Choosing A Direct Connect Connection Type

Domain expertise for the first Direct Connect decision: which connection model to order, and how the physical cross connect gets completed. Covers dedicated connections, hosted connections, and link aggregation groups as a third model, the location-support check for higher speeds, the difference between a hosted connection and a hosted virtual interface, the Letter of Authorization and Connecting Facility Assignment (LOA-CFA) handoff to the network provider, and the fact that the connection carries no traffic until a virtual interface is created on it.

Does not cover creating the virtual interface itself or BGP setup (a separate reference), reaching many VPCs through a Direct Connect gateway, encryption, or ongoing link aggregation group member management. Those are separate references.

Execute commands using the AWS MCP server when connected (sandboxed execution, audit logging, observability). Fall back to the AWS CLI otherwise. The Direct Connect console is regional; pass the customer’s working --region on every aws directconnect command.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Decision: dedicated, hosted, or link aggregation group
• Hosted connection vs hosted virtual interface
• Location support and immutable port speed
• Connection states
• Troubleshooting
• Procedure
• Additional Resources

Decision: dedicated, hosted, or link aggregation group

Constraints:

• You MUST settle the connection model and the required bandwidth before any request is submitted, because port speed is fixed once the connection is created.
• You SHOULD present the link aggregation group as a real third option when the customer cares about aggregate bandwidth or link redundancy, not only dedicated vs hosted.
• You MUST route hosted connections to the partner ordering path and reserve the console request flow for dedicated connections.

Hosted connection vs hosted virtual interface

Customers confuse these constantly, and the model the customer actually has changes what they can do next.

Constraints:

• You MUST establish which of the two the customer has before planning next steps, because a hosted connection lets the customer create a virtual interface while a hosted virtual interface is itself the provisioned unit.

Location support and immutable port speed

Constraints:

• You MUST check that the chosen speed is offered at the customer’s Direct Connect location before the request, since 400 Gbps and the higher speeds are available only at select locations and an unsupported pick is a dead end.
• You MUST NOT attempt to change port speed after the connection is created; the only path is to delete and recreate, so confirm bandwidth while the choice is still free.

Connection states

requested and ordering are not the same, and reading them wrong wastes days.

Constraints:

• You MUST read the connection state correctly and, on requested, prompt the customer to answer the AWS support case rather than wait in a queue.

Troubleshooting

Connection sits in requested and nothing happens

For a dedicated connection, requested means AWS opened a support case for more information. Answer the case.

Cannot find the option to order a hosted connection in the console

Hosted connections are created by an AWS Direct Connect Partner and only accepted in the console. Go through the partner.

Connection is live but no traffic flows

A connection carries no traffic until a virtual interface is created on it. Create the virtual interface (separate reference).

Chosen speed is not available at the location

400 Gbps and higher speeds are offered only at select locations. Check location support and pick a supported speed or location.

Procedure

Overview

This procedure confirms the connection model and speed, requests a dedicated connection, creates a link aggregation group, or routes a hosted connection to the partner path, hands the LOA-CFA to the network provider, and surfaces the console link to track state.

Parameters

• connection_model (required): dedicated, hosted, or lag.
• bandwidth (required): The port speed (e.g., 1Gbps, 10Gbps, 100Gbps, 400Gbps for dedicated; partner-defined for hosted).
• location (required for dedicated and LAG): The Direct Connect location code.
• connection_name (required): A name for the connection.
• number_of_connections (required for LAG): How many member connections to bundle.

Constraints for parameter acquisition:

• You MUST ask for the model, bandwidth, and location upfront in a single prompt.
• You MUST confirm location support for the chosen speed before submitting.

Steps

1. Verify dependencies

Constraints:

• You MUST confirm credentials with aws sts get-caller-identity.

• You MUST use ephemeral IAM credentials (e.g., AWS SSO, an instance profile, or aws sts assume-role) rather than long-lived IAM user access keys for Direct Connect management operations.

