Network Controller

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Network Controller Reference Documentation

Tutorial​

First, skim the README.

We're going to use curl to set up an example ZeroTier network. An easy way to get curl in Windows is to install the latest version of Git, which comes with bash, curl, and other tools.

OpenAPI

The setup described here uses the local ZeroTierOne service API to provision and manage networks. You can browse the OpenAPI docs for the local controller API for more detail on this interface.

This is a low tech way to setup a controller for example purposes. You'd likely build yourself something fancier around this API.

Authtoken​

You'll need to find the current local auth token on your system using the instructions in the API Tokens guide.

Get your Node ID​

note

Network IDs are based on the Node ID of the Controller. Controllers are nodes! When you join a network, your node finds the controller like it does with other nodes: by its Node ID.

with zerotier-cli​

(may need sudo)

undefined zerotier-cli info

with curl​

undefined curl "http://localhost:9993/status" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

It's the "Address" in the above's output.

Let's save the Node ID to an environment variable too:

undefined NODEID=your-node-id

or try:

undefined NODEID=$(zerotier-cli info | cut -d " " -f 3)

Create a Network​

undefined curl -X POST "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NODEID}______" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}" -d {}

This should return JSON for a fresh network.

note

When you post to /network/${NODEID}______ the controller generates a random Network ID for you. See the "id" of your newly created network.

Let's save the new Network ID to an environment variable

undefined NWID=your-network-id

List Networks​

undefined curl "http://localhost:9993/controller/network" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

This returns a list of Network IDs. It should include the ID returned by the create command we did in the previous step.

Get Network Info​

undefined curl "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

List Network Members​

You'll need another node to join your network first, or this will be empty. You can use a phone, or another PC, or a VM, or a VPS...

undefined curl "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}/member" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

I guess you could join the controller node to its own network, for demonstration purposes.

Save the Node ID of one of your Network Members in an env var

undefined MEMID=a-member's-node-id

Get Member Info​

undefined curl "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}/member/${MEMID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

Configure the Network​

For Nodes to talk, we need to add a Managed Route and IP Auto-Assign Range on the network. Let's make it a Private network too. Prefer Private networks.

undefined curl -X POST "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}" \ -d '{"ipAssignmentPools": [{"ipRangeStart": "192.168.192.1", "ipRangeEnd": "192.168.192.254"}], "routes": [{"target": "192.168.192.0/24", "via": null}], "v4AssignMode": "zt", "private": true }'

Authorize a member​

undefined curl -X POST "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}/member/${MEMID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}" -d '{"authorized": true}'

Network Info Again​

undefined curl "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

Member Info Again​

undefined curl "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}/member/${MEMID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

Confirm from your nodes​

undefined sudo zerotier-cli listnetworks

It should say "OK PRIVATE" and have an IP address.

Deauthorize Member​

undefined curl -X POST "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}/member/${MEMID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}" -d '{"authorized": false}'

Delete Member​

undefined curl -X DELETE "http://localhost:9993/controller/network/${NWID}/member/${MEMID}" -H "X-ZT1-AUTH: ${TOKEN}"

caution

You can "delete" a member, but they will show up in the output of "list member" again if the node is still online and trying to join. You should make sure to deauthorize before deleting.

Backup your controller​

If you want to keep these networks, copy the ZeroTier Home directory somewhere. Most importantly, the identity.secret and the controller.d directory.

Clean up networks​

You may want to delete these networks now that you're done testing. You could use the API to delete every network.

Or you can delete the controller.d directory.

• Linux
• macOS

stop zerotier (If you're ssh'd in over zerotier, this will break your connection):

undefined systemctl stop zerotier-one

delete controller configs:

undefined cd /var/lib/zerotier-one/# rm -rf ./controller.d/

start zerotier:

undefined systemctl start zerotier-one

stop zerotier:

undefined sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.zerotier.one.plist

delete controller configs:

undefined cd "/Library/Application Support/ZeroTier/One"# sudo rm -rf ./controller.d

start zerotier:

undefined sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.zerotier.one.plist

Updated on: 12/07/2024