diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 51118cd..1839da5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,28 +29,28 @@ Additional Steps:
 
 **Adaptive router VM count and interfaces**
 
-Both the number of `IaaS Router` VMs and the number of private interfaces per router are dynamic, controlled by Terraform variables:
+The number of `IaaS Router` VMs is controlled by the Terraform variable `router_count` (default `2`, tested with 3-4). Each router VM's private interfaces are driven by `private_network_cidrs` - a list of CIDR prefixes the admin must supply explicitly (no default, no auto-carving): **one entry = one shared private network = one private interface per router**, in addition to the single public (WAN) interface that stays fixed at 1. So a router VM ends up with `1 + length(private_network_cidrs)` network interfaces total.
 
-- `router_count` (default `2`, tested with 3-4) - how many router VMs to provision.
-- `private_interface_count` (default `2`) - how many isolated private interfaces each router VM gets, on top of the single public (WAN) interface that stays fixed at 1.
+Each entry in `private_network_cidrs` is one network shared by *all* routers - every router gets its own port/IP inside every listed network (`cidrhost(cidr, router_index + 2)`), similar to how the original `lan_net` design worked, just generalized to an arbitrary number of networks and routers. There is no VRRP between router VMs in this design, a change from the previous 2-NIC/VRRP model. The prefixes must not overlap each other and must each have room for at least `router_count + 2` addresses - both checked by `terraform/tests/`.
 
-So each router VM ends up with `1 + private_interface_count` network interfaces total (3 by default). Every private interface sits in its **own unique, isolated micro-subnet** (`/29` or `/28`, sized via `private_subnet_prefix_length`, carved out of `private_supernet`) - there is no shared LAN network or VRRP between router VMs in this design, a change from the previous 2-NIC/VRRP model.
-
-New Terraform variables: `router_count`, `private_interface_count`, `private_supernet`, `private_subnet_prefix_length`, `router_availability_zones` (see `terraform/variables.tf`). The post-install script is a Terraform template (`terraform/scripts/network-init.sh.tpl`) rendered per-router via `templatefile()`, matching each private interface to its expected subnet deterministically instead of guessing - it already handles any interface count, no hardcoded assumption of 2. `terraform/versions.tf` now pins the provider source (`vk-cs/vkcs`, `~> 0.17`), which was previously undeclared.
+New Terraform variables: `router_count`, `private_network_cidrs`, `router_availability_zones` (see `terraform/variables.tf`). The post-install script is a Terraform template (`terraform/scripts/network-init.sh.tpl`) rendered per-router via `templatefile()`, matching each private interface to its expected subnet deterministically instead of guessing - it already handles any interface count, no hardcoded assumption of 2. `terraform/versions.tf` now pins the provider source (`vk-cs/vkcs`, `~> 0.17`), which was previously undeclared.
 
 **Horizontal scaling via environment variables**
 
-Since `terraform.tfvars` doesn't set these two variables (only commented-out examples), they can be scaled purely through environment variables using Terraform's standard `TF_VAR_<name>` convention - no wrapper scripts needed:
+`router_count` has a default and isn't set in `terraform.tfvars`, so it scales purely through `TF_VAR_router_count` using Terraform's standard `TF_VAR_<name>` convention. `private_network_cidrs` has no default and must be set somewhere - either in `terraform.tfvars` (as shipped) or overridden via `TF_VAR_private_network_cidrs` as a JSON-encoded list:
 
 ```bash
 export TF_VAR_router_count=4
-export TF_VAR_private_interface_count=3
+export TF_VAR_private_network_cidrs='["10.90.0.0/28","10.90.0.16/28","10.90.0.32/28"]'
 terraform apply
 ```
 
 **Local delivery integrity tests**
 
-`terraform/tests/` contains a local pytest suite that checks the delivery is internally consistent - required files present, `terraform fmt` clean, HCL parses, `router_count`/`private_interface_count` actually drive the resource/NIC count instead of being hardcoded, per-router private-subnet carving never overlaps (checked at several scales), and the post-install script template renders to valid bash. It also runs a real `terraform init` + `terraform validate` against the actual `vkcs` provider schema (at several `router_count`/`private_interface_count` values) - but against a project-local filesystem-mirror copy of the provider, so no cloud API is ever contacted and no credentials are needed (`validate` only type-checks against the provider's static schema).
+`terraform/tests/` contains a local pytest suite that checks the delivery is internally consistent - required files present, `terraform fmt` clean, HCL parses, `router_count`/`private_network_cidrs` actually drive the resource/NIC count instead of being hardcoded, the example CIDRs in `terraform.tfvars` don't overlap and have room for `router_count` routers, and the post-install script template renders to valid bash. It also runs:
+
+- a real `terraform init` + `terraform validate` against the actual `vkcs` provider schema (at several `router_count`/`private_network_cidrs` values), against a project-local filesystem-mirror copy of the provider - no cloud API is ever contacted and no credentials are needed;
+- a real `terraform plan` against an isolated, provider-free copy of just `variables.tf`, to prove the `validation { ... }` blocks on `router_count` and `private_network_cidrs` (non-empty, valid CIDR syntax, uniqueness) are actually enforced - `terraform validate` alone does **not** enforce custom variable validations for externally-supplied values, only `plan`/`apply` do.
