Netmaker v0.90.0: Unifying Network Management

We're excited to announce the release of Netmaker v0.90.0, a significant update that streamlines network management while introducing powerful new capabilities. This release focuses on simplifying complex networking concepts, enhancing performance, and improving the overall user experience.

Introducing the New Netmaker Desktop Application

We're thrilled to introduce our new Netmaker Desktop application, a significant upgrade to our client software. This modern application replaces the previous Remote Access Client (RAC) with an improved user interface and enhanced functionality, making it easier than ever for end users to access your VPN.

The Netmaker Desktop application provides a seamless experience for connecting to Netmaker networks, with support for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It integrates naturally with the Netclient for those requiring more advanced configurations, while offering an intuitive interface for everyday users.

Unified Gateway Management: Simplifying Network Architecture

The most transformative change in v0.90.0 is the unification of Remote Access Gateways and Relay Servers into a single "Gateways" feature. This consolidation simplifies network architecture by creating a unified approach to managing traffic flow, whether for remote devices connecting through Remote Access Gateways or nodes behind restrictive network configurations requiring relay functionality.

Previously, administrators needed to create and manage separate Remote Access Gateways and Relay Servers. Now, a single Gateway can serve both functions, streamlining network design and reducing configuration complexity. Routing traffic through your network has never been simpler. Better yet, this unified Gateways feature is now available in the Community Edition, making advanced network routing accessible to all Netmaker users.

Advanced ACL and Egress Capabilities

Netmaker's Access Control List (ACL) system has received significant enhancements with the introduction of ACL Rules for Egress Ranges. This feature provides greater control over traffic flow to external networks by allowing administrators to define specific access rules for egress ranges.

For enterprise environments, High Availability for Egress Routes ensures continuous connectivity even when primary routes fail. This redundancy is crucial for mission-critical applications that cannot tolerate network disruptions. By implementing these improvements, Netmaker continues to focus on securing IT operations with reliable networking tools.

Organizations utilizing full mesh VPN configurations will particularly benefit from these enhancements, as they provide greater flexibility in controlling traffic flow between sites while maintaining security.

DNS Enhancements for Seamless Connectivity

The v0.90.0 release brings several improvements to Netmaker's DNS management capabilities. Most notably, administrators can now define additional DNS nameservers within their networks, allowing for more flexible name resolution strategies.

For Windows environments, we've added Managed DNS support, ensuring that Windows machines can participate fully in Netmaker's private DNS system. This has been a frequently requested feature, and we're pleased to deliver it in this release.

These DNS improvements work seamlessly with Netmaker's existing networking concepts, making it easier to create cohesive network environments across different operating systems and locations.

Enhanced Visibility and Performance

The Graph Page has received a significant upgrade, providing better visualization of your network topology. This enhancement makes it easier to understand complex network relationships and troubleshoot connectivity issues.

We've also made substantial improvements to our metrics data collection and display, providing more accurate and useful information about network performance. These improvements are particularly valuable for administrators monitoring large networks.

Failover connections have been optimized with improved peer signaling, ensuring more reliable connectivity when direct connections aren't possible. The Connectivity Status Indicator now provides real-time troubleshooting help, making it easier to diagnose and resolve network issues.

For users of Internet Gateways, these performance improvements ensure more stable and reliable connections when routing internet traffic through your Netmaker network.

Known Issues and Workarounds

While v0.90.0 brings many improvements, there is a known WireGuard DNS issue affecting Ubuntu 24.04 and some newer Linux distributions. This issue impacts the Remote Access Client and plain WireGuard external clients. A workaround is available in our help documentation.

Getting Started with v0.90.0

For new users, our quick installation guide provides everything you need to set up Netmaker. Existing users can follow our upgrade guidance to update to v0.90.0.

Those interested in the Professional Edition can explore our Netmaker Professional setup documentation for advanced features like enhanced ACL policies and additional management capabilities.

We encourage users to upgrade to v0.90.0 to take advantage of these new features and improvements. As always, we welcome your feedback and are committed to continuously enhancing the Netmaker experience.