diff --git a/.template/config.json b/.template/config.json
index 1d68bc8..3cce315 100644
--- a/.template/config.json
+++ b/.template/config.json
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@
   "build": 1,
   "software": "x",
   "release": "latest",
-  "version": "1"
+  "version": "1",
+  "podman_network": "x"
 }
diff --git a/pms-cli b/pms-cli
index 782503e..30f267f 100755
--- a/pms-cli
+++ b/pms-cli
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ operations:
     $(basename ${0}) {-h --help}
     $(basename ${0}) {-V --version}
     $(basename ${0}) {-v --verbose}
-    $(basename ${0}) {--init}     [servername]
+    $(basename ${0}) {--init}     [servername]  [network name]
     $(basename ${0}) {--datapack} [servername]  [datapack dl url]
     $(basename ${0}) {--start}    [servername]  [port]  (ip)
     $(basename ${0}) {--stop}     [servername]
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ while true; do
       ;;
     --init)
         shift
-        init "$1"
+        init "$1" "$3"
       ;;
     --datapack)
         shift
diff --git a/utils/init b/utils/init
index 4866e27..bde34f4 100644
--- a/utils/init
+++ b/utils/init
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 function init() {
+  createNetwork "$2"
   if [[ -d "$(getValueByKey 'PODMAN_DIRECTORY')/${1}" ]]; then
     log e "Directory '${1}' already exists"
     exit 1
@@ -9,11 +10,12 @@ function init() {
   local newdir="$(getValueByKey 'PODMAN_DIRECTORY')/${1}"
 
   mkdir -p "${newdir}/data/world/datapacks"
-  populateConfig "${newdir}/config.json"
+  populateConfig "${newdir}/config.json" "$2"
 }
 
 function populateConfig() {
   local config="$1"
+  local network_name="$2"
 
   local runnertype
   local build
@@ -118,5 +120,5 @@ function populateConfig() {
     ;;
   esac
 
-  jq "(.type=\"$runnertype\")|(.build=$build)|(.software=\"$software\")|(.release=\"$release\")|(.version=\"$version\")" ${TEMPLATEDIR}/config.json > "$config"
+  jq "(.type=\"$runnertype\")|(.build=$build)|(.software=\"$software\")|(.release=\"$release\")|(.version=\"$version\")|(.podman_network=\"$network_name\")" ${TEMPLATEDIR}/config.json > "$config"
 }
diff --git a/utils/podman b/utils/podman
index d08d90f..a7c5b72 100644
--- a/utils/podman
+++ b/utils/podman
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function buildImage() {
 ##
 function startContainer() {
   log d "Starting container '$1'"
-  podman run --name "$1" --userns=keep-id:uid=1000 --rm -it -d -p $([[ -n "$4" ]] && echo ${4}:)$3:25565 -v $(getValueByKey 'PODMAN_DIRECTORY')/$1/data:/var/server "$2" java -Dcom.mojang.eula.agree=true -jar /var/exec/server.jar --nogui --port 25565
+  podman run --name "$1" --userns=keep-id:uid=1000 --rm -it -d --network "$5" -p $([[ -n "$4" ]] && echo ${4}:)$3:25565 -v $(getValueByKey 'PODMAN_DIRECTORY')/$1/data:/var/server "$2" java -Dcom.mojang.eula.agree=true -jar /var/exec/server.jar --nogui --port 25565
   [[ $? -eq 0 ]] && log s "Container '$1' started!"
 }
 
@@ -107,3 +107,16 @@ function stopContainer() {
   podman container stop --time 100 $1
   log s "Container '$1' stopped"
 }
+
+##
+# create a podman network
+#
+# $1 - string: network-name
+##
+function createNetwork() {
+  if [[ -n $(podman network ls | grep "$1") ]]; then
+    log w "Network '$1' exists already, won't create!"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  podman network create "$1"
+}
diff --git a/utils/start b/utils/start
index 152df56..60b575e 100644
--- a/utils/start
+++ b/utils/start
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ function start() {
   local software="$(getLocalConfValue $dir 'software')"
   local version="$(getLocalConfValue $dir 'version')"
   local build="$(getLocalConfValue $dir 'build')"
+  local podman_network="$(getLocalConfValue $dir 'podman_network')"
 
   case "$(getLocalConfValue $dir 'type')" in
     "server")
@@ -45,5 +46,5 @@ function start() {
   fi
 
   log i "Starting container '$1' with image '$version/$software:$build' on port '$([[ -n "$3" ]] && echo ${3}:)$2'"
-  startContainer "$1" "$version/$software:$build" "$2" "$3"
+  startContainer "$1" "$version/$software:$build" "$2" "$3" "$podman_network"
 }