How to Establish a Private Connection Between Vultr and AWS Using Direct Connect via Console Connect

Vultr Direct Connect provides a private, high-bandwidth network connection that links Vultr infrastructure with external cloud providers without traversing the public internet. When combined with AWS Direct Connect through Console Connect, it enables secure, low-latency communication between Vultr instances and Amazon Web Services (AWS), making it suitable for hybrid and multi-cloud architectures that require predictable network performance.

This guide explains the end-to-end process for establishing private connectivity between Vultr and AWS using Direct Connect via Console Connect. It describes the required network architecture, prerequisite configurations, and the steps needed to provision and validate a production-ready connection.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you:

• Have access to the Console Connect Portal with sufficient permissions to create a CloudRouter and add new sites.
• Have access to the AWS Management Console with permissions to create and manage AWS Direct Connect connections, Direct Connect Gateways and Virtual Interfaces.
• Have access to the Vultr Console to create and manage Direct Connect and related networking resources.
• Have Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) enabled on your Vultr account.
• Understand VLAN configuration, Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), and basic BGP routing concepts.

Gather Information About Console Connect Availability

Console Connect is not available in all Vultr locations. Before provisioning a CloudRouter, confirm Console Connect availability for your target location by opening a support ticket with Vultr Support.

1. Log in to the Vultr Console.

2. Select Support from the left navigation menu.

3. Click Open Ticket to create a new support request.

4. From the available options, toggle the last option to display all fields.

5. Under Category, select General Support.

6. Use the following template to open a support ticket requesting Vultr Direct Connect availability through Console Connect.

   TEXT

   Copy

   Subject: Request to Set Up Vultr Direct Connect via Console Connect Partner ([REGION] Region)
   
   Hello Vultr Team,
   
   I would like to set up a Hosted via Partner Direct Connect connection using Console Connect.
   Before provisioning a CloudRouter, please confirm whether the [REGION] location is supported
   for Console Connect connectivity. If this location is not supported, please share the available
   alternatives to establish private connectivity with Vultr.
   
   Thank you for your assistance.
   
   Best regards,
   [Your Name]

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Note

   Vultr Support typically responds within 24 business hours.

7. Vultr Support provides availability details, supported data center locations, and the requirements needed to provision a CloudRouter.

Provision a CloudRouter in Console Connect

A CloudRouter acts as the core networking component that enables private connectivity between Vultr and external cloud providers through Console Connect. It provides the logical routing layer required to terminate private connectivity circuits on both cloud platforms and securely exchange traffic between their environments.

1. Log in to the Console Connect portal.

2. Click the Add New Service drop-down, hover over Layer 3 (CloudRouter), and then click Order.

3. On the CloudRouter Details page, enter the following information:

   • Your CloudRouter name: Enter a descriptive name to identify the CloudRouter.
   • Bandwidth: Select the required bandwidth based on your network throughput requirements.
   • Duration: Select the contract duration for the connection. Longer durations typically reduce the overall cost.

4. Click Next: Review to validate and review the configuration.

5. Click Next: Payment to proceed to the payment page.

6. Accept the Terms and Conditions, then click Create CloudRouter to provision the CloudRouter.

   Note

   CloudRouter provisioning typically takes 10–15 minutes to complete.

Add Sites to the Console Connect CloudRouter

Sites represent the logical endpoints where private connectivity is terminated. They define the integration points used to connect Vultr and AWS cloud environments through the CloudRouter.

Add a Vultr Site in Console Connect

A Vultr site defines the termination point for private connectivity within your Vultr environment. It associates the CloudRouter with your Vultr account and port location to enable traffic exchange over the private connection.

1. Navigate to the CloudRouters section and select your CloudRouter.

2. Verify that the CloudRouter status displays Active.

3. Click Add New Site, then select Cloud or XaaS as the Site Type.

4. Select VULTR as the provider.

5. On the Cloud Details page, enter the following information:

   • Vultr Account ID: Enter the email address associated with your Vultr account.
   • Vultr ASN: This field is automatically populated.
   • Vultr Port Location: Select the Vultr port location where the connection terminates.

6. Click Next: Site Details to review the cloud configuration.

7. On the Site Details page, enter the following information:

   • Site Name: Enter a descriptive name for the site.
   • Rate limit (Mbps): Select the maximum bandwidth for this site.
   • Class of Service: Choose a service tier based on traffic priority requirements.
     • Bronze: Best-effort traffic.
     • Silver: Medium-priority traffic.
     • Gold: High-priority traffic.

   After selecting the required values, the portal displays the estimated monthly cost.

