> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.megaport.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # AWS Interconnect from Megaport Overview > This help topic describes the AWS Interconnect from Megaport service. > [!NOTE] > > AWS Interconnect from Megaport is in Preview. Features, supported locations, and connection speeds are limited during the Preview and are subject to change. For more information, see [Preview release](#preview-release). AWS Interconnect from Megaport is a managed, routed connection between your network and an AWS region. Megaport and AWS coordinate the connection directly with each other, so you do not need to configure the VLANs, IP addressing, or Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a standardized routing protocol designed to exchange route and reachability information among autonomous systems (AS) on the internet. parameters. You can connect an AWS Interconnect to other services (such as Ports, MCRs, MVEs, and NAT Gateways) through VXCs, providing your network a single connection to AWS. AWS Interconnects provide these benefits: * **Builds redundancy into the product** -- Every AWS Interconnect is delivered over diverse paths, providing a highly resilient connection. * **One AWS connection to manage** -- The routing infrastructure underneath is provisioned, monitored, and maintained by Megaport. * **Supports ordering from either side** -- You can start the order in the AWS console or in the Megaport Portal. * **Connects to your existing network** -- Any Port, MCR, MVE, or NAT Gateway in the same metro can reach the AWS Interconnect through a private VXC. For more information, see [Creating a Private VXC](/connections/private-vxc). **preview-release** ## Preview release AWS Interconnect is available as a Preview release. These conditions apply during the Preview: * **Locations** -- AWS Interconnect is available in a limited set of metros. Ashburn and San Jose are available during the Preview. * **Speed** -- All AWS Interconnects are 1 Gbps. You cannot change the speed of an AWS Interconnect after you order it. * **Connections** -- You can attach up to 25 VXCs to an AWS Interconnect. * **Service lifetime** -- Preview AWS Interconnects are not carried over to the general release. You need to reorder for production use. Do not use a Preview AWS Interconnect for production traffic. Some features are not available during the Preview. For the full list, see [Preview limitations](/aws-interconnect/aws-interconnect-features#preview-limitations). **how-it-works** ## How it works To order an AWS Interconnect, you choose a metro, a connection speed, and an An autonomous system (AS) is a collection of connected Internet Protocol (IP) routing prefixes under the control of one or more network operators on behalf of a single administrative entity or domain. ASN refers to autonomous system number and is a unique numerical ID allocated to each AS for use in BGP routing., and you provide your AWS account ID. You receive a single diverse service in return. The Megaport and AWS networks exchange the connection parameters machine-to-machine and agree on them without your involvement. An AWS Interconnect operates at Layer 3 of the OSI model is the network layer. It translates logical network address into physical machine address (IP addressing). Layer 3 routers analyze traffic based on address details and forward appropriately, requiring knowledge of the details generally exchanged in BGP sessions for routing table exchanges.. It is a routed service, not a Layer 2 circuit, so traffic between your network and your A virtual private cloud (VPC) is a secure, isolated private cloud hosted within a public cloud. VPC customers can run code, store data, host websites, and do anything else they could do in a normal private cloud, but the private cloud is hosted remotely by a public cloud provider. is forwarded using BGP routes rather than a VLAN you manage. The ordering process involves these steps: 1. You order an AWS Interconnect in the Megaport Portal, or you start the order in the AWS console and bring the activation key to the Megaport Portal. 2. Megaport builds the routing infrastructure for the AWS Interconnect and connects it to the AWS ports in that metro. 3. If you started the order in the Megaport Portal, generate an activation key for the AWS Interconnect when it is ready, and submit the key in the AWS console under the AWS account ID you provided. The key expires if it is not submitted in time. 4. Megaport and AWS coordinate the VLANs, IP subnets, MTU, and BGP sessions for each path. 5. You order a VXC from an existing service (such as a Port, MCR, MVE, or NAT Gateway) to the AWS Interconnect. 6. Traffic flows between your network and the AWS region over the coordinated BGP sessions. **resiliency** ## Resiliency AWS Interconnect is designed for high resilience, with protection at both the physical layer and the routing layer. At the physical layer, Megaport delivers every AWS Interconnect over multiple link aggregation groups (LAGs), spread across separate locations in the metro, and across diversity zones within each location. At the routing layer, AWS Interconnect links its routers so that they share routes, and traffic continues over the remaining LAGs if any LAG goes down. These layers of redundancy work together, so an AWS Interconnect stays connected even if an entire location or diversity zone becomes unavailable. When you order a VXC to an AWS Interconnect, the diversity zone of the A-End determines which router the VXC lands on. A connection in the Red zone lands on a Red-zone router, and a connection in the Blue zone lands on a Blue-zone router. For more information about diversity zones, see [MCR Diversity](/mcr/mcr-mve-diversity). **difference-from-direct-connect** ## Difference between AWS Interconnect and AWS Direct Connect connections Megaport offers two different ways to connect to AWS. AWS Interconnect is a separate product from the AWS Direct Connect models described in [Connecting to AWS Direct Connect](/cloud/megaport/aws). A key difference is who configures the connection. With AWS Direct Connect connections, you order a VXC to AWS and then configure the BGP session yourself. With AWS Interconnect, Megaport coordinates the configuration with AWS on your behalf. | Feature | AWS Interconnect | AWS Direct Connect connections | | - | - | - | | Service type | A service that you can connect to other Megaport services using VXCs | A VXC from one Megaport service that ends on AWS | | Connection models | One model | Hosted VIF, Hosted Connection, and dedicated connection | | Network layer | Layer 3, routed | Layer 2, with routing configured on your connected Megaport service | | VLAN and IP addressing | Coordinated by Megaport and AWS | Provided by you or accepted from AWS | | BGP configuration | Coordinated by Megaport and AWS | Configured by you | | Redundancy | Built into the product over diverse paths | Multiple connections that you order for diversity | | AWS-side setup | Starting the order, or submitting an activation key, in the AWS console | Accepting the connection in the AWS console | | Where you order | The Megaport Portal or the AWS console | The Megaport Portal | Use AWS Interconnect when you want Megaport to manage the routed connection to AWS for you. Use a Direct Connect model when you need a connection type that AWS Interconnect does not offer, or when you want to control the BGP and VLAN configuration yourself. For more information about the Direct Connect models, see [Connecting to AWS Direct Connect](/cloud/megaport/aws). **helpful-references** ## Helpful references * [AWS Interconnect from Megaport Features](/aws-interconnect/aws-interconnect-features) * [AWS Interconnect User Guide (AWS documentation)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/interconnect/latest/userguide/getting-started-lastmile.html) * [Connecting to AWS Direct Connect](/cloud/megaport/aws) * [Connections Overview](/connections/overview) * [Creating a Private VXC](/connections/private-vxc) * [MCR Diversity](/mcr/mcr-mve-diversity) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.