Docker Port Mapping and NAT with iptables: A Comprehensive Guide

Docker allows exposing container services externally or inter‑container communication via port mapping using the -p or -P options.

Only one host port can map to a single container port, but a container port can be mapped from multiple host ports (e.g., 8080→80, 8090→80, 8099→80).

Using -p you specify an explicit host port, for example docker run -ti -d --name my-nginx -p 8088:80 docker.io/nginx . Using -P Docker assigns a random host port, e.g., docker run -ti -d --name my-nginx2 -P docker.io/nginx . The resulting docker ps output shows the mappings.

You can bind a specific host IP address together with a port, for example docker run -ti -d --name my-nginx3 -p 127.0.0.1:8888:80 docker.io/nginx or docker run -ti -d --name my-nginx4 -p 192.168.210.100:9999:80 docker.io/nginx . Access is limited to the bound IP.

Port mapping can also specify a protocol, such as docker run -ti -d --name my-nginx5 -p 8099:80/tcp docker.io/nginx or docker run -ti -d --name my-nginx6 -p 192.168.210.100:8077:80/udp docker.io/nginx .

To view a container’s current bindings, use docker port CONTAINER or inspect the container JSON for the IPAddress field.

Multiple -p options can bind several host IP/port pairs to the same container port, e.g., docker run -ti -d --name my-nginx8 -p 192.168.210.100:7777:80 -p 127.0.0.1:7788:80 docker.io/nginx .

If a container is started without any port mapping, you can expose it later with host iptables NAT rules. After obtaining the container’s IP (e.g., 172.17.0.2 ), add rules such as:

iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp --dport 9998 -j DNAT --to-destination 172.17.0.2:80

iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -d 172.17.0.2/32 -p tcp --sport 80 -j SNAT --to-source 192.168.210.100

iptables -t filter -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9998 -m state --state NEW -j ACCEPT

Save the rules with iptables-save > /etc/sysconfig/iptables , ensure the icmp-host-prohibited lines are commented out, restart the iptables service, and the host port (e.g., http://192.168.210.100:9998/ ) will forward to the container’s port 80.