Our goal at TorIX is to help you get connected easily. We routinely assist networks with the peering process and can help navigate the specifics of your setup. The guidelines and FAQ below cover the common technical and administrative questions we receive. If you run into any issues or have questions not covered here, our team is available to help.
Scope of Service & General Policies
Peering vs. Transit: TorIX provides a Layer 2 exchange fabric for networks to peer directly with one another. We are an Internet Exchange Point (IXP), not an Internet Service Provider (ISP). We do not provide Internet transit or default routes. You will still need a separate transit provider to reach the portions of the Internet not present on the exchange.
Third-Party Support Requests: Our NOC focuses on the health, performance, and operation of the TorIX core switching fabric and route servers. We generally do not act as an intermediary or troubleshoot bilateral peering sessions between members. If you have questions or technical issues regarding a specific peer, please contact that network directly using the NOC information in their PeeringDB profile.
Technical Prerequisites
Autonomous System Number (ASN): You need a unique, Public ASN and authorization to use it on the exchange.
PeeringDB: We recommend maintaining an up-to-date and accurate record on PeeringDB. Many members rely on this data to automate peering requests and generate routing filters.
Connection Limits & MAC Security: Connections to the exchange should terminate on a single device (or a single logical device via LACP). We limit connections to one MAC address and one ASN per port. If you need to update your allowed MAC address (such as when swapping routing equipment), you can do this directly through the TorIX member portal.
Peering LAN Hygiene: The interface connected to TorIX is meant for peering. Discovery protocols and Layer 2 broadcast traffic (such as STP, CDP, LLDP, VTP, OSPF, IS-IS, proxy ARP, and ICMP redirects) are not allowed. TorIX uses automated port security; if prohibited traffic is detected, the system will shut down the port for 30 minutes. Only ARP, IPv6 ND, BGP, and BFD traffic should be sent to the peering LAN.
IP Addressing & Routing Security: You need authorization to advertise the IP space you intend to route over the exchange. Prefixes require proper documentation in an Internet Routing Registry (IRR). We recommend an authoritative IRR from one of the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), though we also accept RADb. We also recommend implementing Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) to secure your route announcements. Our route servers validate announcements against IRR data and RPKI ROAs; invalid announcements are dropped.
Prefix Sizes & Filtering: The longest accepted prefix is a /24 for IPv4 and a /48 for IPv6. Smaller prefixes are typically filtered by the route servers and most members. TorIX also filters default routes, bogons, martians, and special-purpose or non-routable IP space (including RFC1918 and blocks defined in RFC6890). Pointing static or default routes at other members without their agreement is not allowed.
TorIX IP Space: The IPv4 and IPv6 addresses assigned to you are for exchange traffic only. Please do not advertise the TorIX peering subnet to other networks or propagate it into the global routing table.
Peering IP Usage: The IPv4 and IPv6 addresses we assign to your port are meant exclusively for establishing BGP sessions and next-hop routing. All user traffic exchanged over the fabric should be sourced from and destined to your own publicly routed IP space. Please do not use the TorIX-assigned IP addresses for Network Address Translation (NAT) or as the source/destination for your payload traffic.
Supported Ports & Features
TorIX offers connections via single-mode fibre (SMF) only. We do not rate-limit or shape traffic for any port type.
BFD Support: We support Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) to facilitate rapid detection of path failures between peering routers.
Speeds & Optics: 10GE, 25GE, 100GE, and 400GE. Connections require Long Reach (LR) optics (1310nm). Short Reach (SR/multi-mode) and Extended Reach (ER) optics are not supported.
Sub-rate Ports: We offer a 10GE Subrate 1Gbps product and a 100GE Subrate 30Gbps product for networks bridging the gap before needing a full-rate port.
Link Aggregation: All full-rate products allow for Link Aggregation (LACP / IEEE 802.3ad).
Locations, Cross-Connects & Turn-up
TorIX does not provide colocation services. You need a physical presence or a third-party transport solution to one of our locations.
Transport Providers: If reaching TorIX via a remote transport provider, we recommend terminating your transport in a facility where TorIX has a direct presence to avoid multiple, sequential cross-connect fees.
Cross-Connect Responsibility: All cross-connect charges—including any building meet-me-room (BMMR) fees levied by the facility—are the responsibility of the peer.
LOA Process: Depending on the facility, TorIX provides a Letter of Authorization (LOA) detailing our demarcation point. You submit this to the data centre operator to order the cross-connect to our equipment.
Port Turn-up & Diagnostics: Once the facility completes the cabling, we verify light levels with you. New connections may initially be placed in a Quarantine VLAN for diagnostics to check router configuration. We do not mandate a long observation period; our automated port security monitors peering LAN hygiene, and any port leaking prohibited traffic on the production fabric is shut down.
Billing, Agreements & Purchase Orders
Master Service Agreement (MSA): Services, connections, and billing terms are governed by the TorIX Master Service Agreement (MSA).
Currency & Taxes: Prices are in Canadian Dollars (CAD). Because the physical connection (the place of service) is in Ontario, Canada, the standard Ontario Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) applies to physical ports, including those for international peers.
Payment Terms: Our standard payment terms are NET 30.
Purchase Orders (POs): If your procurement department requires a Purchase Order (PO) number on invoices, please include it when you apply. While we can reference your PO number for your convenience, TorIX does not accept the standard terms and conditions typically attached to a Purchase Order. Our MSA serves as the governing document.
Supplier Portals: We understand some procurement teams use third-party supplier portals. We evaluate participation in these systems on a case-by-case basis. To keep our operations efficient and equitable, onboarding and compliance requirements for these portals need to remain fair and reasonable in scope.
Application Process
Ready to connect? Review the application steps and download the necessary forms on our Connect with TorIX page.