• You MUST list available locations and confirm the chosen speed is supported there:

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  aws directconnect describe-locations --region {region}

2. Request the connection (dedicated), create the LAG, or route to the partner (hosted)

Constraints:

• For a dedicated connection, you MUST create the request with the confirmed location and bandwidth. If the customer wants MACsec, request it at creation time rather than adding it later:

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  aws directconnect create-connection --location {location} \
    --bandwidth {bandwidth} --connection-name {connection_name} --region {region}

• For a link aggregation group (lag model), you MUST create the LAG directly with create-lag rather than create-connection, supplying the member count and the per-connection bandwidth (all members are the same speed, at one location):

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  aws directconnect create-lag --location {location} \
    --number-of-connections {number_of_connections} \
    --connections-bandwidth {bandwidth} \
    --lag-name {connection_name} --region {region}

• For a hosted connection, you MUST direct the customer to order through an AWS Direct Connect Partner, then accept it in the console once it appears:

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  aws directconnect confirm-connection --connection-id {connection_id} --region {region}

3. Download and hand off the LOA-CFA

Constraints:

• For a dedicated connection, you MUST retrieve the LOA-CFA and tell the customer to give it to their network provider to order the physical cross connect:

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  aws directconnect describe-loa --connection-id {connection_id} \
    --query loaContent --output text --region {region}

  The response is base64-encoded. Decode it locally to a PDF, e.g.:

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  aws directconnect describe-loa --connection-id {connection_id} \
    --query loaContent --output text --region {region} | base64 --decode > loa.pdf

• You SHOULD warn the customer to treat the LOA-CFA as sensitive — it carries facility assignment details (cage, rack, panel, and port identifiers) — restrict access to the decoded PDF, do not transmit it over unencrypted email, and delete local copies after handoff to the network provider.

• You MUST explain that a customer without equipment at the Direct Connect location has to engage a partner before the cross connect can be ordered.

4. Confirm state and surface the console link

Constraints:

• You MUST check the connection state and read it correctly (requested on a dedicated connection means answer the AWS support case):

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  aws directconnect describe-connections --connection-id {connection_id} --region {region}

• You MUST present the Direct Connect console link, filling {connectionId} and {region} from the request, and tell the customer the connection carries no traffic until a virtual interface is created on it:

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  https://console.aws.amazon.com/directconnect/v2/home?region={region}#/connections/{connectionId}

• You SHOULD recommend CloudWatch alarms on connection state, and confirm CloudTrail is capturing directconnect API calls with log file validation enabled and the trail encrypted with a KMS key, and any CloudWatch Logs log groups receiving these events or alarm state data encrypted with a KMS key, so state changes trigger alerts and configuration changes are audited with assured log integrity and confidentiality rather than relying on manual detection.

• You SHOULD ensure any SNS topics receiving Direct Connect alarm notifications are encrypted with a KMS key and that subscriptions are restricted to authorized operations personnel, so sensitive connection-state information does not reach unintended recipients.

Security Considerations

• Not encrypted by default. Direct Connect does not encrypt traffic in transit. You MUST treat encryption as a separate, deliberate step (MACsec or a private IP Site-to-Site VPN) before regulated or sensitive data crosses the link. See the encrypting-traffic reference.
• Ephemeral credentials. You MUST use ephemeral IAM credentials (e.g., AWS SSO, an instance profile, or aws sts assume-role) for Direct Connect management operations rather than long-lived IAM user access keys.
• Least-privilege IAM. You MUST scope IAM permissions for directconnect API actions to the specific actions and resource ARNs each principal needs, and MUST NOT grant directconnect:* on resource * or attach any *FullAccess managed policy.

Additional Resources

• Dedicated Direct Connect connections (AWS Direct Connect User Guide) (opens in a new tab)
• Direct Connect connection options (AWS Direct Connect User Guide) (opens in a new tab)
• AWS Direct Connect link aggregation groups (AWS Direct Connect User Guide) (opens in a new tab)
• Direct Connect virtual interfaces and hosted virtual interfaces (AWS Direct Connect User Guide) (opens in a new tab)
• Getting started with AWS Direct Connect (opens in a new tab)