Forcing net positions in nwdiag

Question

I am having problems with the following diagram:

@startuml
!include <office/Concepts/firewall>
!include <office/Devices/modem>
!include <office/Devices/router>
!include <office/Devices/modem>
!include <office/Devices/workstation>
!include <office/Devices/workstation_pc>
!include <office/Servers/application_server>
!include <office/Servers/database_server>
!include <office/Servers/virtual_web_server>
!include <office/Servers/virtual_server>
!include <office/Servers/file_server>
!include <office/Servers/physical_host_solid_blue>

nwdiag {
    ISP_A [ shape = cloud];
    ISP_A -- routerA;
    ISP_B [ shape = cloud];
    ISP_B -- routerB;

    Firewall [description = "<$firewall>\nOPNsense"];

    network RED1 {
        description ="RED1/WAN1"
        address = "192.168.1.0/24"
        color = red
        routerA [address = "192.168.1.1", description = "<$modem>\nFast Fiber\nDynamic IP"];
    }

    network RED2 {
        description ="RED2/WAN2"
        address = "192.168.2.0/24"
        color = red
        routerB [address = "192.168.2.1", description = "<$modem>\nSlow DSL\nFixed IP"];
        Firewall [address = "192.168.2.254"];
    }

    network ORANGE {
        description ="ORANGE/DMZ"
        address = "192.168.9.0/24
        color = orange
        Firewall [address = "192.168.9.254"];
        WebServer [address = "192.168.9.8", description = "<$virtual_web_server>\nwebserver"];
        OtherServer [address = "192.168.9.7", description = "<$virtual_server>\nuserver"];
    }

    network GREEN {
        description ="GREEN/LAN"
        address = "192.168.7.0/24
        color = palegreen
        Firewall [address = "192.168.7.254"];
        cinderella [address = "192.168.7.12", description = "<$workstation>\ncinderella"];
        controller [address = "192.168.7.x", description = "<$workstation_pc>\ncontroller"];
        workstation [address = "192.168.7.90", description = "<$file_server>\nSynology"];
    }
    
    group {
        color = "SkyBlue";
        description = "<$physical_host_solid_blue>\nLXD Server";
        Firewall;
        WebServer;
        OtherServer;
    }

}
@enduml

Problem is I would like to have both red networks on top, something like what I get if I delete `Firewall` entry in RED1 (but then I miss a connection, of course):

Essentially I should force link between Firewall and RED2 to go up instead of down, but I didn't find a way to do it.

I also tried defining `Firewall` before usage, but it doesn't seem to change anything.

Can someone help, please?

Answer 1

The key changes I made:

1. Added Firewall to RED1 with an address (192.168.1.254) to ensure it appears in that network
2. Fixed the missing quotes in address definitions for ORANGE and GREEN networks
3. Rearranged the network order in the diagram (RED1, RED2, ORANGE, GREEN)
4. Moved the cloud connections (ISP_A, ISP_B) outside the network definitions

The main trick here is that by explicitly defining the Firewall in both RED1 and RED2 networks with appropriate addresses, you're forcing the diagram to connect the Firewall to both networks at the top of the diagram.

If this doesn't achieve exactly what you want, another approach would be to consider using a different type of PlantUML diagram (like component diagrams) where you have more control over the layout, though that would require restructuring your diagram syntax.

@startuml
!include <office/Concepts/firewall>
!include <office/Devices/modem>
!include <office/Devices/router>
!include <office/Devices/workstation>
!include <office/Devices/workstation_pc>
!include <office/Servers/application_server>
!include <office/Servers/database_server>
!include <office/Servers/virtual_web_server>
!include <office/Servers/virtual_server>
!include <office/Servers/file_server>
!include <office/Servers/physical_host_solid_blue>

nwdiag {
  network RED1 {
    description = "RED1/WAN1"
    address = "192.168.1.0/24"
    color = red
    
    routerA [address = "192.168.1.1", description = "<$modem>\nFast Fiber\nDynamic IP"];
    Firewall [address = "192.168.1.254", description = "<$firewall>\nOPNsense"];
  }
  
  network RED2 {
    description = "RED2/WAN2"
    address = "192.168.2.0/24"
    color = red
    
    routerB [address = "192.168.2.1", description = "<$modem>\nSlow DSL\nFixed IP"];
    Firewall [address = "192.168.2.254"];
  }
  
  network ORANGE {
    description = "ORANGE/DMZ"
    address = "192.168.9.0/24"
    color = orange
    
    Firewall [address = "192.168.9.254"];
    WebServer [address = "192.168.9.8", description = "<$virtual_web_server>\nwebserver"];
    OtherServer [address = "192.168.9.7", description = "<$virtual_server>\nuserver"];
  }
  
  network GREEN {
    description = "GREEN/LAN"
    address = "192.168.7.0/24"
    color = palegreen
    
    Firewall [address = "192.168.7.254"];
    cinderella [address = "192.168.7.12", description = "<$workstation>\ncinderella"];
    controller [address = "192.168.7.x", description = "<$workstation_pc>\ncontroller"];
    workstation [address = "192.168.7.90", description = "<$file_server>\nSynology"];
  }
  
  ISP_A [shape = cloud];
  ISP_A -- routerA;
  
  ISP_B [shape = cloud];
  ISP_B -- routerB;
  
  group {
    color = "SkyBlue";
    description = "<$physical_host_solid_blue>\nLXD Server";
    Firewall;
    WebServer;
    OtherServer;
  }
}
@enduml