AWS Direct Connect Documentation

AWS Direct Connect is a cloud service solution that enables you to establish a dedicated network connection from your premises to AWS. Using AWS Direct Connect, you create a private connection between AWS and your data center, office, or colocation environment. AWS Direct Connect is designed to increase bandwidth throughput and provide a more consistent network experience than internet-based connections.

AWS Direct Connect is designed to be compatible with all AWS services accessible over the internet, and is available in speeds starting at 50 Mbps and scaling up to 100 Gbps.

AWS Direct Connect is available at locations worldwide. Some AWS Direct Connect features, such as MACsec and 100 Gbps connections, are available at select locations. 

With AWS Direct Connect, you can transfer data directly from your data center, office, or colocation environment into and out of AWS. This connection bypasses the public internet to help decrease network congestion and unpredictability.

Every AWS Region is made up of multiple physically separated and isolated Availability Zones that are connected over low-latency, high-throughput, and highly redundant networks. When you make a connection to an AWS Region, either directly or through an AWS Direct Connect Gateway, Availability Zone redundancy is provided by default. As a result, your connections automatically fail over between Availability Zones without interruption.

An AWS Direct Connect gateway allows you to connect to Amazon Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) that reside in any AWS Region from any AWS Direct Connect location. You can create an AWS Direct Connect gateway in any Region and access it from all other Regions.

Add extra protection to communications between your data centers, branch offices, or colocation facilities with multiple encryption options. Secure your 10 Gbps and 100 Gbps connections with native IEEE 802.1AE (MACsec) point-to-point encryption at select locations. AWS Site-to-Site VPN is also available for secure connections using IPsec (IP security).

AWS Direct Connect SiteLink creates private, end-to-end network connections between the offices, data centers, and colocation facilities in your global network. Once you have made connections at two or more AWS Direct Connect locations, you can turn the SiteLink feature on (or off) using the AWS Management Console, AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), or APIs.

Dedicated Connections create links to AWS using a 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or 100 Gbps Ethernet port. AWS Direct Connect Partners provide Hosted connections using pre-established network links between themselves and AWS, and are available from 50 Mbps up to 10 Gbps.

For additional information about service controls, security features and functionalities, including, as applicable, information about storing, retrieving, modifying, restricting, and deleting data, please see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/index.html. This additional information does not form part of the Documentation for purposes of the AWS Customer Agreement available at http://aws.amazon.com/agreement, or other agreement between you and AWS governing your use of AWS’s services.