Network Security Infrastructure Project

A comprehensive Docker-based network security infrastructure implementing multiple security layers and monitoring capabilities.

Warning

Use responsibly and only on networks you own or have permission to analyze. Misuse of this tool may violate laws or terms of service.

System Requirements

• RAM: 2GB recommended (minimum requirements may work with 1GB but not tested)
• CPU: 1 vCPU is sufficient
• Docker: >= 20.x
• Docker Compose: >= 1.29.x

Quick Start

1. Clone and Setup

git clone https://github.com/Nick-Maro/docker-mini-network
cd docker-mini-network

# Rename the environment template file
cp .env.template .env

2. Build and Deploy

# Build and start all containers in background
docker compose up --build -d

# Verify all containers are running
docker compose ps

Configurations

Host File Setup

Important: Before starting the project, you must configure your system's hosts file to enable subdomain routing.

Add the following entries to your hosts file:

Windows: Edit C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Linux/macOS: Edit /etc/hosts

127.0.0.1 client.localhost
127.0.0.1 dashboard.localhost
127.0.0.1 api.localhost

Environment Setup

Make sure to rename .env.template to .env before starting the containers. This file contains necessary environment variables for the application to function properly.

Useful Docker Commands

docker compose up                       # Start services (foreground)
docker compose up -d                    # Start services (background)
docker compose build --no-cache         # Rebuild containers
docker compose down                     # Stop and remove containers
docker compose down -v                  # Remove containers and volumes
docker compose ps                       # View container status
docker compose up -d --scale server1=2  # Scale backend servers

Architecture Overview

This project implements a complete network security infrastructure with the following components:

• NGINX Reverse Proxy: Load balances requests between two backend servers
• Backend Server: Two TypeScript Bun servers handling requests
• Programmable Firewall: Custom rule-based traffic filtering
• Dashboard: Real-time network monitoring interface
• Web-client: Web client for sending files and messages (in development)

The system supports HTTP communication for text messages and uses Docker Compose for container orchestration with bridge networking.

Container Architecture

Service	Description	URL	Purpose
reverse-proxy	NGINX reverse proxy (subdomain routing)	-	Routes traffic to internal services based on subdomain
server	Bun + TS backend	api.localhost	Primary application server
firewall	Custom traffic filter	-	Rule-based traffic filtering
client	Web client (Preact + TS)	client.localhost	Main user interface
dashboard	Monitoring web interface	dashboard.localhost	System monitoring and management
redis	In-memory key-value database	-	Internal data storage / caching

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all our contributors, who helped make this project possible. Your feedback and collaboration have been invaluable.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

⚠️ Security Notice: This is a development/educational project. For production use, ensure proper security hardening, regular updates, and professional security review.