What Is a Private Network? Internal-Only Connectivity
A private network is one whose hosts are reachable only from inside it, using private addresses that are not routable on the public internet.
Sensitive systems like databases and internal APIs are usually placed on a private network so they cannot be reached from the open internet. Only hosts inside, or explicitly connected, can talk to them. This protects them but complicates CI, because a pipeline must have a path inside to deploy.
Not internet-routable
Private networks use reserved address ranges that the public internet will not route. A host outside cannot reach a private address directly, which is the whole point.
Why services go private
- Reduce attack surface by hiding from the internet.
- Keep internal-only services internal.
- Meet compliance and data-isolation requirements.
Reaching in from outside
To connect into a private network you need a deliberate path: a VPN, a bastion host, VPC peering, or a runner placed inside the network. Without one, connections time out.
Private networks and CI
Deploying to a private database means the pipeline needs network access into the private network. Public hosted runners typically cannot reach it, so teams use runners that live inside or are peered with it.
Diagnosing no route
A timeout with no response usually means there is no route to the private host, not that the service is down. The fix is connectivity, such as peering a runner in, not retrying the request.
Runners with private reach
Placing CI close to the private network keeps deploy traffic internal and fast. Latchkey managed runners can sit near your private resources, retrying transient blips while genuine no-route timeouts remain visible to fix.
Key takeaways
- A private network keeps hosts reachable only internally, off the public internet.
- Reaching in requires a VPN, bastion, peering, or a runner placed inside.
- A timeout to a private host usually means no route, which retries cannot fix.