---
name: digitalocean-networking
description: DigitalOcean networking services including VPC, firewalls, load balancers, reserved IPs, DNS, IPv6, and NAT gateway. Use when designing or securing network connectivity for DigitalOcean workloads.
user-invocable: false
disable-model-invocation: true
progressive_disclosure:
entry_point:
summary: "DigitalOcean networking services including VPC, firewalls, load balancers, reserved IPs, DNS, IPv6, and NAT gateway. Use when designing or securing network connectivity for DigitalOcean workloads."
when_to_use: "When working with version control, branches, or pull requests."
quick_start: "1. Review the core concepts below. 2. Apply patterns to your use case. 3. Follow best practices for implementation."
---
# DigitalOcean Networking Skill
---
progressive_disclosure:
entry_point:
summary: "DigitalOcean networking: VPC, firewalls, load balancers, reserved IPs, DNS, IPv6, NAT gateway."
when_to_use:
- "When designing private networks or segmentation"
- "When securing inbound and outbound traffic"
- "When configuring load balancing and DNS"
quick_start:
- "Create a VPC for private traffic"
- "Apply firewalls to compute"
- "Attach load balancers and reserved IPs"
- "Configure DNS records"
token_estimate:
entry: 90-110
full: 3800-5000
---
## Overview
DigitalOcean networking services secure and control traffic with VPC networking, firewalls, load balancing, DNS, IPv6, and reserved IPs.
## VPC
Use VPC to create private network segments for Droplets, Kubernetes, and managed databases.
- Create a VPC in the same region as compute resources.
- Attach resources that need private communication.
## Firewalls
Use stateful firewalls to restrict inbound and outbound traffic.
- Define inbound and outbound rules by protocol and port.
- Apply rules to Droplets and other resources.
## Load Balancers
Use load balancers to distribute traffic across backend resources.
- Configure health checks and target pools.
- Terminate TLS and forward to backend services.
## Reserved IPs
Use reserved IPs to keep stable public endpoints.
- Assign reserved IPs to Droplets.
- Remap IPs during failover or migration.
## DNS and IPv6
- Manage DNS records for DigitalOcean and external resources.
- Enable IPv6 for dual-stack support.
## NAT Gateway
Use NAT Gateway for outbound connectivity from private subnets.
## Networking Workflow
- Create a VPC per environment.
- Attach compute and databases to the VPC.
- Apply firewalls to limit inbound access.
- Add load balancers for public entry points.
- Configure DNS and reserved IPs for stable routing.
## Complementary Skills
When using this skill, consider these related skills (if deployed):
- **digitalocean-compute**: Droplets, App Platform, and Kubernetes placement.
- **digitalocean-managed-databases**: Private database connectivity.
- **digitalocean-management**: Monitoring and uptime checks.
*Note: Complementary skills are optional. This skill is fully functional without them.*
## Resources
**DigitalOcean Docs**:
- Networking: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/
- VPC: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/vpc/
- Firewalls: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/firewalls/
- Load Balancers: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/load-balancers/
- Reserved IPs: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/reserved-ips/
- DNS: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/dns/
- IPv6: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/ipv6/
- NAT Gateway: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/vpc/how-to/create-nat-gateway/