# Network Policy

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**Last Updated:** Nov 30, 2024, **Credits:** Great Plains Connect
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### Overview <a href="#overview" id="overview"></a>

The NiceRoute Internet Exchange (NRIX) operates as a collaborative effort, and the following guidelines are established to ensure the overall well-being of the exchange fabric, both in the short and long term.

### Peering <a href="#peering" id="peering"></a>

1. Peering is bilateral, except for route servers. There is no Multi-Lateral Peering Agreement (MLPA).
2. Participants must utilize BGP-4 or its successor and must set NEXT\_HOP\_SELF when advertising routes from other NRIX participants.
3. Participants are prohibited from pointing to default or utilizing another participant's or NRIX's resources without explicit permission.

### Ethertypes <a href="#ethertypes" id="ethertypes"></a>

Only three ethertypes are allowed: 0x0800 (IPv4), 0x0806 (ARP), and 0x86dd (IPv6).

### Traffic Types <a href="#traffic-types" id="traffic-types"></a>

1. Only broadcast ARP and multicast ICMPv6 Neighbor Discovery packets are allowed as non-unicast traffic.
2. Per-neighbor timeouts leading to flooded packets should be set to 4 hours (or as close as possible) to avoid quarantine.

### ACL and Norms <a href="#acl-and-norms" id="acl-and-norms"></a>

1. Participant ACLs must adhere to neighbor discovery norms.
2. For IPv4, routers must respond to ARP packets from all NRIX participants.
3. For IPv6, routers must respond to ICMPv6 neighbor solicitation packets from fe80::/10 and all NRIX participant addresses.

### Subnet Propagation <a href="#subnet-propagation" id="subnet-propagation"></a>

Participants must not allow NRIX subnets to propagate externally and should minimize internal propagation. ACLs are requested to prevent unintended reachability.

### Traffic Monitoring <a href="#traffic-monitoring" id="traffic-monitoring"></a>

Participants are prohibited from sniffing traffic between other participants.

### Responsiveness <a href="#responsiveness" id="responsiveness"></a>

Participants must be responsive to other participants and NRIX administrators. Urgent issues may result in suspension to protect the fabric. Non-urgent issues will be communicated via PeeringDB and NRIX contact emails, with a response time not exceeding two weeks.

### Press Release Policy <a href="#press-release-policy" id="press-release-policy"></a>

**Contact E-mail:** <support@nrix.org>

1. Organizations planning press releases mentioning NRIX should coordinate with administrators before release.
2. NRIX participation does not grant rights to use other participants' names, logos, or information.

*Note: The Press Release Policy is a courtesy and ensures respectful communication within the NRIX community.*


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