8. Click Next: Review, to verify the configuration.

9. Click Next: Terms, review the terms and conditions, and accept all required agreements.

10. Click Create Site to submit the site for provisioning in Console Connect.

Provide Additional Information to Console Connect

After submitting the CloudRouter provisioning request, Console Connect requires additional information to determine where the connection should terminate within your Vultr account. This information allows Console Connect to associate the CloudRouter with the correct Vultr resources and complete the delivery process.

To proceed, send an email to Console Connect confirming that the CloudRouter has been provisioned and providing the required Vultr account and network details.

1. Copy the following email template, replace the placeholders with your values, and send it to the addresses below:

   • support@consoleconnect.com
   • ccsupport@consoleconnect.com
   TEXT

   Copy

   Subject: CloudRouter Delivery Request for Vultr Direct Connect via Console Connect
   
   Dear Console Connect Team,
   
   I am requesting the delivery of a CloudRouter to establish a Direct Connect
   connection between Vultr and AWS using Console Connect.
   
   The CloudRouter has been provisioned under the Console Connect account [CONSOLECONNECT_EMAIL_ADDRESS], associated with the company profile [COMPANY_NAME].
   
   Please deliver one end of the CloudRouter to the Vultr account associated with the email address below.
   
   Vultr Account Email: [VULTR_ACCOUNT_EMAIL_ADDRESS]
   
   Vultr Resources:
   * Virtual Machine Name: [VM_NAME]
   * Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) ID: [VPC_UUID]
   
   Alternative Contact Email: [ALTERNATE_EMAIL_ADDRESS]
   
   Thank you for your assistance.
   
   Best regards,
   [YOUR_NAME]

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Attach a screenshot of the Console Connect dashboard showing the provisioned CloudRouter.

2. Console Connect creates a support case and responds with confirmation and any additional requirements.

Add an AWS Site in Console Connect

An AWS site represents the termination point for private connectivity on the AWS side. It links the CloudRouter to your AWS account and Direct Connect location, enabling end-to-end private communication between Vultr and AWS.

1. Navigate back to the Console Connect portal.

2. Select your CloudRouter.

3. Click Add New Site to create a new AWS site.

4. Select Cloud or XaaS as the Site Type.

5. Select AWS as the provider.

6. On the Cloud Details page, enter the following information:

   • AWS Account ID: Enter your AWS account ID.
   • AWS ASN: Enter the Autonomous System Number for AWS.

   Note

   The ASN must be within the private ASN ranges 64512–65000 or 65011–65534.

   • AWS Port Location: Select the AWS port location where the connection terminates.

7. Click Next: Site Details to configure the site.

8. On the Site Details page, enter the following information:

   • Site Name: Enter a descriptive name for the site.
   • Rate limit (Mbps): Select the maximum bandwidth for this site.
   • Class of Service: Choose a service tier based on traffic priority requirements.
     • Bronze: Best-effort traffic.
     • Silver: Medium-priority traffic.
     • Gold: High-priority traffic.

   After selecting the required values, the portal displays the estimated monthly cost.

9. Click Next: Review, to verify the configuration.

10. Click Next: Terms, review the terms and conditions, and accept all required agreements.

11. Click Create Site to submit the AWS site for provisioning in Console Connect.

Accept the Direct Connect Connection in AWS

AWS requires explicit approval before a partner-provisioned Direct Connect connection becomes active. This step confirms the connection created through Console Connect and allows AWS to associate it with your Direct Connect Gateway to enable routing between AWS VPCs and Vultr.

1. Log in to the AWS Management Console.

2. Search for Direct Connect and open the service.

3. From the left navigation menu, select Direct Connect Gateways.

4. Click Create Direct Connect Gateway.

5. Enter a descriptive Gateway Name.

6. Enter the Amazon-side ASN.

   Note

   The Amazon-side ASN must be a valid private ASN within one of the following ranges: 64512–65000 or 65011–65534.

   Use an ASN that matches the ASN defined in the Cloud Details section of the AWS site configuration in Console Connect.

7. (Optional) Add tags to organize the gateway.

8. Click Create Direct Connect Gateway to complete the gateway creation.

   Note

   A Direct Connect Gateway acts as a central hub that connects one or more Virtual Interfaces (VIFs) to AWS VPCs.

9. From the left navigation menu, select Connections.

10. Locate the connection created by Console Connect. The status displays Confirming.

11. Select the connection and click Accept Connection to approve and activate it.

Configure the Direct Connect Connection in AWS

After accepting the Direct Connect connection, you must configure routing parameters and create a Private Virtual Interface (VIF) in AWS. This configuration establishes the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) session between AWS and Console Connect, enabling private traffic flow between AWS VPCs and Vultr.

1. Navigate back to the AWS site in the Console Connect portal.

2. Record the following routing details for use during AWS configuration:

   • Console Connect IP: The IP address AWS uses to route traffic toward Vultr.
   • AWS Router IP: The IP address assigned to the AWS-side router.
   • Console Connect ASN: The ASN used by Console Connect for the BGP session.
   • AWS ASN: The ASN configured on the AWS side.
   • VLAN ID: The VLAN identifier for the private connection.
   • BGP Password: The authentication key used to secure the BGP session.

