Common questions about Multihopix and multi-hop BGP security
We understand that multi-hop BGP may seem less secure than traditional direct peering. This FAQ addresses common security concerns and demonstrates how proper configuration makes multi-hop BGP sessions just as secure—if not more secure—than traditional peering.
Sounds like a paradox, right? Let us explain what makes Multihopix different from traditional internet routing:
The Problem: Normally, when you announce BGP routes over the internet, your packets traverse multiple autonomous systems (ASes) between you and your peers. Each hop is a potential point of failure or manipulation. Your traffic might bounce through Tier 3 to Tier 2 to Tier 1 to Peer, with each hop adding delay and uncertainty.
Our Solution: Multihopix acts as a BGP route server that eliminates intermediate transit hops. Instead of your announcements going through multiple providers to reach peers, we create direct BGP adjacencies. Think of it like this:
Technical Magic:
The "Mercy" Part: Yes, your IP packets physically traverse intermediate networks to reach us (that's unavoidable, it's the internet). But from a BGP routing perspective, those intermediate networks don't see or touch your routing policy. Your BGP UPDATE messages are end to end encrypted and authenticated.
The "Eliminate" Part: We eliminate the BGP level hops (the AS_PATH length), not the physical network hops. Traditional IXPs give you single hop eBGP, but they require physical presence. We give you the same single hop BGP semantics over multi hop IP transport.
⚠️ Important Reality Check - Understanding the Path: While we eliminate BGP policy hops, your packets still traverse the same physical internet path. We just hide the intermediate hops from your traceroute. Here's what that looks like:
What This Means: The Multihopix traceroute shows fewer visible hops because intermediate routers are hidden inside tunnels. However:
The Trade-off: You get simpler BGP (direct peering, clean AS_PATH) regardless of which plan you choose. We're still at the mercy of those "hidden" hops in the physical path. With Internal ASN, traffic makes an extra trip to our datacenter and back.
🤓 Nerd Translation: We're doing eBGP multi hop (IP TTL > 1) to create logical single hop BGP adjacencies. The "multi hop" is at Layer 3 (IP routing), but the BGP peering is direct. It's like using a VPN to your office. Sure, your packets hop through the internet, but your logical connection is point to point. We just do it for BGP at scale.
Yes, when properly configured. Multi-hop BGP with appropriate security measures provides the same level of security as direct BGP peering. The key is implementing proper authentication, filtering, and encryption.
Multi-hop BGP security relies on:
→ See secure configuration examples for Cisco, Juniper, and Mikrotik
Multihopix implements multiple layers of security:
→ Learn how to configure these protections on your equipment
Multiple security mechanisms work together to prevent session hijacking:
An attacker would need to compromise multiple security layers simultaneously, which is cryptographically infeasible with proper configuration.
Not with proper filtering. Route injection is prevented through multiple mechanisms:
Even if an attacker somehow established a BGP session, they couldn't inject unauthorized routes past these filters.
No, when properly secured. The attack surface is similar to direct peering, and in some cases, multi-hop with encryption is actually more secure.
Direct Peering Vulnerabilities:
Multi-hop BGP Advantages:
Multihopix supports multiple encryption options for BGP sessions:
While authentication alone (MD5/TCP-AO) prevents hijacking, encryption adds protection against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
Follow this security checklist to verify your BGP session configuration:
Multiple safeguards limit the impact of any potential breach:
Our architecture ensures that even in worst-case scenarios, damage is contained and quickly identified.
Yes. Multihopix implements industry best practices and complies with:
We follow NIST cybersecurity framework guidelines and participate in routing security communities.
Absolutely. Multihopix provides baseline security, but you maintain full control over your router configurations. You can implement:
We provide templates and examples as starting points that you can customize for your specific needs.
Multihopix supports secure BGP sessions on all major routing platforms:
Follow our detailed security configuration guides for your routing platform
View Security Configuration GuideOur team is here to help you configure secure BGP sessions. Contact us for personalized assistance with your specific security requirements.