BGP for VPS: Get Unlimited IPs and Native Addresses

This article delves into leveraging Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to broadcast custom IP address ranges for a Virtual Private Server (VPS). This technique enables users to create powerful server setups with numerous IP addresses, useful for tasks such as building extensive website networks (site farms) or optimizing network routing.

Understanding BGP and Autonomous Systems

BGP, or Border Gateway Protocol, is a routing protocol used to exchange routing information between different autonomous systems (AS). An AS is a network or a group of networks under a common administration. Each AS has a unique identifier called an Autonomous System Number (ASN).

Key aspects of BGP include:

Routing Information: BGP allows ASs to advertise their reachable IP address prefixes to other ASs.
Autonomous Systems (AS): These are independent networks, each with a unique ASN. Examples include networks operated by large ISPs like China Telecom (ASN 4134) and China Unicom (ASN 4837).
Internet Connectivity: The Internet relies on BGP to route traffic between different networks.

Server room data center with blinking lights and network cables

Implementing BGP for VPS: A Step-by-Step Guide

The following steps outline how to implement BGP for a VPS to broadcast custom IP address ranges. This setup can provide greater control over IP addresses and potentially improve IP reputation.

Acquire an ASN (Optional): While not mandatory, obtaining a personal ASN allows for greater control and potentially cleaner IP reputation. This can be obtained from providers offering LIR (Local Internet Registry) services.
Obtain IP Address Space: Lease an IP address range from an IP address provider. IPv6 addresses are more affordable than IPv4.
Establish BGP Transit: Find a provider that offers BGP transit services. Vultr, for example, offers a free transit service, although it may not provide the best performance.
Configure BGP on VPS:
- Create a VPS with a provider like Vultr, choosing a suitable operating system (e.g., Ubuntu 22.04).
- Enable BGP in the VPS provider’s control panel.
- Configure the BGP routing daemon (e.g., Bird) on the VPS using the provided configuration. This involves specifying the ASN, IP address range, and BGP peer details.

Router with blinking lights and connected ethernet cables

Configuring the VPS

Once the basic setup is complete, further configuration is needed within the VPS itself.

Install Bird: Bird is a BGP routing daemon. Use the command apt install bird to install.
Configure Bird: Edit the Bird configuration file (typically located at /etc/bird/bird.conf) to include the IP range leased. The configuration should also include the VPS’s own IPv6 address and BGP peering information.
Apply Local Route: Configure local routing on the VPS, add the IP range to the routing table and enable socket to support binding non-local addresses.

Understanding IP Broadcast vs. Native IP

The terms “broadcast IP” and “native IP” often cause confusion. Traditionally, they referred to whether the IP address’s geolocation matched the location of the server’s data center. However, this distinction is blurring.

Key considerations:

Geolocation Mismatch: A “broadcast IP” may show a different geolocation than the server’s location due to BGP routing.
Streaming Services: The primary concern is often whether an IP address is blacklisted by streaming services like Netflix.
IP Geolocation Databases: IP geolocation databases, like those used by ipinfo.io, rely on traceroute data to determine IP geolocation. This data may not always be accurate, especially if the IP address is frequently moved between different data centers.

World map with glowing nodes representing network connections

Advanced Techniques: Random Egress IP with Xray

The article further explores advanced techniques, such as configuring the Xray proxy to use a random egress IP address from the broadcasted range for each connection. This can be useful for tasks like web scraping, where rotating IP addresses can help avoid detection.

Steps to configure Random Egress IP with Xray:

Update Xray: Ensure Xray is updated to the latest version.
Configure Xray Template: Modify the Xray configuration template to specify a random IP address from the broadcasted range for a specific port.
Enable NDP Proxy: Enable NDP proxy to use local IPv6 addresses.