Media Types

FL-IX offers services on the following physical media:

  • 10G-LR over single-mode fiber
  • 100G-LR4 over single-mode fiber
  • 400G-LR4 or 400G-FR4 over single-mode fiber (available at select locations)


Route Servers

By announcing their routes to the route servers, members can begin immediately exchanging traffic with other route server participants without configuring individual BGP sessions.

Members who wish to connect to the route servers should disable enforce-first-as on the route server BGP sessions.

The route servers are:

IPv4IPv6ASNPlatform
206.41.108.42001:504:40:108::1:463221BIRD
206.41.108.52001:504:40:108::1:563221BIRD

Route Server Filtering

The route servers perform RPKI validation and it is recommended (but not required) that members sign their routes. Routes that fail RPKI validation are dropped; valid and unknown routes are accepted.

Additionally, routes are filtered based on the IRR object provided during onboarding. Routes that are not a part of the member’s AS-SET will be dropped.

The minimum accepted prefix length for IPv4 routes is /24 and for IPv6, /48.

Route Distribution Communities

By default, all routes advertised by members to the route server are sent to all other members. Members who wish to control distribution of their routes may do so using the BGP communities below.

In order to control distribution of routes to members with 4-byte ASNs, you must use large communities.

Use either standard (16-bit) or large (32-bit) communities exclusively; do not mix the two.


For standard communities:

DescriptionCommunity
Prevent announcement of a route to a specific peer0:peer-asn
Announce a route to a specific peer63221:peer-asn
Prevent announcement of a route to all peers0:63221
Announce a route to all peers63221:63221


For example, a route with the standard communities 0:63221, 63221:64501, and 63221:64502 would be sent only to route server peers with ASNs 64501 or 64502.


For large communities:

DescriptionCommunity
Prevent announcement of a route to a specific peer63221:0:peer-asn
Announce a route to a specific peer63221:1:peer-asn
Prevent announcement of a route to all peers63221:0:0
Announce a route to all peers63221:1:0


For example, a route with the large communities 63221:0:0, 63221:1:64501, and 63221:1:64502 would be sent only to route server peers with ASNs 64501 or 64502.


MAC Filtering

FL-IX implements MAC filtering using layer 2 access control lists to protect the infrastructure against loops. Members who intend to swap routers or otherwise change their MAC address should coordinate this change in advance with the FL-IX NOC. In the event of an after-hours emergency necessitating a MAC change, members should contact the FL-IX NOC for assistance.


Permitted Traffic

FL-IX will accept and forward from member ports traffic with Ethertypes of:

  • 0x0800 IPv4
  • 0x86dd IPv6
  • 0x0806 ARP


Topology