ARIN-prop-298: Private AS Number and Unique Routing Policy Clarifications [Archived]

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Date: 1 July 2021

Proposal Originator: Alison Wood, Anita Nikolich, Alyssa Quinn, Matthew Wilder (Policy Experience Report Working Group)

Problem Statement:

At ARIN 47, staff identified three points of potential confusion with current text in NRPM Section 5: AS Numbers.

“Sites that do not require a unique AS Number should use one or more of the AS Numbers reserved for private use.” Some customers are not aware that their need for a unique AS Number depends upon their need (or lack thereof) to utilize the AS Number on the public Internet.
“In order to be assigned an AS Number, each requesting organization must provide ARIN with verification that it has one of the following…A unique routing policy (its policy differs from its border gateway peers)…A multihomed site.” Few customers qualify for an AS Number under the “unique routing policy” requirement, specifically because they aren’t aware of what “unique routing policy” applies to.
“AS Numbers are issued based on current need. An organization should request an AS Number only when it is already multihomed or will immediately become multihomed.” All ARIN delegations are based on current needs, and some customers aren’t aware they need network plans when they request an AS Number. Additionally, clarification that some organizations may have a unique need for an AS Number outside of utilizing a unique routing policy, such as BGP.

Policy statement:

In Section 5 -

Replace

“Sites that do not require a unique AS Number should use one or more of the AS Numbers reserved for private use.”

with

“Private ASNs should be used only when there is no plan to use them on the public Internet.”

Replace

“1. A unique routing policy (its policy differs from its border gateway peers) 2. A multihomed site.”

with

“1. A plan to connect their network using a unique routing policy, such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) 2. A network requiring routing policies to be deployed which are unique only to that network”

Replace

“AS Numbers are issued based on current need. An organization should request an AS Number only when it is already multihomed or will immediately become multihomed.”

with

“AS Numbers should be requested when an organization has network plans ready and is either planning to use a unique routing policy (such as BGP) or has a unique need for an AS Number.”

Timetable for implementation: Immediate