wardnet
Wardnet is a self-hosted network privacy gateway that runs on linux (docker or bare metal). It sits alongside an existing home or small-office router, and acts as the warden of every device's connection to the internet
What is it?
What it is
**Your network. Your rules.** Wardnet is a self-hosted network privacy gateway you run on your own hardware (a Raspberry Pi, a mini-PC, or any Linux host). It sits alongside your existing home or small-office router and acts as the warden of every device's connection to the internet: routing traffic through per-device VPN tunnels, blocking ads and trackers at the DNS level, running your own local DNS, isolating IoT and guest devices into locked-down zones, and giving you full control from a dash
Why it exists
Wardnet is a self-hosted network privacy gateway that runs on linux (docker or bare metal). It sits alongside an existing home or small-office router, and acts as the warden of every device's connection to the internet
Who should use it
Teams building with Rust who want an open-source, self-hosted option.
Who should avoid it
Teams that need a fully managed SaaS with enterprise SLAs out of the box.
How it works
A quick walkthrough in plain English
How wardnet works
Step 1 of 3
You interact with it
Open wardnet, send a request, or connect it to your stack.
Features
Advantages
- Open source (GPL-3.0)
- Active Rust ecosystem
- Self-hosted deployment options
Disadvantages
- Requires operational ownership for self-hosted setups
- Community support varies by project maturity
Installation
docker
# Enable IP forwarding on the host (persists across reboots): echo 'net.ipv4.ip_forward=1' | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/99-wardnet.conf sudo sysctl --system docker run -d \ --name wardnetd \ --network host \ --cap-add NET_ADMIN --cap-add NET_RAW \ --device /dev/net/tun \ --tmpfs /run --tmpfs /run/lock \ -v wardnet-data:/var/lib/wardnet \ ghcr.io/wardnet/wardnetd:latest
FAQ
What is wardnet?
wardnet is an open-source project licensed under GPL-3.0.
What language is wardnet built with?
Primary language: Rust.
Is it free to use?
Yes. Licensed under GPL-3.0. Check the license for commercial use.
Can I run it with Docker?
Yes. Docker install instructions are in the Installation section.
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