 
 ```bash
 terraform/tests/setup-local-terraform.sh   # one-time: provisions venv/ with terraform + the vkcs provider
@@ -64,10 +64,6 @@ venv/bin/pytest terraform/tests -v
 - the `vk-cs/vkcs` provider binary, downloaded (with `SHA256SUMS` verification) directly from its [GitHub releases](https://github.com/vk-cs/terraform-provider-vkcs/releases) - this bypasses `registry.terraform.io`, which blocks some regions outright, and is what makes a real `terraform validate` possible at all here;
 - a project-local CLI config (`venv/terraform.d/cli-config.tfrc`) that points `terraform init` at that local provider copy via a `filesystem_mirror` block, instead of the network registry.
 
-The default `private_supernet` (`10.90.0.0/16`) at `/29` sizing has room for 8192 per-router-per-interface micro-subnets, far more than any realistic `router_count × private_interface_count` combination.
-
-The default `private_supernet` (`10.90.0.0/16`) at `/29` sizing has room for 8192 per-router-per-interface micro-subnets, far more than any realistic `router_count × private_interface_count` combination.
-
 >Note: the diagrams below (`ports.svg`, `topology.svg`) and the Ansible layer (`ansible/inventory.ini`, roles `base`/`frr_router`/`keepalived`) still describe/assume the previous 2-router, 2-NIC, VRRP-based design and have **not** been updated for the new N-NIC/N-router topology yet - that's a separate follow-up.
 
 **IPv4 addressing plan for the project**
@@ -78,7 +74,7 @@ Here is a card to assist with configuration planning. The card is filled out usi
 
 **Terraform**
 
-Provisions `router_count` `IaaS Routers` (default 2), each with 1 public and `private_interface_count` private ports (default 2). Includes supplimentary Shell script template (which is a part of Terraform manifest) to maintain configuration across reboots.
+Provisions `router_count` `IaaS Routers` (default 2), each with 1 public and `length(private_network_cidrs)` private ports (2 in the shipped example). Includes supplimentary Shell script template (which is a part of Terraform manifest) to maintain configuration across reboots.
 
 **Ansible**
 
diff --git a/docs/QUICKSTART.md b/docs/QUICKSTART.md
index 8fab69e..93e0a1f 100644
--- a/docs/QUICKSTART.md
+++ b/docs/QUICKSTART.md
@@ -17,15 +17,22 @@ username     = "<ваш VK Cloud логин>"
 password     = "<пароль>"
 project_id   = "<ваш project_id>"
 ssh_key_name = "<имя загруженного SSH-ключа>"
+
+private_network_cidrs = [
+  "10.90.0.0/29",
+  "10.90.0.8/29",
+]
 ```
 
+`private_network_cidrs` — обязательная переменная без значения по умолчанию: один CIDR-префикс на каждую приватную сеть, к которой будут подключены интерфейсы роутеров (один префикс = одна общая сеть = один приватный интерфейс на роутер). Автоматической нарезки нет — префиксы не должны пересекаться и должны вмещать минимум `router_count + 2` адреса.
+
 ## 3. (Опционально) масштабирование
 
-По умолчанию: 2 роутера × 3 интерфейса (1 публичный + 2 приватных). Меняется без правки кода — либо раскомментировать нужные строки в `terraform.tfvars`, либо через переменные окружения:
+По умолчанию: 2 роутера × 3 интерфейса (1 публичный + 2 приватных, по числу префиксов в `private_network_cidrs`). Меняется без правки кода — либо через `terraform.tfvars`, либо через переменные окружения:
 
 ```bash
 export TF_VAR_router_count=4
-export TF_VAR_private_interface_count=3
+export TF_VAR_private_network_cidrs='["10.90.0.0/28","10.90.0.16/28","10.90.0.32/28"]'
 ```
 
 ## 4. Развернуть
@@ -41,7 +48,7 @@ terraform apply
 
 ## 5. Настроить Ansible
 
-> ⚠️ Важно: `ansible/inventory.ini` и роли (`base`/`frr_router`/`keepalived`) пока жёстко рассчитаны на **2** роутера с интерфейсами `eth0`/`eth1` (VRRP-схема) — под новую N-роутерную/3-NIC архитектуру ещё не адаптированы. Для дефолтных значений (`router_count=2`, `private_interface_count=2`) впишите реальные `wan_ip`/`lan_ip`/GRE/BGP-параметры роутеров в `inventory.ini` вручную. При масштабировании выше 2 роутеров или интерфейсов Ansible-слой нужно дорабатывать отдельно.
