--- title: "Networking" description: "Calico Enterprise networking covers BGP, overlay encapsulation, IPAM, egress gateways, ingress gateways, eBPF acceleration, and Kubernetes networking training." product: "Calico Enterprise" version: "3.23 (latest)" section: "Networking" canonical_url: "https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/" --- # Networking The Calico Enterprise network plugins provide a range of networking options to fit your implementation and maximize performance. ## Getting started ##### [Determine best networking option](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/determine-best-networking.md) [Compare networking choices in Calico Enterprise — overlay versus non-overlay, BGP, CNI, and IPAM — to land on the right configuration for your cluster.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/determine-best-networking.md) ##### [Networking overview](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/training/about-networking.md) [Reference primer for general networking fundamentals — OSI layers, packet anatomy, MTU, IP addressing, routing, overlays, DNS, and NAT — that underpin Calico Enterprise.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/training/about-networking.md) ##### [Kubernetes network model](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/training/about-kubernetes-networking.md) [Reference primer for Kubernetes networking concepts that help when operating Calico Enterprise — pod IPs, services, DNS, NAT outgoing, and dual stack.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/training/about-kubernetes-networking.md) ## Configuring networking ##### [Configure BGP peering](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/bgp.md) [Set up BGP peering for Calico Enterprise — full mesh, per-node peers, top-of-rack switches, and route reflectors — using BGPPeer and BGPConfiguration resources.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/bgp.md) ##### [Deploy a dual ToR cluster](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/dual-tor.md) [Deploy a dual ToR cluster with Calico Enterprise so two independent connectivity planes provide redundancy between racks for on-premises clusters.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/dual-tor.md) ##### [Configure multiple Calico Enterprise networks on a pod](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/multiple-networks.md) [Add extra Calico Enterprise networks to each pod with the Multus-CNI plugin, then control access with tiered network policy on every interface.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/multiple-networks.md) ##### [Overlay networking](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/vxlan-ipip.md) [Choose VXLAN or IP-in-IP overlay encapsulation in Calico Enterprise so pod traffic crosses underlay networks that don't route pod CIDRs natively.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/vxlan-ipip.md) ##### [Advertise Kubernetes service IP addresses](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/advertise-service-ips.md) [Advertise Kubernetes service cluster IPs and external IPs out of the cluster over BGP with Calico Enterprise so upstream routers can reach them directly.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/advertise-service-ips.md) ##### [Configure MTU to maximize network performance](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/mtu.md) [Tune the Calico Enterprise MTU on the Installation resource so pod traffic matches the underlay, accounting for VXLAN, IP-in-IP, and WireGuard overhead.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/mtu.md) ##### [Custom BGP configuration](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/custom-bgp-config.md) [Override the default BIRD BGP templates for Calico Enterprise to access advanced BIRD features for proof-of-concept and special-case routing setups.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/custom-bgp-config.md) ##### [Configure outgoing NAT](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/workloads-outside-cluster.md) [Configure NAT outgoing on Calico Enterprise IP pools so pod traffic destined outside the cluster is source-NATed to the node IP.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/workloads-outside-cluster.md) ##### [Use a specific MAC address for a pod](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/pod-mac-address.md) [Pin a chosen MAC address on a Kubernetes pod interface with the Calico Enterprise CNI plugin for cases such as MAC-bound software licenses.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/pod-mac-address.md) ##### [Use NodeLocal DNSCache in your cluster](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/node-local-dns-cache.md) [Run NodeLocal DNSCache alongside Calico Enterprise and write the network policy that lets pod DNS traffic reach the per-node cache.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/node-local-dns-cache.md) ##### [Configure QoS Controls](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/qos-controls.md) [Apply Calico Enterprise QoS controls to cap pod ingress and egress bandwidth, packet rate, and connection counts, plus DiffServ marking on egress.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/qos-controls.md) ##### [Add Maglev load balancing to a service](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/add-maglev-load-balancing.md) [Switch a Kubernetes service to Maglev consistent-hash load balancing on the Calico Enterprise eBPF data plane for stable backend selection across nodes.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/add-maglev-load-balancing.md) ##### [Mark a load balancer node for maintenance](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/mark-lb-node-for-maintenance.md) [Mark a Calico Enterprise node for load balancer maintenance with an annotation so the eBPF data plane stops sending new service traffic to its pods.