Learn how to fix Docker Error: Removing Network with Active Endpoints. Our Docker Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

How to Fix Docker Error: Removing Network with Active Endpoints

If you run into an error while trying to run `docker-compose down`, it usually means that the network cannot be removed because it has active endpoints.

This error usually looks like this:

ERROR: error while removing network: network id cfcb4a603426f2cf71b1f971a9ecb0aae7e6c889a8dc4c55bfd1eb010d8a260b has active endpoints

This error lets us know that the network we are trying to remove still has containers or services connected to it. Docker cannot delete a network while it’s in use.

Possible Causes Behind the Error

• One or more containers are connected to the network.
• If we are using Docker Compose, the network might be defined in the `docker-compose.yml` file and is still in use.
• There could be issues with the network driver (e.g., bridge, overlay, macvlan) preventing removal.

Troubleshooting Steps

• Identify Active Endpoints

  Use the `docker ps` command to list running containers and check if any of these containers are connected to the network we want to remove.

  docker ps
• Stop and Remove Containers

  Then, stop all containers connected to the network and then remove them:

  docker stop container_name
docker rm container_name
• Check Docker Compose

  If we are using Docker Compose, inspect the `docker-compose.yml` file for the network definition. Then, we can remove or comment out the network definition and then run `docker-compose down` again.

  # Example: docker-compose.yml
networks:
my_network:
driver: bridge

• Force Remove Network

  If the above steps did not help, we can use the `-f` flag with `docker network rm` to forcefully remove the network, even if it has active endpoints. However, be careful as this can lead to data loss or unexpected behavior.

  docker network rm -f our_network
• Inspect Network Driver

  If the issue continues, check the network driver used. There may be specific steps or limitations for removing networks using that driver.

  docker network inspect our_network

With these steps, we can identify and resolve the issue causing the “network has active endpoints” error.

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Conclusion

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to fix Docker Error: Removing Network with Active Endpoints.