Requesting IP Transit: What Do You Need to Prepare?
Location, bandwidth, ASN, prefixes and handoff: use this checklist to prepare a transit enquiry and identify open questions before ordering.
You do not need every technical detail ready to request an initial IP transit quote. The desired handoff location, bandwidth and target date are a useful starting point. Activation also requires agreed routing and port settings. This checklist separates the information needed for a proposal from the decisions needed before turn-up.
1. Specify location, commit and port separately
Identify the data centre precisely: operator, building and any existing rack or handoff point. A city name alone is insufficient to check connectivity. A cross-connect within a building needs different planning from transport to another site. Establish who orders the internal cabling and which setup or recurring charges apply.
Separate your minimum bandwidth commitment from the port speed. A 10 Gbps port does not automatically mean a 10 Gbps commit. Include normal load, expected peaks and growth where you can estimate them. Ask how excess usage and both traffic directions are evaluated.
2. Clarify your ASN and prefixes for BGP
When connecting your own autonomous system, include the ASN and the IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes you intend to announce. Record which AS will originate those prefixes and who manages the resources. If the ASN or address space is missing, say so. An initial enquiry does not replace checking which resources and connection model your particular setup requires.
Check existing ROAs before switching: the origin AS and permitted prefix lengths must match the planned announcements. An outdated entry can make an intended route RPKI-invalid. Also agree on the routing registry records required by the provider.
3. Agree routing and handoff details
- Received routes: Do you need a default route, selected routes or full tables? Router capacity and routing policy must support that choice.
- BGP: Agree peer addresses, your ASN, the neighbour AS, import and export filters, and prefix limits.
- Handoff: Match port speed, medium, optics, VLAN and MTU at both ends.
- Operations: Record technical contacts, maintenance windows and the incident process.
- Redundancy: Describe the failure you need to survive. Two sessions on one connection do not replace an independent second connection.
4. Plan DDoS protection and acceptance checks
Describe the services behind your prefixes, such as web applications or UDP-based applications. Their legitimate connections require different checks. Agree on acceptance steps before turn-up: IPv4 and IPv6 reachability, correct announcements, application tests and behaviour during a coordinated failure test.
Checklist for your first message
- Handoff location and any existing connection
- Required commit, port speed and target date
- ASN and prefixes where available; explicitly identify missing details
- Required route feed and existing router
- Services, protection needs and redundancy requirements
- Technical contact and open questions
AS51202's service page lists published transit plans and locations. Use these as a starting point; the handoff, excess usage and any additional transport belong in the individual proposal.