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/mark-lb-node-for-maintenance.md) ## IP address management ##### [Configure BGP peering](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/bgp.md) [Set up BGP peering for Calico Enterprise — full mesh, per-node peers, top-of-rack switches, and route reflectors — using BGPPeer and BGPConfiguration resources.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/bgp.md) ##### [Deploy a dual ToR cluster](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/dual-tor.md) [Deploy a dual ToR cluster with Calico Enterprise so two independent connectivity planes provide redundancy between racks for on-premises clusters.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/dual-tor.md) ##### [Configure multiple Calico Enterprise networks on a pod](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/multiple-networks.md) [Add extra Calico Enterprise networks to each pod with the Multus-CNI plugin, then control access with tiered network policy on every interface.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/multiple-networks.md) ##### [Overlay networking](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/vxlan-ipip.md) [Choose VXLAN or IP-in-IP overlay encapsulation in Calico Enterprise so pod traffic crosses underlay networks that don't route pod CIDRs natively.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/vxlan-ipip.md) ##### [Advertise Kubernetes service IP addresses](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/advertise-service-ips.md) [Advertise Kubernetes service cluster IPs and external IPs out of the cluster over BGP with Calico Enterprise so upstream routers can reach them directly.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/advertise-service-ips.md) ##### [Configure MTU to maximize network performance](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/mtu.md) [Tune the Calico Enterprise MTU on the Installation resource so pod traffic matches the underlay, accounting for VXLAN, IP-in-IP, and WireGuard overhead.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/mtu.md) ##### [Custom BGP configuration](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/custom-bgp-config.md) [Override the default BIRD BGP templates for Calico Enterprise to access advanced BIRD features for proof-of-concept and special-case routing setups.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/custom-bgp-config.md) ##### [Configure outgoing NAT](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/workloads-outside-cluster.md) [Configure NAT outgoing on Calico Enterprise IP pools so pod traffic destined outside the cluster is source-NATed to the node IP.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/workloads-outside-cluster.md) ##### [Use a specific MAC address for a pod](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/pod-mac-address.md) [Pin a chosen MAC address on a Kubernetes pod interface with the Calico Enterprise CNI plugin for cases such as MAC-bound software licenses.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/pod-mac-address.md) ##### [Use NodeLocal DNSCache in your cluster](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/node-local-dns-cache.md) [Run NodeLocal DNSCache alongside Calico Enterprise and write the network policy that lets pod DNS traffic reach the per-node cache.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/configuring/node-local-dns-cache.md) ##### [LoadBalancer IP address management](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/ipam/service-loadbalancer.md) [Use the Calico Enterprise LoadBalancer controller to allocate IPs to Kubernetes Service type LoadBalancer from configured IPPool resources.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/ipam/service-loadbalancer.md) ## Egress gateways ##### [Configure egress gateways, on-premises](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-on-prem.md) [Send selected application traffic through Calico Enterprise egress gateways on-premises so external firewalls see a predictable source IP for cluster workloads.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-on-prem.md) ##### [Configure egress gateways, Azure](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-azure.md) [Route specific application traffic out of a Calico Enterprise cluster through egress gateways that use native Azure VNet IPs recognised by Azure routing.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-azure.md) ##### [Configure egress gateways, AWS](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-aws.md) [Route specific application traffic out of a Calico Enterprise cluster through egress gateways that use VPC subnet IPs visible to the AWS fabric.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-aws.md) ##### [Optimize egress networking for workloads with long-lived TCP connections](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-maintenance.md) [Reduce the impact of Calico Enterprise egress gateway maintenance on workloads with long-lived TCP sessions by reading termination annotations and timing draining.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/egress-gateway-maintenance.md) ##### [Configure egress traffic to multiple external networks](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/external-network.md) [Steer Calico Enterprise egress gateway traffic onto multiple external networks with potentially overlapping IPs by associating gateways with named ExternalNetworks.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/external-network.md) ##### [Troubleshoot egress gateways](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/troubleshoot.md) [Troubleshooting guide for Calico Enterprise egress gateways covering connection failures, source IP mismatches, BGP route advertisement, and required pod metadata.](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-enterprise/latest/networking/egress/troubleshoot.md)