--- title: "Configuring a Private IP Address on a Server | Hostman Docs" description: "Learn how to configure a private IP address for your Hostman Linux server. Check our step-by-step guides for working with Hostman cloud infrastructure and services." --- > For the complete documentation index for AI agents, see [llms.txt](https://hostman.com/llms.txt). When working with BGP networks (private networks in Germany and the Netherlands), you may need to manually assign a private IP address to a server. Depending on the operating system, you can do this using one of the instructions below. In the examples, we configure the IP address `192.168.0.12/24`. Replace it with the address you need. ## Ubuntu, Debian 12 1. Check the current network settings: ```shell ip a ``` The following output indicates that no private IP address is assigned to the `eth1` interface (there is no `inet` field with a private address): ```yaml 3: eth1: mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state UP group default qlen 1000     link/ether 54:52:00:f2:d0:09 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff     altname enp0s8     altname ens8     inet6 fe80::5652:ff:fef2:d009/64 scope link         valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever ``` 2. Open or create a Netplan configuration file: ```shell nano /etc/netplan/99-ipv4.yaml ``` 3. Add the following configuration: ```yaml network:   version: 2   renderer: networkd   ethernets:     eth1:       dhcp4: false       addresses:         - "192.168.0.12/24" ``` Here: - - `eth1` is the interface name obtained from `ip a`. - `192.168.0.12` is the private IP address you want to assign. 4. Restrict permissions on this file so only `root` can read it: ```shell chmod 600 /etc/netplan/99-ipv4.yaml ``` 5. Apply the Netplan configuration: ```shell netplan apply ``` 6. After rebooting, the address may not yet be assigned by the time other services attempt to bind to it. To avoid issues, allow binding to non-local addresses. Open `/etc/sysctl.conf`: ```shell nano /etc/sysctl.conf ``` 7. Add the following lines: ```shell net.ipv4.ip_nonlocal_bind = 1 net.ipv6.ip_nonlocal_bind = 1 ``` 8. Reload the `sysctl` configuration: ```shell sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.conf ``` 9. Restart the networking service: ```shell systemctl restart systemd-networkd ``` 10. Check the result: ```shell ip a ``` If the private IP was successfully added, you will see a line with your address, for example: ```shell 3: eth1: mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state UP group default qlen 1000     link/ether 54:52:00:c3:bb:ae brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff     altname enp0s8     altname ens8     inet 192.168.0.12/24 brd 192.168.0.255 scope global eth1         valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever     inet6 fe80::5652:ff:fec3:bbae/64 scope link         valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever ``` ## Debian 11 and earlier 1. Check the current network settings: ```shell ip a ``` The following output indicates that no private IP address is assigned to `eth1`: ```shell 3: eth1: mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state UP group default qlen 1000     link/ether 54:52:00:f2:d0:09 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff     altname enp0s8     altname ens8     inet6 fe80::5652:ff:fef2:d009/64 scope link         valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever ``` 2. Open the network interfaces configuration file: ```shell nano /etc/network/interfaces ``` 3. Add the following lines: ```shell auto eth1 allow-hotplug eth1 iface eth1 inet static     address 192.168.0.12/24 ``` Here: - - `eth1` is the interface name obtained from `ip a.` - `192.168.0.12` is the private IP you want to assign. 4. Allow binding to the address. Open `/etc/sysctl.conf`: ```shell nano /etc/sysctl.conf ``` 5. Add these lines: ```shell net.ipv4.ip_nonlocal_bind = 1 net.ipv6.ip_nonlocal_bind = 1 ``` 6. Reload the configuration: ```shell sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.conf ``` 7. Restart the networking service: ```shell systemctl restart networking.service ``` 8. Check the result: ```shell ip a ``` You should now see your assigned IP address: ```shell inet 192.168.0.12/24 brd 192.168.0.255 scope global eth1 ``` ## CentOS 1. Check the current network settings: ```shell ip a ``` The following output indicates that no private IP is assigned to `ens8`: ```shell 3: ens8: mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state UP group default qlen 1000     link/ether 54:52:00:43:ee:26 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff     altname enp0s8     inet6 fe80::6f23:a5e7:7cb1:d9d9/64 scope link noprefixroute         valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever ``` 2. Add a private IP address to the interface. First, check the connection name: ```shell nmcli connection show ``` 3. Find the name assigned to `ens8` (in this example: `Wired connection 1`). ![Dbb822db 5ffa 4b62 A187 48e133b81b4d.png](https://content.hostman.com/assets/33d15a76-52f1-4d76-bde6-f72be7c450bc.png?width=769&height=58) 4. Add the private IP to the connection: ```shell nmcli connection modify 'Wired connection 1' ipv4.addresses 192.168.0.12/24 ``` Here, `192.168.0.12` is the private IP you want to assign. 5. Check that the IP was added: ```shell nmcli connection show 'Wired connection 1' | grep addresses ``` 6. Disable old configurations. Check the directory: ```shell ls /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ ``` If there is a file named `ifcfg-ens8`, move it elsewhere to disable legacy settings: ```shell mv /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ens8 /root/ifcfg-ens8-Backup-$(date +"%Y%m%d") ``` 7. Ensure the configuration persists after reboot by adding this linet to the `99-disable-network-config.cfg` file: ```shell echo 'network: {config: disabled}' >> /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-disable-network-config.cfg ``` 8. Allow binding to the address. Open the config files: ```shell vi /etc/sysctl.conf ``` 9. Add these lines: ```shell net.ipv4.ip_nonlocal_bind = 1 net.ipv6.ip_nonlocal_bind = 1 ``` 10. Reload the configuration: ```shell sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.conf ``` 11. Restart NetworkManager: ```shell systemctl restart NetworkManager.service ``` 12. Check the result: ```shell ip a ``` You should now see your assigned IP: ```shell inet 192.168.0.12/24 scope global ens8 ```