+> ⚠️ Важно: `ansible/inventory.ini` и роли (`base`/`frr_router`/`keepalived`) пока жёстко рассчитаны на **2** роутера с интерфейсами `eth0`/`eth1` (VRRP-схема) — под новую N-роутерную/N-NIC архитектуру ещё не адаптированы. Для дефолтных значений (`router_count=2`, 2 записи в `private_network_cidrs`) впишите реальные `wan_ip`/`lan_ip`/GRE/BGP-параметры роутеров в `inventory.ini` вручную. При масштабировании выше 2 роутеров или интерфейсов Ansible-слой нужно дорабатывать отдельно.
 
 ```bash
 cd ansible
diff --git a/docs/changes/2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-plan.md b/docs/changes/2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-plan.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ef76a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changes/2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-plan.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# План внедрения: явная передача префиксов приватных сетей
+
+Дата: 2026-09-03
+
+## Проблема
+
+Приватные подсети роутеров нарезались автоматически (`private_supernet` + `private_subnet_prefix_length` + `private_interface_count` → `cidrsubnet()`). Администратор должен явно передавать все адресные префиксы — по одному CIDR на каждую приватную сеть, к которой подключаются маршрутизаторы. Автоматической нарезки быть не должно.
+
+Модель меняется: вместо N×router_count изолированных микроподсетей — N **общих** приватных сетей (по числу переданных префиксов), в каждой свой порт/IP на роутер (аналогично исходной `lan_net`/`lan_port1/2`, но обобщено на произвольное число сетей и роутеров).
+
+## Шаги
+
+1. `terraform/variables.tf`: удалить `private_supernet`, `private_subnet_prefix_length`, `private_interface_count`; добавить обязательную `private_network_cidrs` (list(string), без default, 3 validation-блока: непустой список, валидные CIDR, уникальность).
+2. `terraform/main.tf`: `router_priv_net`/`router_priv_subnet` — `for_each` по ролям (одна сеть на роль); `router_priv_port` — `for_each` по (роутер×роль), `fixed_ip = cidrhost(role_cidr, router_index + 2)`. `templatefile()` берёт CIDR из `local.private_network_cidr[role]`.
+3. `terraform/scripts/network-init.sh.tpl` — без изменений (сопоставление по CIDR-принадлежности не зависит от того, общий CIDR или уникальный).
+4. `terraform.tfvars` — рабочий пример `private_network_cidrs` вместо удалённых переменных.
+5. `terraform/tests/test_terraform_delivery.py` — обновить тесты под новую переменную/локали, убрать carving-коллизии, добавить проверку непересечения и вместимости CIDR.
+6. `README.md`/`docs/QUICKSTART.md` — обновить описание.
+7. Summary-документ по завершении.
+
+## Верификация
+
+- `terraform fmt -check -recursive`.
+- Реальные `terraform init`/`validate` (локальный filesystem-mirror провайдера) на нескольких сочетаниях `router_count`/`private_network_cidrs`.
+- `venv/bin/pytest terraform/tests -v`.
diff --git a/docs/changes/2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-summary.md b/docs/changes/2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-summary.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d40f139
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changes/2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-summary.md
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Summary: явная передача префиксов приватных сетей
+
+Дата: 2026-09-03
+План: [2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-plan.md](2026-09-03-explicit-private-network-cidrs-plan.md)
+
+## Что сделано
+
+### `terraform/variables.tf`
+Удалены `private_supernet`, `private_subnet_prefix_length`, `private_interface_count`. Добавлена обязательная (без default) переменная `private_network_cidrs` (`list(string)`) с тремя validation-блоками: список не пуст, каждый элемент — валидный IPv4 CIDR (`can(cidrhost(c, 0))`), элементы уникальны.
+
+### `terraform/main.tf`
+Модель изменена: вместо N×router_count изолированных микроподсетей (по одной на каждую пару "роутер+роль", auto-carved через `cidrsubnet()`) — N **общих** приватных сетей, по одной на каждый CIDR из `private_network_cidrs`. `router_priv_net`/`router_priv_subnet` теперь `for_each` только по ролям (`local.private_network_cidr`, карта role→CIDR); `router_priv_port` — `for_each` по (роутер×роль), с `fixed_ip = cidrhost(role_cidr, router_index + 2)` (`.2`=router1, `.3`=router2, ...). `templatefile()` берёт CIDR напрямую из `local.private_network_cidr[role]`.
+
+### `terraform/scripts/network-init.sh.tpl`
+Не менялся — сопоставление интерфейсов по CIDR-принадлежности не зависит от того, общий CIDR или уникальный per-роутер.
