We were very busy in this lively chapter. We looked at the differences between physical and virtual networks. We learned about the network components that make up a Proxmox-based virtual network. We also learned about Open vSwitch and its components to create a really complex virtual network. We even got to analyze a few network diagrams from the basic to the advanced to get a better understanding of how the Proxmox virtual network really comes to life.

Proxmox provides all the tools we need to build any level of virtual network. It is up to the network administrator's imagination, the company's budget, and the need to foresee how all pieces should come together to form a well-designed and efficient virtual network. The best part is that any mistake is easily correctable in a virtual environment. We can always go back and change things until we are satisfied. For this very reason, a virtual network is always evolving. Over time, a virtual network becomes an extension of the network administrator's mental picture of the network. The configurations and design of a virtual network infrastructure can give us a window into how that administrator thinks and the logic they used to construct the environment.

In the next chapter, we are going to learn all about the built-in Proxmox firewall and learn how to protect from the whole cluster down to a single virtual machine.