Don't think Docker Desktop would simplify networking, unless it added a new feature since I last used it ~2 years ago.

Just throw your services in a docker-compose.yml file, create a docker bridge network, and assign the:

networks:
    - YourDockerNetwork

To the service, specify the ports it want’s to open with

ports:
    - 8080:8080

And let it start up. If you want to get more complicated suggest reading the man page which really isn’t that long of a read.

Docker Desktop isn’t needed on Linux. If you want a UI, try Portainer

What does networking have to do with docker? You haven't explained what you're trying to achieve.

Check out CasaOS. Really easy to set up.