Inspecting container network settings in Docker - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Inspecting container network settings

Start: Docker container running

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Run 'docker network ls'

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List all networks

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Run 'docker network inspect <network>'

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View detailed network info

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Identify container's IP, gateway, subnet

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Use info for troubleshooting or config

This flow shows how to list Docker networks and inspect details of a specific network to see container IPs and settings.

Execution Sample

Docker

docker network ls
docker network inspect bridge

List all Docker networks, then inspect the default 'bridge' network to see container network details.

Process Table

Step	Command Run	Action	Output Summary
1	docker network ls	List all Docker networks	Shows networks: bridge, host, none
2	docker network inspect bridge	Inspect 'bridge' network details	JSON with containers, IP ranges, gateway
3	Locate container info in JSON	Find container's IP and settings	Container ID, IPv4Address, MacAddress shown
4	Use info for troubleshooting	Check connectivity or config	Confirm container IP and subnet
5	End	Finished inspection	Ready for next steps

💡 Inspection complete after viewing container network details in the bridge network

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
networks_list	empty	[bridge, host, none]	[bridge, host, none]	[bridge, host, none]
network_details	none	JSON data of bridge network	Parsed container IP and MAC	Parsed container IP and MAC
container_ip	unknown	unknown	172.17.0.2/16	172.17.0.2/16

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we run 'docker network ls' before inspecting a network?

Because 'docker network ls' shows all available networks so you know which network name to inspect, as seen in step 1 of the execution table.

How do we find the container's IP address in the inspect output?

The IP is inside the JSON under 'Containers' with the key 'IPv4Address', shown in step 3 of the execution table.

What if the container is not listed in the network inspect output?

It means the container is not connected to that network; you should check other networks or container settings.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what command lists all Docker networks?

A docker network inspect bridge

B docker ps

C docker network ls

D docker container ls

💡 Hint

See Step 1 in the execution table where 'docker network ls' lists networks.

At which step do we find the container's IP address?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 1

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Step 3 shows locating container info including IP in the JSON output.

If the container IP was not found in 'bridge' network inspect, what should you do?

A Inspect other networks

B Remove the container

C Restart Docker daemon

D Run 'docker ps' again

💡 Hint

Key moment 3 explains checking other networks if container is missing.

Concept Snapshot

docker network ls  # Lists all Docker networks

docker network inspect <network>  # Shows detailed info of a network

Look inside 'Containers' section for container IPs and MACs

Use this info to troubleshoot container connectivity

If container missing, check other networks

Full Transcript

To inspect container network settings in Docker, first list all networks using 'docker network ls'. This shows available networks like bridge, host, and none. Next, run 'docker network inspect <network>' to see detailed info about that network. The output is JSON containing IP ranges, gateways, and connected containers. Find your container's ID under 'Containers' and note its IPv4Address and MacAddress. This info helps verify container IP and troubleshoot network issues. If the container is not listed, it may be connected to a different network. Repeat inspection for other networks as needed.