+
+### `terraform.tfvars`
+Заменены закомментированные `private_supernet`/`private_subnet_prefix_length`/`private_interface_count` на рабочий (не закомментированный, т.к. обязательный) пример:
+```hcl
+private_network_cidrs = [
+  "10.90.0.0/29",
+  "10.90.0.8/29",
+]
+```
+
+### `terraform/tests/test_terraform_delivery.py`
+Существенно переработан (32 теста вместо 32 — состав изменился):
+- убраны carving-коллизии (`cidrsubnet`-реимплементация) — авто-нарезки больше нет;
+- добавлен `test_tfvars_private_network_cidrs_do_not_overlap_and_have_room_for_routers` — офлайн-проверка (`ipaddress`) примера из `terraform.tfvars`: без пересечений, вмещает `router_count + 2` адресов;
+- добавлены `test_private_network_cidrs_validation_is_enforced` и `test_router_count_validation_is_enforced` — **реальная** проверка срабатывания `validation`-блоков через `terraform plan` на изолированной копии одного `variables.tf` (без провайдера, без обращений к облаку);
+- параметризованный `test_terraform_init_and_validate_against_real_provider_schema` обновлён под `private_network_cidrs` (JSON-список через `TF_VAR_*`).
+
+### `README.md` / `docs/QUICKSTART.md`
+Убрано описание авто-нарезки и "8192 блоков" (в README также устранён случайно задвоенный абзац из предыдущего шага). Добавлено описание новой модели (общие сети, явные префиксы) и актуальный пример `TF_VAR_private_network_cidrs`.
+
+## Важная находка в процессе
+
+**`terraform validate` не проверяет пользовательские `validation { ... }`-блоки переменных** для значений, заданных извне (`-var`/`TF_VAR_*`/tfvars) — эмпирически подтверждено на минимальном изолированном примере (без единого resource/provider) с этим бинарём Terraform (v1.16.1): `validate` даёт `Success!` даже для заведомо невалидных значений (`router_count=0`, дублирующиеся CIDR, пустой список, некорректный CIDR-синтаксис), тогда как `terraform plan` с теми же значениями корректно завершается ошибкой `Invalid value for variable`. Это касается не только новой переменной, но и ранее написанной `router_count >= 1`.
+
+Из-за этого предыдущий вывод (в summary от 2026-09-03 про GitHub-зеркало провайдера) о том, что "реальный `terraform validate` подтверждает корректность конфигурации" был верен только в части совместимости со схемой провайдера — но не проверял ничего про custom variable validation. Это исправлено: теперь validation-блоки проверяются через `terraform plan` на изолированной копии `variables.tf` (без провайдера, без облака) — см. новые тесты выше.
+
+## Верификация
+
+- `venv/bin/terraform fmt -check -recursive` → чисто.
+- Реальные `terraform init`/`validate` (через локальный filesystem-mirror провайдера) на 3 сочетаниях `router_count`/`private_network_cidrs`, включая дефолт из `terraform.tfvars` → все успешны.
+- Реальный `terraform plan` на изолированном `variables.tf` — 4 негативных/позитивных сценария для `private_network_cidrs` и 3 для `router_count` → validation срабатывает корректно в обе стороны.
+- `venv/bin/pytest terraform/tests -v` → **32 passed**.
diff --git a/terraform/main.tf b/terraform/main.tf
index f7ffe34..8a71a5a 100644
--- a/terraform/main.tf
+++ b/terraform/main.tf
@@ -105,53 +105,52 @@ resource "vkcs_networking_secgroup_rule" "router_ipsec_nat_t" {
   sdn               = "sprut"
 }
 
-# Per-router private interface subnets: each router gets `private_roles` isolated
-# micro-subnets (no shared LAN, no VRRP), carved out of private_supernet.
+# Per-router private interfaces: one shared private network per admin-supplied
+# CIDR in private_network_cidrs (no shared LAN with the priv_srv_* segment,
+# no VRRP), each router getting its own port/IP inside every such network.
