Why route servers exist
On a busy exchange with hundreds of members, setting up a BGP session with every single one is a lot of configuration, negotiation and ongoing maintenance. Many smaller networks never get around to it, which means traffic that could be exchanged locally still goes through transit.
A route server solves this. It is a BGP speaker operated by the exchange that peers with every member who wants it. Each member announces its routes to the route server, and the route server passes them on to the other members. One session gives you reach to everyone participating.
The route server is not in the traffic path
This is the most common misunderstanding. The route server only exchanges routing information. When it passes your route to another member, it keeps your router’s address as the next hop. So when traffic flows, it goes directly from their router to yours across the exchange fabric. The route server never carries a single data packet.
What Peer1IX route servers filter
Because a route server distributes routes to many networks at once, filtering is essential. Peer1IX route servers apply:
- RPKI origin validation — routes whose origin conflicts with a published ROA are dropped.
- IRR filtering — prefixes must be covered by a route object registered to the announcing network.
- Bogon filtering — private, reserved and documentation prefixes and ASNs are rejected.
- Max-prefix limits — protect the fabric from accidental full-table leaks.
Controlling who gets your routes
Members can use BGP communities to control distribution: announce to everyone, to no one, or only to selected networks, and prepend selectively. This lets you use the route server for breadth while still steering traffic deliberately.
When to peer bilaterally too
For your largest traffic partners, a direct bilateral session gives you more control and an independent session that does not depend on the route server. A common approach is to use the route servers for the long tail and bilateral sessions for your top destinations.
Two route servers, always
Peer1IX runs two route servers per exchange in separate racks, so maintenance on one never interrupts your peering. Always configure sessions with both.
