Networking Overview
NetActuate operates a global Tier 1 network optimized for low-latency, high-availability workloads. With points of presence in over 40 locations worldwide and direct peering at major internet exchanges, the network provides the foundation for anycast, BGP, DDoS mitigation, and edge computing services.
Networking Services
| Service | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Anycast / BGP | Global anycast with self-service BGP session management, ECMP load balancing, and BYOIP support | Anycast |
| DDoS Mitigation | Multi-layered DDoS protection with upstream filtering, edge scrubbing, and per-prefix rules | DDoS |
| Firewall | API-driven firewall rule sets for VM network interfaces with external IP set support | Firewall |
| Domains | DNS management for your domains with full record type support | Domains |
| Load Balancers | Traffic distribution across backend servers with health checking and failover | Load Balancers |
| IP Transit | Dedicated IP transit services with flexible commit levels and global reach | IP Transit |
| Cloud Routing | Cloud routers and Magic Mesh for interconnecting workloads across locations and providers | Cloud Routing |
Key Capabilities
- BGP-native architecture -- BGP is built into the platform, not bolted on. You can bring your own ASN, bring your own IP space, and manage sessions directly.
- Global anycast -- announce the same prefix from multiple locations for automatic geographic load distribution and failover.
- ECMP load balancing -- distribute traffic across multiple VMs or bare metal servers at the same location for local redundancy.
- Self-service BGP -- create, modify, and monitor BGP sessions through the portal or API without waiting for support tickets.
- DDoS protection included -- every workload benefits from upstream and edge-level DDoS mitigation automatically.
Networking Dashboard
The main Networking dashboard at Networking → Overview provides a consolidated view of all traffic across your account.
Traffic Summary
The top of the dashboard shows aggregate outbound and inbound traffic in bits per second and packets per second. Use the filters to narrow the view by:
- Time range — select a predefined window or custom date range
- Direction — inbound, outbound, or both
- IP version — IPv4, IPv6, or both
- Traffic type — anycast BGP, unicast BGP, bare metal, or virtual machines
- Location — filter to a specific point of presence
Global Traffic Map
The interactive map displays traffic distribution across all locations. Click any location pin to drill down into:
- Outbound and inbound packets per second
- Throughput in Mbps
- Top traffic sources
- Top ports (from NetFlow data)
- Protocol breakdown (TCP, UDP, ICMP, other)
- Traffic by port
Traffic Analytics
Below the map, additional panels provide deeper insight:
- Top Countries — countries generating or receiving the most traffic
- Top ASN Destinations — autonomous systems receiving the most outbound traffic
- Bandwidth Heatmap — time-of-day traffic patterns across your infrastructure
- BGP Prefix Bandwidth — per-prefix breakdown showing bits per second and packets per second for each BGP prefix
- Anycast Prefix Bandwidth — same per-prefix breakdown for anycast prefixes
Network Events
The bottom of the dashboard surfaces recent network events:
- DDoS Data — summary of recent DDoS activity across your prefixes
- Recent BGP Session Flaps — BGP sessions that have recently changed state
- Recent Anycast Session Flaps — anycast sessions that have recently changed state
- Anycast Session Summary — counts of total, established, idle, and down anycast sessions
Getting Started
If you are new to networking on NetActuate, start with:
- Anycast Dashboard -- understand BGP sessions, anycast groups, and prefix management
- How to Create BGP Sessions -- set up your first BGP session
- Firewall API Guide -- secure your VM interfaces
Need Help?
Contact support@netactuate.com or open a support ticket from the portal.