action.skip
Megaport Documentation
Activating Ports

Troubleshooting Port Activation

At times your Port might not come up after the data center has completed your cross connect to the Megaport demarcationThe demarcation point (often abbreviated to demarc and also known as a network boundary point) is the physical point at which the Megaport network ends and the customer network begins. Generally, this is a floor / rack / port assignment for an optical port. For more information, see Letter of Authorization (LOA).
. The most common reason for this is swapped fiber polarity, but there are additional checks that you can perform to confirm.

Tip

You can verify Port status from the Megaport Portal. On the Services page in the Portal, find the Port and mouse over its icon. A message displays the status of the service. The color of the icon also indicates the service status.

Troubleshooting actions

Action Steps
Provide the LOAA Letter of Authorization (LOA) is a document that customers need to present to their data center provider to establish the physical cross-connect from their data center services to their Port. The LOA is provided via the Megaport Portal when a customer provisions a new Port.
 to the data center		 After you create a Port, an LOA is automatically generated and available for download on the Megaport Portal. This PDF document includes the patching details for the Megaport end and is required when placing a cross connect with the data center. New Ports are not active until the data center operator establishes the physical cross connect from your network device to the Port.
Verify the Tx and Rx optical levels on the device Check the transmitted (Tx) and received (Rx) light levels. When no signal is received from the far-end (Megaport) device, it could indicate that the polarity has been reversed. If no light is received from the Megaport end, verify the fiber polarity (next).
Verify physical connections with the data center For new services
  1. On one end of the connection, swap the Tx and Rx cables of the cross connect. After swapping, verify the Tx and Rx optical readings on the device.
  2. SFPA small form pluggable (SFP) is a hot pluggable transceiver used in data communication and telecommunication networks to enable data transmission between two devices.
     models should align with the Interface Speed and Interface details in Megaport Technical Specifications. Reseat or swap the SFP device if needed.
  3. Ensure that the cross connect is not faulty.
  4. Place a loopback on the Megaport demarcation point where the cross connect terminates, facing the Megaport rack.
  5. When contacting Megaport, provide the cable ID and the completion notice from the data center.
    Note: If the Port appears in the Megaport Portal, it usually indicates that the Megaport-side connectivity is functioning correctly.
  6. When contacting Megaport, provide the cable ID and the completion notice from the data center.
For existing services
  1. Ensure that adequate light is being transmitted outside of the demarcation point on your end.
  2. Reseat or swap the SFP if needed.
  3. Have the cross connect cleaned and checked for damages.
  4. When contacting Megaport, provide the data center ticket number.
Verify auto-negotiation on the network interface Auto-negotiation is the ability of a network interface to automatically coordinate its own connection parameters (speed and duplex) with another network interface. Auto-negotiation is usually the preferred setting for configuring management ports. However, if the negotiation fails, mismatched network interface settings can severely impact network performance.
  1. Verify that the correct transceiver type is in use.
  2. Ensure that the negotiation settings align with Megaport.
    Megaport has Negotiation Auto set by default.
  3. If the device does not support auto-negotiation, contact Megaport Support.
Tips
  • Negotiation issues usually occur when connectivity is up, optical light is detected in both directions, but the Port status is down on either end. This issue is common on a 1 Gbps Port.
  • The transceiver speed should match on both ends. For example, if you create a 1 Gbps Port in the Megaport Portal, you must also set the device to 1 Gbps.

Next steps

If the troubleshooting actions do not resolve your issue, contact support. Before requesting assistance, collect the following information.

  • Troubleshooting results – Provide all troubleshooting steps taken in detail. For example, if loops were placed, note their location and which direction they faced.
  • Service ID – The Megaport Service ID is a unique 8-digit alphanumeric code located next to each service in the Services page of the Megaport Portal.
  • Data center cross connect completion notice – Customers receive a completion notice from the data center once the cross connect is installed. The notice includes the data center cross connect order number, which Megaport requires to provide to the data center technician.
  • Data center cross connect order number (data center ticket number) – Provide any existing ticket reference numbers that you have opened directly with the data center.

  • Data center ticket reference and cable ID – Megaport requires specific information to identify the cross connect in question and any troubleshooting that was performed in case Megaport needs to open a ticket with the data center. Before contacting Megaport:

    • Collect the cross connect order reference number, troubleshooting ticket number, and cable ID
    • Confirm if the connectivity is correct from the device to the Megaport demarcation point
    • Confirm whether a carrier is used for this connection

    Tip

    The cable ID is assigned by the data center to each cross connect and is usually located on a tag or small card that attaches to the cross connect cable. The data center will also provide the ID upon the completion of a cross connect to the ordering party.

    Note

    For more information on when a field service technician is needed onsite at the data center, see Customer Field Services.