cannot delete a default VPC, but you can rename it, and/or create other VPCs and use those rather than the default VPCs, if you prefer.

Note

Default VPCs do not prevent you from deleting an otherwise empty Project.

How much does it cost to create a VPC, Private Network or reserved private IP addresses?Link to this anchor

The following resources and features are free of charge:

• VPCs and VPC routing
• Private Networks (except for Elastic Metal servers and Apple silicon)
• Reserved private IP addresses on IPAM

Why can I not delete my Private Network even though it is empty?Link to this anchor

You might have a reserved IP address that is blocking the deletion - check out our troubleshooting page.

VPC routingLink to this anchor

Can I route traffic between different Private Networks on the same VPC?Link to this anchor

Yes, VPC routing allows you to automize the routing of traffic between resources in different Private Networks within the same VPC.

Can I route traffic between different Private Networks in different VPCs or different Scaleway Projects?Link to this anchor

This is not currently possible. You may consider using a VPN tunnel to achieve this, for example IPsec or WireGuard. Scaleway also offers an OpenVPN InstantApp, making it easy to install a VPN directly on an Instance.

Why can I not route traffic to my Managed Database on another Private Network?Link to this anchor

Managed Databases do not currently support VPC routing - see our dedicated documentation

IPAM and IP addressingLink to this anchor

What is IPAM?Link to this anchor

IP Address Manager (IPAM) is Scaleway’s tool for planning, tracking, and managing the IP address space of Scaleway products. It acts as a single source of truth for the IP addresses of Scaleway resources, and has a number of associated functionalities to help manage your Scaleway IPs, such as the ability to reserve an IP on a Private Network and attach it to a specific resource. See our IPAM FAQ for more detail.

Do resources’ IP addresses on a Private Network risk changing when allocated by managed DHCP?Link to this anchor

With Private Networks’ inbuilt managed DHCP, a private IP is allocated when the resource is attached to a Private Network, and released only when the resource is detached or deleted. The IP address remains stable across reboots and long power offs, and will not change except upon deletion or detachment from the Private Network.

Nonetheless, you can also reserve specific IPs from a Private Network’s CIDR block, and use these IPs to attach specific resources, if you prefer. See our documentation on how to reserve IPs.

How can I attach my VMs on a Proxmox cluster on Elastic Metal to a Private Network?Link to this anchor

We recommend that you use our IPAM product for this purpose. See how to reserve a private IP address with an attached MAC address.

Private NetworksLink to this anchor

What are Private Networks?Link to this anchor

Private Networks are a managed cloud service allowing you to create layer 2 ethernet-switched domains.

These domains can also be called virtual LAN (VLAN). They are virtual but completely private local networks that securely connect your Scaleway resources without necessarily exposing them publicly. Scaleway resources including Instances, Elastic Metal servers, Load Balancers, and Databases are all compatible with Private Networks.

What’s the difference between Private Networks and VPC?Link to this anchor

Scaleway VPC offers layer 3 network isolation, while layer 2 Private Networks are created inside a given VPC. See the VPC FAQ for more information.

Can I connect multiple Private Networks to the same Scaleway resource?Link to this anchor

Yes, you can configure multiple Private Networks on the same Scaleway resource. For example, you can connect up to 8 Private Networks to the same Instance. A virtual network interface is created for each Private Network the Instance is attached to. For Elastic Metal, some additional configuration is required: check out our documentation on configuring the network interface.

You can configure:

• Up to 8 Private Networks per Scaleway resource
• Up to 255 Private Networks per Organization
• Up to 512 Scaleway resources per Private Network

Do I have to restart a Scaleway resource after adding Private Networks?Link to this anchor

No, Private Network interfaces will appear on your resources without any reboot.

Does Private Network support IPv6?Link to this anchor

Yes, when you create a Private Network both an IPv4 and an IPv6 CIDR block are defined. The IPv6 CIDR block is defined automatically and “invisibly” by default at the time of creating the Private Network. It cannot be modified either at the time of creation, or afterward.

It is a /64 block, guaranteed to be unique within the VPC and not overlapping with any of your other Private Networks. Resources that support private IPv6 addressing, e.g. Instances, can then acquire an IPv6 address when they join the Private Network.

Do resources in a Private Network require a public IPv4 address?Link to this anchor

No, they do not require a public IPv4 address.

Can resources in a Private Network access the internet without a public IPv4 address?Link to this anchor

Yes. You can attach a Public Gateway to your Private Network to provide internet access to your Instances, Elastic Metal servers, and other attached Scaleway resources.

Do non-IP protocols work over Private Networks?Link to this anchor

Technically, any ethernet payload should work over Private Networks. However, only IPv4 and IPv6 are officially supported. If you have real use cases for other protocols, let us know by reaching us on the Scaleway Community Slack.

Do Private Networks support IP autoconfiguration?Link to this anchor

Yes, DHCP is an inbuilt function of Private Networks and provides IP autoconfiguration for your attached resources. Alternatively, you can use Scaleway IPAM to reserve specific IP addresses on a Private Network and use these to attach resources.