 locals {
-  private_roles = [for i in range(var.private_interface_count) : "priv${i + 1}"]
+  private_roles = [for idx in range(length(var.private_network_cidrs)) : "priv${idx + 1}"]
 
-  router_private_subnets = {
-    for pair in setproduct(range(var.router_count), local.private_roles) :
-    "router${pair[0] + 1}-${pair[1]}" => {
-      router_index = pair[0]
-      role         = pair[1]
-      cidr = cidrsubnet(
-        var.private_supernet,
-        var.private_subnet_prefix_length - tonumber(split("/", var.private_supernet)[1]),
-        pair[0] * length(local.private_roles) + index(local.private_roles, pair[1])
-      )
-    }
+  private_network_cidr = {
+    for idx, cidr in var.private_network_cidrs :
+    "priv${idx + 1}" => cidr
   }
 }
 
 resource "vkcs_networking_network" "router_priv_net" {
-  for_each       = local.router_private_subnets
+  for_each       = local.private_network_cidr
   name           = "router-${each.key}-net"
   sdn            = "sprut"
   admin_state_up = true
 }
 
 resource "vkcs_networking_subnet" "router_priv_subnet" {
-  for_each   = local.router_private_subnets
+  for_each   = local.private_network_cidr
   network_id = vkcs_networking_network.router_priv_net[each.key].id
   name       = "router-${each.key}-subnet"
-  cidr       = each.value.cidr
-  gateway_ip = cidrhost(each.value.cidr, 1)
+  cidr       = each.value
+  gateway_ip = cidrhost(each.value, 1)
   sdn        = "sprut"
 }
 
 resource "vkcs_networking_port" "router_priv_port" {
-  for_each                     = local.router_private_subnets
+  for_each = {
+    for pair in setproduct(range(var.router_count), local.private_roles) :
+    "router${pair[0] + 1}-${pair[1]}" => {
+      router_index = pair[0]
+      role         = pair[1]
+    }
+  }
   name                         = "router-${each.key}-port"
-  network_id                   = vkcs_networking_network.router_priv_net[each.key].id
+  network_id                   = vkcs_networking_network.router_priv_net[each.value.role].id
   admin_state_up               = true
   port_security_enabled        = false
   full_security_groups_control = true
   security_group_ids           = []
   sdn                          = "sprut"
   fixed_ip {
-    subnet_id  = vkcs_networking_subnet.router_priv_subnet[each.key].id
-    ip_address = cidrhost(each.value.cidr, 2)
+    subnet_id  = vkcs_networking_subnet.router_priv_subnet[each.value.role].id
+    ip_address = cidrhost(local.private_network_cidr[each.value.role], each.value.router_index + 2)
   }
 }
 
@@ -176,7 +175,7 @@ resource "vkcs_compute_instance" "router" {
     private_interfaces = [
       for role in local.private_roles : {
         name = "eth${index(local.private_roles, role) + 1}"
-        cidr = local.router_private_subnets["router${count.index + 1}-${role}"].cidr
+        cidr = local.private_network_cidr[role]
       }
     ]
   })
@@ -186,7 +185,7 @@ resource "vkcs_compute_instance" "router" {
     uuid = data.vkcs_networking_network.extnet.id
   }
 
-  # Private: one pre-created isolated port per role
+  # Private: one pre-created port per role, into that role's shared network
   dynamic "network" {
     for_each = local.private_roles
     content {
diff --git a/terraform/terraform.tfvars b/terraform/terraform.tfvars
index 1ccc5d7..90e5184 100644
--- a/terraform/terraform.tfvars
+++ b/terraform/terraform.tfvars
@@ -3,10 +3,13 @@ password     = "DemoUserPassw"
 project_id   = "XXXXXd424998422XXXXXf13ac9XXXXX"
 ssh_key_name = "AdminSSH"
 
-# Adaptive router VM count and per-router private interface sizing.
-# All have defaults (see variables.tf) - uncomment to override.
-# router_count                  = 3
-# private_supernet              = "10.90.0.0/16"
-# private_subnet_prefix_length  = 29
-# router_availability_zones     = ["ME1"]
-# private_interface_count       = 3
\ No newline at end of file
+# Adaptive router VM count (has a default - see variables.tf - uncomment to override).
+# router_count               = 3
+# router_availability_zones  = ["ME1"]
+
+# One CIDR per private network that router VMs get an interface into.
+# No default - must be supplied explicitly. List order determines eth1..ethN.
+private_network_cidrs = [
+  "10.90.0.0/29",
+  "10.90.0.8/29",
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/terraform/tests/test_terraform_delivery.py b/terraform/tests/test_terraform_delivery.py
index 9b89ad9..5fccdd9 100644
--- a/terraform/tests/test_terraform_delivery.py
+++ b/terraform/tests/test_terraform_delivery.py
@@ -1,30 +1,36 @@
 """Local integrity tests for the terraform/ delivery.
 
-None of these tests run terraform plan/apply or call any cloud API - no
+None of these tests run terraform apply or call any cloud API - no
 credentials and no network access to VK Cloud itself are required or used.
-`terraform init`/`validate` do run for real, but against a project-local
-filesystem-mirror copy of the vkcs provider binary (see
-setup-local-terraform.sh), so they only need the provider's static schema,
-never a live cloud endpoint. Checks performed:
 
-  * the expected files exist,
-  * terraform fmt reports the tree as already formatted,
-  * the .tf files parse as valid HCL,
-  * `terraform init` + `terraform validate` succeed against the real vkcs
-    provider schema (via the local filesystem mirror - skipped if that
-    mirror hasn't been set up),
-  * router VM count and private-interface count are wired to variables
-    (not hardcoded), and those variables aren't shadowed by terraform.tfvars,
-  * the per-router/per-interface CIDR carving never produces overlapping
-    subnets, for a range of router_count / private_interface_count values,
-  * the post-install script template only contains the intended Terraform
-    interpolations and renders to syntactically valid bash.
+Two different kinds of "real terraform" checks are used here, deliberately:
+
+  * `terraform init` + `terraform validate` against the actual vkcs provider
+    schema (via a project-local filesystem-mirror copy of the provider
+    binary - see setup-local-terraform.sh) - this proves the config's
+    resource/attribute shapes are compatible with the real provider.
