What it does
Nebula connects hosts through on-demand encrypted tunnels, with certificate-based identity, group firewall rules and lighthouse-assisted discovery.
Nebula's setup centers on certificates and a lighthouse. The lighthouse helps hosts discover one another; the certificates establish which peers and groups belong in the overlay. Its guide recommends starting with a few hosts before extending the network.
Group-based firewall rules are part of the host configuration, so plan access boundaries while issuing certificates. Nebula connects machines you control across existing IP networks. It does not automatically supply internet exits or the managed identity lifecycle of the separate Defined Networking service.
Strengths
- Certificate-based peer identity
- Group-based host firewall rules
Best for
- Teams comfortable operating their own overlay certificate authority
Sources
- Introduction to Nebula | Nebula Docs (Oct 26, 2026)