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How to Get Your Own ASN and IPv6 Space from RIPE NCC in 2026: A Complete Technical Guide

#bgp #networking #ipv6 #devops

How to Get Your Own ASN and IPv6 Space from RIPE NCC in 2026

If you're running infrastructure — whether it's a homelab with multiple uplinks, a small hosting company, or a SaaS platform that needs provider-independent addressing — there comes a point where you need your own Autonomous System Number (ASN) and IP space.

This isn't as intimidating (or expensive) as it sounds. Here's exactly how to do it in the RIPE NCC service region.

Why You'd Want Your Own ASN

An ASN gives you control over your routing. Instead of depending on a single ISP's address space:

  • Multihoming: Connect to multiple upstreams and control traffic flow via BGP
  • Portability: Your IP space follows you when you switch providers
  • Reputation: Your own IP space means your email/web reputation isn't tied to your hosting provider's other customers
  • IPv6 readiness: Get a /48 (or larger) IPv6 allocation for your infrastructure

If you've ever dealt with IP reputation issues because another tenant on your /24 was sending spam, you understand the value.

The Two Paths: Become a LIR or Use a Sponsor

Option 1: Become a RIPE NCC Member (LIR) Directly

A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an organization that has a direct contractual relationship with RIPE NCC. As a LIR, you can:

  • Request IP resources directly from RIPE
  • Sponsor resources for your customers
  • Manage your allocations via the RIPE Database

Cost: RIPE NCC membership requires a €1,000 sign-up fee plus €1,800/year annual membership (2026 rates). Additional charges include €50 per ASN assignment and €75 per independent resource. This makes sense if you're an ISP or plan to sponsor multiple customers.

Requirement: You must demonstrate that you need the resources and have the technical capability to use them.

Option 2: Get Sponsored by an Existing LIR

For most individuals and small organizations, LIR sponsorship is the practical choice. A sponsoring LIR handles the administrative relationship with RIPE NCC on your behalf.

How it works:

  1. You find a LIR willing to sponsor your resources
  2. The LIR submits the request to RIPE NCC
  3. RIPE NCC evaluates and approves the request
  4. The resources are registered in your name (your Org object in the RIPE Database)
  5. You maintain full control and can transfer sponsorship to another LIR at any time

Cost: Typically $60-90/year for an ASN + IPv6 allocation, depending on the LIR. Some charge a one-time setup fee ($15-20 is common). Search for "RIPE LIR sponsorship service" to compare providers — pricing and included support vary significantly.

Key point: The resources belong to you, not the LIR. If you're unhappy with your sponsor, you can transfer to another LIR — your ASN and IP space stay with your organization.

Step-by-Step: Getting an ASN via Sponsorship

Step 1: Create a RIPE NCC Access Account

Go to access.ripe.net and create an account. This is your gateway to managing RIPE Database objects.

Step 2: Create Your Organization Object

You'll need an ORG object in the RIPE Database. This represents your legal entity:

organisation: ORG-YC1-RIPE
org-name:     Your Company LLC
org-type:     OTHER
address:      Your Business Address
e-mail:       noc@yourcompany.com
abuse-c:      AC12345-RIPE
mnt-ref:      YOUR-MNT
mnt-by:       YOUR-MNT
source:       RIPE
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Step 3: Prepare Your Peering Justification

RIPE NCC requires you to demonstrate a legitimate need for an ASN. You'll need:

  • At least two upstream providers (or a plan to peer with two)
  • A brief description of your network and why you need an independent ASN
  • Your intended routing policy

A valid justification looks like: "We operate a hosting platform with servers in multiple data centers. We need an ASN to multihome with Provider A (AS64500) and Provider B (AS64501) for redundancy."

Step 4: Choose a Sponsoring LIR and Submit

Your sponsoring LIR will handle the actual submission to RIPE NCC. The evaluation typically takes 1-5 business days.

Once approved, you'll receive:

  • A 32-bit ASN (e.g., AS215XXX) — 32-bit is assigned by default since 2009
  • Optionally, a /48 IPv6 PA (Provider Aggregatable) allocation from your LIR's block, or you can request a /48 IPv6 PI (Provider Independent) assignment separately

Step 5: Configure BGP

With your ASN and IP space in hand, configure BGP with your upstreams:

# Example: BIRD 2 BGP configuration
protocol bgp upstream1 {
    local as 215000;                    # Your ASN
    neighbor 2001:db8:1::1 as 64500;   # Upstream A (IPv6 session)

    ipv6 {
        import filter {
            if net = ::/0 then accept;
            reject;
        };
        export filter {
            if net ~ [2001:db8:abcd::/48{48,48}] then accept;
            reject;
        };
    };
}
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Step 6: Create Route Objects and RPKI ROAs

Register your routes in the RIPE Database:

route6: 2001:db8:abcd::/48
origin: AS215000
mnt-by: YOUR-MNT
source: RIPE
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And create RPKI Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) via the RIPE NCC portal to protect against route hijacking. This is critical for security — without ROAs, anyone could announce your prefixes.

Cost Breakdown (2026)

Resource Annual Cost Setup Fee
ASN only ~$60/year ~$15
ASN + /48 IPv6 ~$60/year ~$20
/40 IPv6 ~$4/year ~$4
PI IPv6 ~$90/year —
/24 IPv4 (if available) ~$95/month ~$190

IPv4 space is scarce and expensive. If you can go IPv6-only (or IPv6-primary with NAT64 for legacy), you'll save significantly.

Prices above are representative of LIR sponsorship services in 2026. Rates vary by provider — shop around and check what's included (setup fees, support level, transfer assistance).

Common Pitfalls

  1. Insufficient peering justification: "I want an ASN" isn't enough. You need to demonstrate multihoming intent with specific upstream providers.

  2. Not creating RPKI ROAs: Without ROAs, your prefixes are vulnerable to hijacking. Set these up immediately after getting your allocation.

  3. Forgetting abuse-c: Every ORG object needs an abuse contact. RIPE NCC audits this periodically.

  4. Choosing a LIR that locks you in: Make sure your sponsorship agreement allows you to transfer to another LIR. RIPE policy guarantees this right, but some LIRs make the process unnecessarily difficult.

  5. Not setting up reverse DNS: For IPv6 deployments, configure proper rDNS delegation for your prefixes. This is essential for email deliverability and looks professional.

When to Upgrade to Your Own LIR

Consider becoming a LIR directly when:

  • You're sponsoring 10+ resource holders
  • You need to make frequent changes to RIPE Database objects
  • You want to participate in RIPE NCC governance
  • Your annual sponsorship costs exceed the LIR membership fee

Beyond RIPE: Other RIRs

If you need resources in other regions:

  • ARIN (North America): Similar process, different fee structure
  • APNIC (Asia-Pacific): National Internet Registries (NIRs) in some countries
  • AFRINIC (Africa): Growing demand, simpler process
  • LACNIC (Latin America): Regional focus

Some LIR service providers operate across multiple RIRs, which simplifies management if you have global infrastructure.

Wrapping Up

Getting your own ASN and IP space is one of those infrastructure milestones that pays dividends long-term. The process is straightforward, the costs are reasonable (especially for IPv6), and the operational flexibility is worth it.

The key decisions are: sponsored vs. own LIR membership, and choosing a reliable sponsor who won't make your life difficult if you need to make changes or transfer.

Running your own ASN? I'd love to hear about your BGP setup and what motivated you to get independent number resources. Drop a comment below.

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