How to Connect to the MAE Network

Bilateral Peering Agreement: The customer must negotiate a peering agreement with any other customer it intends to peer with. Each prospective peer must be contacted for information on its peering requirements. Autonomous System Number: The customer must obtain an Autonomous System Number (ASN) number from the appropriate Regional Internet Registry depending on its company location: ARIN for the Americas, Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, APNIC for Asia Pacific, RIPE for Europe, Middle East, Northern Africa. The ASN identifies the customer as an entity with a single routing policy. It is used by the BGP routing protocol to avoid routing loops and is broadcast to the peering partners. IP Address: The customer must obtain an exchange point IP Address for its border router. To request the IP Address the customer must fill out the Exchange Point IP Registration Form. The newly acquired AS number is part of the information that must be entered. Instructions for filling out the Exchange Point IP Registration Form can be found here. Router Hardware: The customer needs a border router with the appropriate capacity to handle the intended traffic and routing table size. A router equivalent to a Cisco GSR or Juniper M-series with expanded or extended RAM is typically needed to support the large routing tables. This border router may be connected to the MAE switch remotely or colocated with the MAE switch. All MAE Facilities have -48VDC power with backup capability, and some facilities have both DC and AC power. If colocation is desired, the customer must either have DC powered routers or provide its own power backup (dedicated UPS) for AC equipment. Router Configuration: The customer needs someone in a network engineering role who understands Internet Protocol (IP) and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing to set up and manage the routing tables. The following information is needed for BGP router configuration: This customer's AS number The peering customer's AS number The local border router IP address The local border router connection identifier ( VPI/VCI for an ATM interface, DLCI for a Frame Relay interface, or VLAN ID for a GigE interface). This connection identifier is obtained by building a Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) to the peering customer via the PeerMakerSM Provisioning Tool. PeerMaker returns the connection identifier in an email after the PVC has been provisioned in the PeerMaker database. In order to use the PeerMaker Provisioning Tool, the customer must have a SecurID® card. With this information the BGP can build routing tables and advertise the customer's network on the Internet. The routing table contains information about every connection that originates or terminates on the customer's border router, including the path the connection takes through the Internet. Verizon Responsibilities Once the order for a MAE service has been placed, Verizon is responsible for the following: SecurID® Card: To gain access to the web-based PeerMakerSM Provisioning Tool the customer must have a SecurID card which provides secure access to the PeerMaker web site. The Verizon sales representative must obtain the following information from the customer and request the SecurID card via a Verizon internal web site: The full name of the customer's administrator responsible for PeerMaker access The work phone number The name of the customer The address of the customer State or country Customer email address SecurID user name, used to log in Challenge phrase, required for resetting PIN or obtaining help PeerMaker User Name: After access is obtained to the PeerMaker web site via the SecurID® card, the customer must log in to the PeerMaker application. Verizon must enter the customer's information along with the information for the customer's root administrator user account into the PeerMaker database. After that, the customer root administrator has full administrative control for his/her company. The administrator may add additional users, control the access privileges of these users, and update company information, all via the PeerMaker provisioning tool. Refer to the PeerMaker User Guide for more detail. Verizon must obtain the following information from the customer and enter it in the PeerMaker database via the PeerMaker provisiong tool: Customer Name: A one word identifier needed for login Customer phone number Customer email address Customer Contact Info: Information needed for contacting the customer Full name of the root administrator for the customer Phone number of the root administrator Email address of the root administrator. This is the email address that is used by PeerMaker to report the connection identifier for a new PVC to a peer. See above. MAE Port: Verizon provisions the port that was requested by the cusotmer on the MAE switch and enters the port information into the PeerMaker database. Verizon then builds a management PVC to the port via the PeerMaker provisioning tool. This generates an email to the customer administrator with the connection identifier (VPI/VCI, DLCI, or VLAN ID depending on the type of port). This information must be entered by the customer into the BGP configuration file to provision the border router. The management port is used to test initial connectivity and remains permanently configured after initial port turnup. Access Loop: The customer's border router can be connected to the MAE port in several ways: Colocation: The border router is cross-connected to the MAE port in the MAE facility. Building facilities location: The border router is located in the same building as the MAE facility, but not on the same floor. It is cross-connected to the MAE port. Verizon is only responsible for the cross-connect in its MAE facility, but not for the connection through the building. Remote location: The border router is located outside the MAE facility's building and connected to the MAE port via local loop and possibly IXC circuit (long distance). For all scenarios the border router may be connected to the customer's premises via local loop and possibly IXC circuit (long distance) depending on the geographical distance. Verizon is responsible for any cross-connects in its MAE facility and typically provides the local/IXC access loops. On-going Support If there is a technical problem after installation, whether it is related to port or circuit issues or PeerMaker access and usage, support is only a phone call away.