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Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

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31–40 of 67 posts

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#31
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They'd need multiple ASNs for each of these network islands then, though No they wouldn’t. They could connect to local transit/IXs in each region and just advertise the regional networks.

If I have AS22, advertising 2.2.2.0/24 out of NY, then I can reach 1.1.1.1, great I then have 2.2.3.0/24 advertised out of Frankfurt with the same AS. Again I have transit. I can reach 1.1.1.1. How does a packet from 2.2.2.1 reach 2.2.3.1 -— 2.2.3.0 won’t be advertised by the transit to me in NY as it thinks I’ve already got the route, after all it originated from my AS.

On BGP protocol level, the loop check is on the receiving side - received paths are scanned for local ASN.

The transit may not send you your routes with your ASN due to how its policies are configured, but that is configurable, not protocol-level issue.

And most BGP implementations have knobs to disable the loop check, so on your side you could just disable it.

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#32
post #14

I had an experience using Starlink at a hotel in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan. Funnily enough, I only became aware of this after some websites began redirecting me to their German versions - turns out our traffic was being routed through a host with an IP from one of their STRLNK-POP-FRNTDEU1 pools. The list @mkimball linked to doesn't include Jordan, likely because the service hasn't been officially launched in the…

How would it be anonymous? Spacex ties your account to your traffic and most likely logs quite a bit. Or do you just mean geo-located to the wrong country?

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#33
post #27
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They'd need multiple ASNs for each of these network islands then, though No they wouldn’t. They could connect to local transit/IXs in each region and just advertise the regional networks.

Oh, I thought it wasn't possible to announce multiple isolated networks on the same ASN without interconnecting them, since ASNs are the routing granularity of BGP?

AS is basic granularity in BGP in the sense that one ASN should not be multiple times in AS PATH, and it is generally assumed that ASs are internally connected (although for non-transit networks, this could be workarounded in several ways)

But basic routing entity in BGP is still prefix/route, and different routes of one AS can be announced in different ways.

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#34
post #4

So, bit of digging, StarLink's ASN is 14593 [1]. They show as having 302 V4 blocks and 59 V6 blocks of space [2]. Some of that space (well, most) looks to be GeoLocated in the US, but some show as other countries. Same with the V6 blocks [3]. My guess is that each V4 block is assigned to a given country or Geo Location, and same with a larger V6. Given they use CGNAT, they wont need as much V4 blocks to split out. If…

Many of Musks companies have access to internal google API's that aren't available to the public. For example, the in-tesla car map uses various google data sources in ways the regular API doesn't support.

Sure just like any (big) company paying for a contract.

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#36
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, I thought it wasn't possible to announce multiple isolated networks on the same ASN without interconnecting them, since ASNs are the routing granularity of BGP?

One counterexample to this would be Amazon, who have IPs globally under one ASN. While they do have a global backhaul, it seems unlikely they accept traffic for any IP anywhere and route it all on the backhaul.

> accept traffic for any IP anywhere and route it all on the backhaul.

This is actually what they do when you enable Global Accelerator which is a paid feature. In GCP they have similar concept called “Premium Tier”

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#37
post #25

I imagine if starlink uses local IP address range, it would be bound by local ISP rules. All sorts of censorship and filtering. And avoiding local ISPs may be major reason to use Starlink!

Countries generally aren't going to allow Starlink to bypass their laws.

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#38
post #20

Using starlink at mcmurdo station in Antarctica. The IP shows as Sydney, Australia.

I would love to learn more about your day to day in Antarctica! Did Starlink really change everything for connectivity there? Do most people stay inside?

Re: Ask HN: How does Starlink work for IP address/ASN internationally?

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One counterexample to this would be Amazon, who have IPs globally under one ASN. While they do have a global backhaul, it seems unlikely they accept traffic for any IP anywhere and route it all on the backhaul.

> accept traffic for any IP anywhere and route it all on the backhaul. This is actually what they do when you enable Global Accelerator which is a paid feature. In GCP they have similar concept called “Premium Tier”

True! In my post I meant for all traffic.
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