+    IMPORTANT: `terraform validate` does NOT enforce custom variable
+    `validation { ... }` blocks for externally-supplied values (verified
+    empirically against this terraform binary - only `plan`/`apply` do), so
+    it says nothing about whether e.g. private_network_cidrs is actually
+    checked for uniqueness.
+  * `terraform plan` against an isolated copy of just variables.tf (no
+    provider, no resources) to exercise those variable validation blocks
+    for real, entirely offline.
+
+Other checks performed: expected files exist, `terraform fmt` is clean, the
+.tf files parse as valid HCL, router VM count and the private-network CIDR
+list actually drive the resource/NIC count (not hardcoded), the example
+CIDRs in terraform.tfvars don't overlap and have room for router_count
+hosts, and the post-install script template only contains the intended
+Terraform interpolations and renders to syntactically valid bash.
 
 Run via: venv/bin/pytest terraform/tests -v
 (first run terraform/tests/setup-local-terraform.sh once to provision the
  local terraform binary + vkcs provider mirror used by the init/validate test)
 """
 import ipaddress
+import json
 import os
 import re
 import shutil
@@ -113,15 +119,15 @@ def test_terraform_fmt_clean():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "router_count,private_interface_count",
+    "router_count,private_network_cidrs",
     [
-        (None, None),  # defaults: 2, 2
-        (1, 1),
-        (4, 3),
+        (None, None),  # whatever terraform.tfvars already commits to
+        (1, ["10.90.0.0/29"]),
+        (4, ["10.90.0.0/28", "10.90.0.16/28", "10.90.0.32/28"]),
     ],
 )
 def test_terraform_init_and_validate_against_real_provider_schema(
-    router_count, private_interface_count
+    router_count, private_network_cidrs
 ):
     """Real `terraform init` + `terraform validate` against the actual vkcs
     provider, using the project-local filesystem-mirror copy of the
@@ -130,12 +136,13 @@ def test_terraform_init_and_validate_against_real_provider_schema(
     registry). Runs in a throwaway temp copy of terraform/ so it never
     leaves .terraform/ or .terraform.lock.hcl behind in the real delivery.
     No credentials are supplied and no cloud API is contacted - validate
-    only needs the provider's static schema to type-check the config.
+    only needs the provider's static schema to type-check the config (it
+    does not enforce the variable validation{} blocks - see
+    test_variable_validations_are_enforced_by_plan for that).
 
-    Parametrized over router_count/private_interface_count (set via
-    TF_VAR_*, exactly how horizontal scaling is meant to be driven) to
-    prove the delivery actually validates at other scales, not just the
-    defaults.
+    Parametrized over router_count/private_network_cidrs (set via TF_VAR_*,
+    exactly how horizontal scaling is meant to be driven) to prove the
+    delivery actually resolves at other scales, not just the defaults.
     """
     assert TERRAFORM_BIN, "no terraform binary found (checked venv/bin and PATH)"
     if not CLI_CONFIG_FILE.is_file():
@@ -148,8 +155,8 @@ def test_terraform_init_and_validate_against_real_provider_schema(
     env["TF_CLI_CONFIG_FILE"] = str(CLI_CONFIG_FILE)
     if router_count is not None:
         env["TF_VAR_router_count"] = str(router_count)
-    if private_interface_count is not None:
-        env["TF_VAR_private_interface_count"] = str(private_interface_count)
+    if private_network_cidrs is not None:
+        env["TF_VAR_private_network_cidrs"] = json.dumps(private_network_cidrs)
 
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
         tmp_path = Path(tmp)
@@ -180,6 +187,70 @@ def test_terraform_init_and_validate_against_real_provider_schema(
         )
 
 
+def _plan_variables_only(var_overrides):
+    """Run `terraform plan` against an isolated copy of just variables.tf -
+    no provider, no resources, so this never touches any cloud API. Used to
+    exercise variable validation{} blocks for real: `terraform validate`
+    does not enforce them for externally-supplied values in this terraform
+    version (verified empirically), only `plan`/`apply` do.
+
+    Returns (success: bool, combined stdout+stderr: str).
