Running Your Own AS: BGP on FreeBSD with FRR, GRE Tunnels, and Policy Routing

Summary

The article details setting up an autonomous system (AS) on FreeBSD using BGP, FRR, and GRE tunnels. It covers obtaining resources, configuring the BGP router, and setting up policy routing on a downstream server. The author shares practical configurations and design decisions.

Key Takeaways

1. Running your own AS allows for provider-independent IPv6 addresses, simplifying server migrations and maintaining consistent addressing.
2. Setting up a BGP router involves configuring prefix lists, route maps, and firewall rules to ensure proper route propagation and security.
3. Dual-FIB policy routing on downstream servers is crucial for directing traffic from BGP addresses through the correct tunnel.

Statement Breakdown

• Claimed Facts: 60% of statements the article presents as facts
• Opinions: 25% of statements classified as editorial or subjective
• Claims: 15% of statements surfaced for additional reader evaluation

Credibility & Bias Reasoning

Credibility assessment: The article provides a detailed technical walkthrough of setting up an autonomous system, which enhances its credibility. The author shares their own AS number and prefix, increasing transparency. The article references RFC standards and established networking practices, further bolstering its reliability.

Bias assessment: Enthusiast's Perspective. The article is written from the perspective of someone enthusiastic about running their own AS. While technically detailed, it focuses on the benefits and personal satisfaction derived from the process. The author's excitement about seeing their prefix propagate through the internet suggests a bias towards the subject matter.

Note: While technically detailed, some claims may reflect personal experiences. Verify configurations and security implications independently.

Credibility flag: Technically Sound

Claimed Facts (8)

• This is presented as a factual capability enabled by current resources.
• This is a verifiable fact about the author's resources.
• This is a fundamental requirement for announcing prefixes.
• This describes the outcome of the configuration.
• This describes the physical setup of the router.
• This explains the function of the blackhole route.
• This is a technical detail about tunnel overhead.
• This is a feature of the FreeBSD operating system.

Opinions (6)

• This is an opinion on the importance of the filter.
• This is a subjective assessment of the impact of understanding BGP.
• This is a personal feeling about the process.
• This is a subjective assessment of the benefits.
• This is a subjective assessment of the usefulness.
• This is a subjective assessment of the simplicity.

Claims (5)

• While technically possible, it's an oversimplification to suggest it's easily achievable for everyone.
• This is an exaggeration, as some service configurations might still need adjustments.
• While possible, it presents a worst-case scenario without discussing likelihood.
• While it mitigates some attacks, it doesn't prevent all remote attacks.
• This is a vague and potentially misleading statement without further context.

Key Sources

• Author — Blogger
• RIPE NCC — Regional Internet Registry