Install Pod Network Plugin
Install a Pod network plugin like Flannel to enable communication between Kubernetes pods.
🌐 Step 4: Install a Pod Network Plugin
After the Kubernetes control plane is initialized, the cluster nodes can’t communicate until a Pod network plugin is installed.
Why is this necessary?
Kubernetes requires a network plugin to allow Pods running on different nodes to communicate with each other. Without it, nodes will stay in NotReady status.
🔧 Installing Flannel (Recommended)
Flannel is a simple and widely used network plugin for Kubernetes.
Run this command on the control plane node (cp-node-1):
bash
🖥️ Verify the Pod Network Plugin
Check if the kube-flannel pods are running:
bash
Wait for all Flannel pods to be in Running status.
✅ Check Node Status
After Flannel is running, your nodes should transition to Ready state.
Verify nodes:
bash
Troubleshooting
- If nodes remain
NotReadyfor a long time:- Check the Flannel pod logs:
bash
- Verify firewall rules or network policies aren’t blocking traffic.
⏭ Next Steps
Your Kubernetes cluster is now operational with a network plugin installed.
Next, you can:
- Deploy your first workloads.
- Set up cluster add-ons (metrics-server, dashboard).
- Configure storage classes for persistent storage.