Unable to connect to my EventStore Docker container

It appears that the issue was related to Docker container networking not being properly configured for communication with external systems. Specifically, by default, a typical Kubernetes or docker network setup restricts outbound connections from within containers unless explicitly allowed through various security features like TLS termination and inspection points on your host machine.

Here are potential steps that could resolve this:

Insecure Mode: Setting the EVENTSTORE_INSECURE environment variable to true, as you’ve done in your revised Docker Compose configuration, bypasses certain security features on host-based network configurations like NAT and firewalls which could be blocking external access.
Disable TLS Termination: Setting EVENTSTORE_DISABLE_INTERNAL_TLS to true would prevent Docker from terminating SSL/TLS connections within the container, allowing it full control over outbound communication without encryption (note that this can be a significant security risk and should only be done if you understand the risks).
Disable External TLS Termination: Similarly EVENTSTORE_DISABLE_EXTERNAL_TLS allows all network traffic to pass through without being inspected by Docker, ensuring that incoming connections reach your container directly.

Here is a revised and expanded version of the troubleshooting steps you can take: - Verify if there are any firewall rules or NAT configurations on the host machine which block outbound traffic. This may be as simple as adding exceptions for Docker’s network interfaces, specifically adjusting settings related to TCP/IP connections.

Check Network Policies (if in Kubernetes) that might restrict ingress and egress of containers at any given time; the default is often quite strict on production environments. Here you may have a similar requirement as EVENTSTORE_DISABLE_INTERNAL_TLS or equivalent settings to relax security.
Review Docker Compose files for network definitions (like --net=bridge), which typically use IPs within the range of your host, and ensure they’re not conflicting with external networking configurations. If running in a different type of containerized environment like Kubernetes Podman or Swarm mode (--network options), these might be using overlay networks instead.
Confirm if there are any proxy settings on the Docker daemon that may interfere; sometimes additional configuration is needed to route traffic correctly through such proxies. For example, in a corporate environment where internal routing policies must adhere strictly for compliance reasons: Docker Proxy Configuration Guide.

Remember that enabling these options can make your system more vulnerable to network attacks as you’re disregarding the built-safety features of Docker and TCP encryption:

# Example for a secure environment (not recommended unless fully understood):
EVENTSTORE_DISABLE_INTERNAL_TLS=false EVENTSTORE_INSECURE=true  # Disable TLS termination, but not insecure mode.

It’s crucial to balance security needs with network functionality when configuring Docker containers. Always consider least privilege and principle of need-to-know access controls: Best Practices for Secure Container Setup. Remember, in most cases exposing your container on the internet without proper security measures is not recommended unless it’s a controlled environment where risks are understood and accepted.