+    """
+    assert TERRAFORM_BIN, "no terraform binary found (checked venv/bin and PATH)"
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+        tmp_path = Path(tmp)
+        shutil.copy2(TERRAFORM_DIR / "variables.tf", tmp_path / "variables.tf")
+
+        env = dict(os.environ)
+        env.pop("TF_CLI_CONFIG_FILE", None)
+        env.update(
+            {
+                "TF_VAR_username": "dummy",
+                "TF_VAR_password": "dummy",
+                "TF_VAR_project_id": "dummy",
+                "TF_VAR_ssh_key_name": "dummy",
+                "TF_VAR_private_network_cidrs": json.dumps(["10.90.0.0/29"]),
+            }
+        )
+        env.update(var_overrides)
+
+        init = subprocess.run(
+            [TERRAFORM_BIN, f"-chdir={tmp_path}", "init", "-backend=false", "-input=false"],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            env=env,
+        )
+        assert init.returncode == 0, f"terraform init failed:\n{init.stdout}\n{init.stderr}"
+
+        plan = subprocess.run(
+            [TERRAFORM_BIN, f"-chdir={tmp_path}", "plan", "-input=false"],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            env=env,
+        )
+        return plan.returncode == 0, plan.stdout + plan.stderr
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "cidrs,should_pass",
+    [
+        (["10.90.0.0/29", "10.90.0.8/29"], True),
+        ([], False),  # must contain at least one CIDR
+        (["not-a-cidr"], False),  # must be a valid IPv4 CIDR
+        (["10.90.0.0/29", "10.90.0.0/29"], False),  # must be unique
+    ],
+)
+def test_private_network_cidrs_validation_is_enforced(cidrs, should_pass):
+    ok, output = _plan_variables_only({"TF_VAR_private_network_cidrs": json.dumps(cidrs)})
+    assert ok == should_pass, f"unexpected result for private_network_cidrs={cidrs!r}:\n{output}"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("count,should_pass", [(2, True), (0, False), (-1, False)])
+def test_router_count_validation_is_enforced(count, should_pass):
+    ok, output = _plan_variables_only({"TF_VAR_router_count": str(count)})
+    assert ok == should_pass, f"unexpected result for router_count={count}:\n{output}"
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # HCL parses cleanly
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -194,7 +265,7 @@ def test_hcl_file_parses(relpath):
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# variables.tf: the scaling knobs exist with sane defaults
+# variables.tf: the scaling knobs exist as expected
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
@@ -205,24 +276,41 @@ def test_router_count_variable():
     assert v["default"] == [2]
 
 
-def test_private_interface_count_variable():
-    v = find_variable(load_tf("variables.tf"), "private_interface_count")
-    assert v is not None, "variable private_interface_count is missing"
-    assert v["type"] == ["${number}"]
-    assert v["default"] == [2]
+def test_private_network_cidrs_variable():
+    v = find_variable(load_tf("variables.tf"), "private_network_cidrs")
+    assert v is not None, "variable private_network_cidrs is missing"
+    assert v["type"] == ["${list(string)}"]
+    assert "default" not in v, (
+        "private_network_cidrs must NOT have a default - the admin is "
+        "required to pass it explicitly"
+    )
+    assert len(v.get("validation", [])) >= 3, (
+        "expected validations for: non-empty, valid CIDR syntax, uniqueness"
+    )
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("name", ["router_count", "private_interface_count"])
-def test_scaling_variable_not_pinned_in_tfvars(name):
-    """TF_VAR_<name> env-var overrides only take effect if terraform.tfvars
-    doesn't set an active (non-comment) value for the same variable."""
+def test_router_count_not_pinned_in_tfvars():
+    """TF_VAR_router_count only takes effect if terraform.tfvars doesn't set
+    an active (non-comment) value for it."""
     tfvars_text = (TERRAFORM_DIR / "terraform.tfvars").read_text()
     active_lines = [
         line for line in tfvars_text.splitlines() if not line.strip().startswith("#")
     ]
-    assert not any(re.match(rf"^\s*{name}\s*=", line) for line in active_lines), (
-        f"{name} must not be set in terraform.tfvars, or the "
-        f"TF_VAR_{name} environment variable would be shadowed"
+    assert not any(re.match(r"^\s*router_count\s*=", line) for line in active_lines), (
+        "router_count must not be set in terraform.tfvars, or the "
+        "TF_VAR_router_count environment variable would be shadowed"
+    )
+
+
+def test_private_network_cidrs_is_set_in_tfvars():
+    """Unlike router_count, private_network_cidrs has no default, so
+    terraform.tfvars must actively set it for a working example deployment."""
+    tfvars_text = (TERRAFORM_DIR / "terraform.tfvars").read_text()
+    active_lines = [
+        line for line in tfvars_text.splitlines() if not line.strip().startswith("#")
+    ]
+    assert any(re.match(r"^\s*private_network_cidrs\s*=", line) for line in active_lines), (
+        "private_network_cidrs has no default and must be set in terraform.tfvars"
     )
 
 
@@ -257,8 +345,8 @@ def test_private_roles_local_driven_by_variable():
     main = load_tf("main.tf")
     locals_block = main["locals"][0]
     assert locals_block["private_roles"] == [
-        '${[for i in range(var.private_interface_count) : "priv${i + 1}"]}'
-    ], "locals.private_roles must be generated from var.private_interface_count"
+        '${[for idx in range(length(var.private_network_cidrs)) : "priv${idx + 1}"]}'
+    ], "locals.private_roles must be generated from length(var.private_network_cidrs)"
 
 
 def test_router_network_blocks_scale_with_private_roles():
@@ -267,51 +355,34 @@ def test_router_network_blocks_scale_with_private_roles():
     dynamic_network = router["dynamic"][0]["network"]
     assert dynamic_network["for_each"] == ["${local.private_roles}"], (
         "the dynamic private network blocks must iterate local.private_roles "
-        "so the NIC count scales with private_interface_count"
+        "so the NIC count scales with the number of private_network_cidrs entries"
     )
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# CIDR carving: router_index/role_index -> netnum must never collide, for a
-# range of router_count / private_interface_count combinations
+# terraform.tfvars example CIDRs: sanity-check the values actually shipped
+# (no auto-carving anymore - these come straight from the admin/example)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-def cidrsubnet(supernet, newbits, netnum):
-    """Pure-Python re-implementation of Terraform's cidrsubnet() built-in."""
