Port and Interface Frequently Asked Questions

For frequently asked questions about all services and support, see the PacketFabric FAQ.

General

What does the “PF-XX” stand for in interface and circuit names? What does “CT” mean in IDs?

PF-AE: LAG interfaces and aggregated dedicated cloud ports

PF-AB: Flex bandwidth container

PF-AP: Ports and non-aggregated dedicated cloud ports

PF-BC: Backbone virtual circuit

PF-CC: Hosted cloud connections and virtual circuits associated with dedicated cloud connections

PF-DC: Marketplace virtual circuit

PF-IX: IX virtual circuit

PF-L3-CUST: Cloud Router

PF-L3-CON: Cloud Router connection

PF-MC: A marketplace virtual circuit that connects to a cloud port

PF-PD: Point-to-point connection

PF-PS: Pseudo-interface

PF-TC: Test virtual circuit (no longer used)

Colt-powered port IDs start with CT-. If a virtual circuit has CT in its circuit ID, then one side of it lands on a Colt-powered port. For more information, see Colt-Powered Ports.

For more acronyms, see Acronyms and Terms.

Where can I find your Service Level Agreement (SLA)?

There is a link to the SLA in the PacketFabric website footer.

https://packetfabric.com/assets/documents/PacketFabric-SLA.pdf

Where can I find your Privacy Policy?

There is a link to the Privacy Policy in the PacketFabric website footer.

https://www.packetfabric.com/privacy

Cross Connects and LOAs

What is an LOA?

LOA stands for Letter of Authorization or Letter of Authority. They are also sometimes called LOA-CFAs (Connecting Facility Assignment).

The LOA is required to install a cross connect between your equipment and ours.

The LOA tells the data center three things:

1.) You have permission to connect your equipment with ours.

2.) The exact location of the port at which they should install the physical cross connect.

3.) The media they should use for the connection.

Click here to download a template.

For more information, see Cross Connects.

The data center cannot install my cross connect because the port is occupied. What does this mean?

We pre-cable the rear side of all our panels. Sometimes data center technicians will mistake this to mean that the port is already occupied. However, the front side of the panel should be open for new cross connects.

If they are still reporting that the port is occupied after checking the front panel, it is possible that the previous cross connect was never removed. To have us verify this for you, open a ticket by emailing support@packetfabric.com.

Do ports need to be physically connected after an order is placed?

Cross connects are a physical connection, so yes.

However, all PacketFabric equipment is pre-patched and pre-cabled and ready for connections. This means that we just need to complete any patching to your local side that is not already in place.

Why do some of my ports allow me to order a cross connect while others don’t?

The ability to order a cross connect through the PacketFabric portal depends on the data center. If you do not see the Cross Connect action in the port’s overflow menu, you will need to generate an LOA and contact the data center directly with your request.

For more information, see Cross Connects.

Ports

When does billing start on a port?

Billing begins 15 days after provisioning OR when a port becomes operationally up, whichever happens first. For more information, see Port Terms and Billing.

What does ‘powered by Colt’ mean?

When a port is “powered by Colt,” this means that it is owned and operated by Colt Technology Services but can be used as if it is a native part of the PacketFabric network.

For more information, see Colt-Powered Ports.

What is a “non-core location” and why is the SLA not applicable for it?

A non-core location is also known as a “single-armed” or “single-homed” site.

Our core locations are multi-armed/multi-homed. This means that there are multiple fiber pathways connecting to the POP device, and should something happen to one fiber pathway we can reroute your traffic with minimal disruption.

However, a non-core location is connected to a single fiber pathway. Think of it like a cul-de-sac: one way in, one way out. This means that if something should disrupt connections along that pathway, we cannot reroute your traffic to avoid disruption, thereby upholding the SLA.

Do you support jumbo frames?

Yes, we support jumbo frames.

How many bytes should I set for my MTU?

This depends on the service.

Access ports, point-to-point, backbone virtual circuits: for optimal performance, set your MTU to 9000 bytes.

Cloud connections: This depends on the cloud service provider. See below under “Cloud Connectivity.”

How do I order an ENNI port?

By default, the option to order an ENNI port is hidden. If you would like us to display this option in your portal, contact support@packetfabric.com.

LAG interfaces

Can I LAG multiple EPL services?

Not directly, but there is a workaround.

Our EPL service is transparent and our routers will not act on LACP packets. We only pass them to the other side of the circuit.

However, because the LACP packets are passed to the other side, it is still possible to exchange LACP packets between the both sides of the service.

This means that LAG participation will be between your network devices on each end of the service and not between your network device and our network device.

Why can’t I add this port to a LAG?

To be included in a LAG, the ports must be at the same site, in the same zone, and have the same speed and media.

If a port already has a virtual circuit attached, you must remove the virtual circuit before adding it to the LAG.

If you have verified it matches that criteria and you are still unable to include it in a LAG, then the port likely does not support LAGs. Not all edge ports support LAGs at this time.

Do you support multi-chassis LAGs?

For EPL circuits, you can configure a multi-chassis LAG on your devices and we will transparently pass LACP frames between them.

EVPL circuits do not pass LACP frames transparently, and therefore multi-chassis LAGs cannot be configured across them.

How many ports can I add to a LAG?

We have not set any limits at this time.