j2sw 
BGP sessions can drop for many reasons. Dropping a session causes BGP to withdraw the routes learned through that neighbor. If it’s unexpected, this can cause congestion or other issues. The graceful shutdown option in BGP can help mitigate this. BGP graceful shutdown lets you move traffic before taking the session down. Rather than waiting … Read more
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In Part 1, we covered how to use Cloudflare Tunnel to protect MikroTik management access. We configured a connector inside the management network and used Cloudflare Access to authenticate users before allowing them to reach WebFig. The router no longer needed a public-facing management port. Most of us MikroTik administrators spend more time in WinBox … Read more
When a signed domain has a broken chain of trust, a validating resolver returns SERVFAIL. ISP operators need enough resolver data to tell that failure from an ordinary DNS outage.
j2sw.com has a new look! It was time for a refresh and a better way to bring my projects, writing, and other corners of the Internet together. The updated homepage includes my book, Kid’s First Visit to an Internet Exchange, links to Packets DownRange, and a media section with YouTube, Patreon, and my Amazon Author … Read more
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J2 Networks joins MANRS, the Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security initiative, reinforcing our commitment to a more secure Internet. MANRS is a global initiative that helps reduce common Internet routing threats through practical actions and cooperation among network operators. Joining this community reinforces our commitment to responsible network operations and a more resilient Internet. … Read more
Three in the morning, another alarmSomething went down, time to bring it back onlineRouters are screaming, the logs are redAnother long night in the data center ahead
For years, the normal answer was a VPN with a management network. VPNs work well, but they require another server, another set of credentials, another client to maintain, and another service that can break during upgrades. With Cloudflare Zero Trust, instead of opening management ports to the Internet, the router stays on a private network … Read more
I, due to recent SSH vulnerabilities in MikroTik, figured this series of articles would be relevant. The router may have strong passwords and firewall filters, but those services still receive constant login attempts from automated scanners. For years, the normal answer was a VPN with a management network. VPNs work well, but they require another … Read more
Let’s look at another BGP attribute, the Multi-Exit Discriminator, or MED. Two networks may interconnect in more than one location, and MED lets you attach a preference to the routes you advertise. An ISP might connect to the same upstream in Indianapolis and Chicago while advertising the same prefixes at both locations. The upstream now … Read more