-    net = ipaddress.ip_network(supernet)
-    subnets = list(net.subnets(new_prefix=net.prefixlen + newbits))
-    return subnets[netnum]
+def test_tfvars_private_network_cidrs_do_not_overlap_and_have_room_for_routers():
+    tfvars = load_tf("terraform.tfvars")
+    raw_cidrs = tfvars["private_network_cidrs"][0]
+    networks = [ipaddress.ip_network(c) for c in raw_cidrs]
+    assert networks, "terraform.tfvars must set at least one private_network_cidrs entry"
 
+    for i, a in enumerate(networks):
+        for b in networks[i + 1 :]:
+            assert not a.overlaps(b), f"{a} overlaps {b} in terraform.tfvars"
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "router_count,private_interface_count",
-    [(1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 2), (4, 3), (8, 4), (1, 6)],
-)
-def test_private_subnet_carving_has_no_collisions(router_count, private_interface_count):
-    supernet = "10.90.0.0/16"
-    prefix_length = 29
-    newbits = prefix_length - ipaddress.ip_network(supernet).prefixlen
-
-    subnets = [
-        cidrsubnet(
-            supernet, newbits, router_index * private_interface_count + role_index
+    router_count_default = find_variable(load_tf("variables.tf"), "router_count")["default"][0]
+    for net in networks:
+        # offset scheme: cidrhost(cidr, router_index + 2) for router_index in
+        # 0..router_count-1, so we need at least router_count + 2 addresses.
+        assert net.num_addresses >= router_count_default + 2, (
+            f"{net} has too few addresses for {router_count_default} routers "
+            f"(offset scheme needs router_count + 2)"
         )
-        for router_index in range(router_count)
-        for role_index in range(private_interface_count)
-    ]
-
-    assert len(subnets) == len(set(subnets)), "duplicate per-router private subnets"
-    for i, a in enumerate(subnets):
-        for b in subnets[i + 1 :]:
-            assert not a.overlaps(b), f"{a} overlaps {b}"
-
-
-def test_private_subnet_pool_capacity_is_generous():
-    supernet = ipaddress.ip_network("10.90.0.0/16")
-    prefix_length = 29
-    capacity = 2 ** (prefix_length - supernet.prefixlen)
-    assert capacity >= 1000, "default private_supernet/prefix combo has too little headroom"
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/terraform/variables.tf b/terraform/variables.tf
index ae0daa8..5a9f358 100644
--- a/terraform/variables.tf
+++ b/terraform/variables.tf
@@ -36,36 +36,28 @@ variable "router_count" {
   }
 }
 
-variable "private_supernet" {
-  description = "Address pool from which each router's private per-interface subnets are carved (must not overlap router-lan-subnet 10.200.10.0/24)"
-  type        = string
-  default     = "10.90.0.0/16"
-}
-
-variable "private_subnet_prefix_length" {
-  description = "Prefix length of each router's private interface subnet (/29 or /28)"
-  type        = number
-  default     = 29
-
-  validation {
-    condition     = contains([28, 29], var.private_subnet_prefix_length)
-    error_message = "private_subnet_prefix_length must be 28 or 29."
-  }
-}
-
 variable "router_availability_zones" {
   description = "Availability zones to spread router VMs across (cycled via count.index)"
   type        = list(string)
   default     = ["ME1"]
 }
 
-variable "private_interface_count" {
-  description = "Number of isolated private interfaces per router VM (in addition to the single public/WAN interface)"
-  type        = number
-  default     = 2
+variable "private_network_cidrs" {
+  description = "Explicit CIDR prefix for each private network that router VMs get an interface into. One entry = one shared private network = one private interface per router (list order determines eth1..ethN). Must be supplied explicitly - no auto-carving from a supernet."
+  type        = list(string)
 
   validation {
-    condition     = var.private_interface_count >= 1
-    error_message = "private_interface_count must be at least 1."
+    condition     = length(var.private_network_cidrs) >= 1
+    error_message = "private_network_cidrs must contain at least one CIDR."
+  }
+
+  validation {
+    condition     = alltrue([for c in var.private_network_cidrs : can(cidrhost(c, 0))])
+    error_message = "Every entry in private_network_cidrs must be a valid IPv4 CIDR (e.g. \"10.90.0.0/29\")."
+  }
+
+  validation {
+    condition     = length(var.private_network_cidrs) == length(distinct(var.private_network_cidrs))
+    error_message = "private_network_cidrs entries must be unique."
   }
 }