How to Get Docker Container IP Address From the Host?

Understanding Docker Networking

Before we dive into how to get the IP address of a Docker container from the host, it's important to understand Docker networking. When you create a Docker container, it is assigned a unique IP address within the Docker network. This network is separate from the host network, and by default, containers within the network can communicate with each other but not with the host or other networks.

Using the docker inspect Command

One way to get the IP address of a container from the host is to use the docker inspect command. This command displays detailed information about a container, including its IP address. Here's an example:

docker inspect --format='{{range .NetworkSettings.Networks}}{{.IPAddress}}{{end}}' container_name

Replace container_name with the name or ID of the container you want to get the IP address of. This command will output the IP address of the container.

Using the docker network inspect Command

If you're using Docker networks to connect your containers, you can use the docker network inspect command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

docker network inspect bridge

This command will output the details of the bridge network, including the IP addresses of all the containers connected to it.

Using the docker container inspect Command

You can also use the docker container inspect command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

docker container inspect -f '{{range.NetworkSettings.Networks}}{{.IPAddress}}{{end}}' container_name

Replace container_name with the name or ID of the container you want to get the IP address of. This command will output the IP address of the container.

Using the docker ps Command

Another way to get the IP address of a container from the host is to use the docker ps command. Here's how:

docker ps

This command will output a list of all the running containers on the host, along with their details, including their IP addresses.

Using the hostname Command

You can also use the hostname command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

hostname -i

This command will output the IP address of the host. However, if you run this command from within a container, it will output the IP address of the container.

Using the nslookup Command

You can use the nslookup command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

nslookup container_name

Replace container_name with the name of the container you want to get the IP address of. This command will output the IP address of the container.

Using the ping Command

You can also use the ping command to get the IP address of a container from the host

Using the telnet Command

Another way to get the IP address of a container from the host is to use the telnet command. Here's how:

telnet container_ip_address port_number

Replace container_ip_address with the IP address of the container you want to connect to, and port_number with the port number of the service you want to connect to. This command will initiate a connection to the specified service in the container.

Using the netstat Command

You can use the netstat command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

netstat -nat | grep LISTEN | grep container_name

Replace container_name with the name or ID of the container you want to get the IP address of. This command will output the IP address of the container.

Using the ip Command

You can use the ip command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

ip addr show docker0 | grep -Po 'inet \K[\d.]+'

This command will output the IP address of the Docker network interface.

Using the ifconfig Command

Another way to get the IP address of a container from the host is to use the ifconfig command. Here's how:

ifconfig docker0

This command will output the IP address of the Docker network interface.

Using the hostname -i Command

You can also use the hostname -i command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

hostname -i

This command will output the IP address of the host. However, if you run this command from within a container, it will output the IP address of the container.

Using the ip route get Command

You can use the ip route get command to get the IP address of a container from the host. Here's how:

ip route get container_name | awk '{print $NF; exit}'

Replace container_name with the name or ID of the container you want to get the IP address of. This command will output the IP address of the container.

Using the ip route show Command

Another way to get the IP address of a container from the host is to use the ip route show command. Here's how:

ip route show | grep docker0 | awk '{print $9}'

This command will output the IP address of the Docker network interface.

Now that you know how to get the IP address of a Docker container from the host using various methods, you can choose the one that works best for you.

Conclusion

Getting the IP address of a Docker container from the host is a common task for many Docker users. In this article, we've shown you how to do that using various methods, such as using the docker inspect command, the docker network inspect command, the docker container inspect command, and many others. By using these methods, you can easily obtain the IP address of any container running on your Docker host.