Netmaker is Nearing 10,000 Stars on GitHub. So What?

Netmaker is closing in on 10,000 stars on GitHub. It's a nice round number, good for a dopamine hit. But vanity metrics aren't the point. 

So, why mention it? Because, it's a signal. It suggests that what Netmaker set out to do – make complex networking with WireGuard simple and flexible – is resonating with developers and IT admins. It means the countless hours spent refining the architecture, wrestling with edge cases, and building out features might actually be solving real problems for people.

This isn't just about feeling good (though that's nice too). This milestone reflects a growing community finding value in creating, managing, and automating virtual overlay networks. It means more eyes on the code, more feedback flowing in, and ultimately, a better, more robust platform for everyone trying to securely connect their devices, whether it's just two laptops or thousands of servers scattered across the globe. 

Building Trustless Networks with Netmaker

If you're new here, you might primarily associate Netmaker with simplifying WireGuard setup. While that's true, the real value lies deeper: Netmaker is a control plane designed to help you build modern, Zero Trust network architectures, using WireGuard as the secure data plane. It's not just about avoiding manual key swaps; it's about fundamentally changing how we grant and manage access in distributed environments.

Traditional network security often relied on a "castle-and-moat" approach – trust everything inside the perimeter, distrust everything outside. Zero Trust flips this: never trust, always verify. Access shouldn't be assumed based on network location; it must be explicitly granted based on verified identity and context, with the least privilege necessary.

This is where Netmaker's architecture shines. While WireGuard provides fast, encrypted tunnels, Netmaker adds the crucial layer of orchestration and policy enforcement needed for Zero Trust:

1. Segmentation via Networks: The first step in limiting blast radius is segmentation. Creating distinct Networks in Netmaker isolates different environments (e.g., dev vs. prod, customer A vs. B), a core tenet of micro-segmentation.
2. Explicit Access Control: Netmaker's Access Control Lists (ACLs) are central to enforcing least privilege. Instead of an open mesh by default, you can define precisely which nodes (devices running the netclient agent) are allowed to communicate. The New ACLs (Pro) take this further, allowing granular policies based on users and resources, moving closer to true identity-aware access. Tag Management (Pro) helps apply these ACLs efficiently across groups of devices.
3. Identity-Centric User Access: For human users, access is granted via the Netmaker Desktop client connecting through a Remote Access Gateway. This inherently ties network access to user identity, verified through basic auth or, more securely, OAuth integration (Pro feature). This contrasts sharply with distributing static VPN keys that lack individual accountability.
4. Controlled Traffic Flow: Zero Trust also means controlling how traffic enters and leaves your secure segments. Features like Egress Gateways and Internet Gateways (Pro) act as policy enforcement points for outbound traffic.

Netmaker, therefore, isn't just a WireGuard manager; it's a platform for implementing Zero Trust principles on top of WireGuard's secure foundation. It provides the visibility and control needed to move away from implicit trust towards explicit, verified access across your entire infrastructure.

From Zero to Network (Faster Than You Think)

Getting started shouldn't feel like climbing Everest. That's why there's a Quick Install guide to get a server running swiftly. Once it's up, the Getting Started documentation walks you through creating your first network and adding nodes. For power users, the Netmaker API and the nmctl CLI tool provide avenues for automation and scripting, like generating config files programmatically.

It’s About the Builders (That’s You)

So, yes, 10,000 stars is a milestone. But it's less a finish line and more a marker on a longer journey. It represents a community that finds Netmaker useful for a wide array of use cases, from simple home lab access to complex, multi-cloud Kubernetes networking. It fuels the motivation to keep improving, keep fixing, and keep making networking less painful.

Thank you to everyone who has starred the project, reported a bug, suggested a feature, or contributed code. You're the reason Netmaker keeps moving forward. Let's see where we can take it next.

Alex Feiszli

Founder, Netmaker