3. Return to the AWS Direct Connect service in the AWS Management Console.

4. Select your Direct Connect connection.

5. After the State changes to Available, click Create Virtual Interface.

6. Configure the following settings:

   • Virtual Interface Type: Select Private.

   • Private Virtual Interface Settings:

     • Virtual Interface Name: Enter a descriptive name.
     • Connection: Select the physical Direct Connect connection.
     • Virtual Interface Owner: Select My AWS account.
     • Gateway Type: Select Direct Connect Gateway.
     • Direct Connect Gateway: Select the gateway created earlier.
     • Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN): Enter the VLAN ID provided by Console Connect.
     • BGP ASN: Enter the Console Connect ASN.

   • Additional settings:

     • Address family: Select IPv4.
     • Your Router Peer IP: Enter the Console Connect IP.
     • AWS Router Peer IP: Enter the AWS router IP.
     • BGP Authentication Key: Enter the BGP password provided by Console Connect.

7. Click Create Virtual Interface to apply the configuration.

8. Verify that the virtual interface state changes to Available and the BGP Status displays Up. At this point, the AWS Direct Connect Gateway is successfully peered with Console Connect, and private connectivity between AWS and Vultr is established.

Configure Routes in Vultr

After the Direct Connect connection is established, you must configure routing within your Vultr Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to forward traffic toward Console Connect. This step ensures that workloads inside the VPC can reach AWS over the private connection.

1. Navigate to the Console Connect portal and select the Vultr site associated with your CloudRouter.

2. Record the Vultr subnet displayed on the site details page for later use.

3. Obtain the Vultr router IP provided by Vultr Support. This IP acts as the next-hop router for traffic destined to Console Connect.

   Note

   The router IP is required to forward traffic from your VPC to the Console Connect subnet. Other routing parameters shown on the Vultr site are preconfigured on the Vultr-managed router to establish the BGP session with Console Connect and do not require manual changes.

4. Deploy a virtual machine inside the VPC attached to Console Connect.

5. After the instance enters the Running state, connect to it using SSH.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ ssh USERNAME@SERVER-IP

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Replace USERNAME with the username and SERVER-IP with the public IP address of the server.

6. List the network interfaces and identify the interface connected to the VPC.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ ip addr

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Output:

   ...
   3: enp8s0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1450 qdisc mq state UP group default qlen 1000
       link/ether 5a:00:05:d3:24:29 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
   ...

   Identify the interface that has an IP address from your VPC subnet.

7. Add a route to reach the Console Connect Vultr subnet.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ip route add CONSOLE_CONNECT_VULTR_SUBNET via VULTR_ROUTER_IP dev INTERFACE_NAME

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Replace:

   • CONSOLE_CONNECT_VULTR_SUBNET: The subnet defined on the Vultr site in the Console Connect portal.
   • VULTR_ROUTER_IP: The router IP provided by Vultr Support (typically the first IP in the VPC range).
   • INTERFACE_NAME: The name of the VPC-attached network interface.

   Note

   Adding a route at the VM level enables connectivity only for that instance. To enable connectivity for all workloads in the VPC, add the route at the VPC level using the Vultr Console.

8. Verify connectivity to the Console Connect network.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ ping CONSOLE_CONNECT_IP

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Replace CONSOLE_CONNECT_IP with the Console Connect IP listed on the Vultr site. Successful ping responses confirm that the Vultr side is connected to the Console Connect network.

9. Add a route to reach the AWS subnet through Console Connect.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ip route add CONSOLE_CONNECT_AWS_SUBNET via VULTR_ROUTER_IP dev INTERFACE_NAME

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Replace:

   • CONSOLE_CONNECT_AWS_SUBNET: The subnet defined on the AWS site in the Console Connect portal.
   • VULTR_ROUTER_IP: The router IP provided by Vultr Support.
   • INTERFACE_NAME: The VPC-attached network interface.

10. Verify connectivity to AWS.

    CONSOLE

    Copy

    $ ping AWS_ROUTER_IP

    Explain Code

    Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

    Replace AWS_ROUTER_IP with the AWS router IP listed on the AWS site in the Console Connect portal. Successful ping responses confirm that private connectivity between Vultr and AWS is operational.

Conclusion

You have successfully established a private, dedicated network connection between Vultr and AWS using Direct Connect via Console Connect. By provisioning a CloudRouter, configuring sites on both platforms, completing AWS Direct Connect approval, and enabling routing within Vultr, you created a low-latency, secure path for traffic between your Vultr VPC and AWS VPCs.