Dedicated Cloud On Ramps, MCR & Virtual Edge
Private Cloud On Ramps, Megaport Cloud Router, and Virtual Edge
Key Takeaways
Dedicated cloud on ramps such as AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect, and Oracle FastConnect replace public internet routing with private Layer 2 and Layer 3 paths. Using Megaport Cloud Router and Megaport Virtual Edge for SD-WAN, enterprises link clouds and branches from one fabric. Obsidian X benchmarks fabrics and carriers across 250+ suppliers.
Reaching AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud over the public internet exposes enterprise workloads to unpredictable jitter, packet loss, and top tier egress rates. Obsidian X architects private Layer 2 and Layer 3 cloud interconnects using Megaport, Megaport Cloud Router (MCR), and Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE) benchmarked against 250+ carrier and fabric suppliers.
Side by Side: AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect, and Oracle FastConnect
Every major hyperscaler offers a dedicated private interconnect product that bypasses the public internet and enters the provider's backbone at a designated peering facility. While you can order dedicated 10 Gbps or 100 Gbps cross connects directly from a hyperscaler if you own cabinets inside their exact peering building, most enterprises connect through an API integrated cloud exchange fabric such as Megaport so one physical port or virtual router can reach all four clouds at once.
Through Virtual Cross Connects (VXCs) scaled from 1 Mbps up to 100 Gbps, your engineering team can provision private connectivity to 318+ cloud on ramps across 300+ service providers in under 60 seconds once your port or virtual edge is live.
| Cloud Provider | Private On Ramp Product | Megaport Delivery Model & Speeds | Primary Architectural & Financial Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | AWS Direct Connect (Hosted Connection or Hosted VIF) | Hosted Connections from 50 Mbps to 100 Gbps via Megaport VXC or MCR | Consistent latency for VPC workloads plus lower published AWS Direct Connect data transfer out rates |
| Microsoft Azure | Azure ExpressRoute | Layer 2 or Layer 3 peering from 50 Mbps to 100 Gbps with active active dual circuit SLA support | Private connectivity for Azure IaaS, Azure SQL, and Microsoft 365 without public internet traversal |
| Google Cloud (GCP) | Google Cloud Partner Interconnect | On demand VLAN attachments from 50 Mbps up to 50 Gbps across global GCP peering zones | High throughput private pipelines into Google BigQuery, Vertex AI, and GKE clusters |
| Oracle Cloud (OCI) | Oracle FastConnect | Private Layer 2 and Layer 3 FastConnect links from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps | Low latency multicloud pairing between Oracle Database workloads in OCI and application tiers in AWS or Azure |
Megaport Cloud Router (MCR): Layer 3 Multicloud Routing Without Hairpinning
When an application in AWS queries a database in Oracle Cloud or synchronizes analytics into Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, legacy architectures force that traffic to hairpin back through a customer firewall inside a corporate data center. That detour adds tens of milliseconds of latency and doubles the bandwidth consumed on your local access circuits.
Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) eliminates the hairpin by deploying a managed virtual Layer 3 BGP router directly inside the Megaport fabric adjacent to the cloud on ramps. Available in capacity tiers from 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 25 Gbps, 50 Gbps, and 100 Gbps, MCR peers directly with AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect, and Oracle FastConnect so cloud to cloud packets route at the edge without touching your premises.
Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE): SD-WAN Middle Mile and MPLS Migration
For distributed enterprises running branch locations across the country, Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE) hosts virtual SD-WAN gateways and next generation firewalls directly on the Megaport backbone in 2 vCPU (Small), 4 vCPU (Medium), 8 vCPU (Large), and 12 vCPU (XLarge) compute tiers using a Bring Your Own License (BYOL) model.
Supported virtual appliances include Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, Cisco Meraki vMX, Fortinet FortiGate VM, Versa Secure SD-WAN, HPE Aruba SilverPeak EdgeConnect, VMware VeloCloud, Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN and VM Series NGFW, Aviatrix Secure Cloud Networking, and Arista CloudEOS. Branch offices connect over local broadband or SD-WAN within roughly 20 milliseconds of the nearest MVE metro hub and ride Megaport's private Layer 2 backbone into AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or corporate colocation.
Back to Cloud Connectivity & GPU Fabric HubBare Metal GPU & Latitude.sh AI ComputeZero Egress Cloud Storage & NAT GatewayData Center Interconnect (DCI) & Texas On RampsSD-WAN and MPLS replacement advisory
Key benefits of our Direct Cloud Interconnect & NaaS practice
One Port to 318+ Cloud On Ramps
Replace separate carrier circuits per cloud with a single Megaport Port, MCR, or MVE reaching AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect, and Oracle FastConnect.
Cloud to Cloud Routing up to 100G
Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) routes Layer 3 BGP traffic directly between AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps without owning physical data center routers.
9 Integrated SD-WAN & NGFW Vendors on MVE
Host Cisco, Meraki, Fortinet, Versa, Aruba SilverPeak, VMware VeloCloud, Palo Alto Networks, Aviatrix, and Arista virtual edges across 2, 4, 8, and 12 vCPU tiers.
Lower Hyperscaler Data Transfer Bills
Qualify outbound traffic for discounted AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, and Google Cloud Interconnect private egress rates instead of paying retail public internet egress.
Rapid MPLS & Post Merger Consolidation
Retire expensive carrier MPLS loops site by site and bridge disparate firewall or SD-WAN estates after a corporate acquisition inside a single virtual fabric hub.
Independent Multi Supplier Benchmarking
Obsidian X compares Megaport against Equinix Fabric, PacketFabric, and carrier circuits across 250+ suppliers with no fee for our advisory work and no obligation to buy.
Where it pays off
AWS to Azure & Oracle Multicloud Peering
Connect application clusters in AWS directly to Azure SQL or Oracle Autonomous Database over a low latency Megaport Cloud Router without hairpinning through headquarters.
MPLS to SD-WAN Branch Modernization
Terminate regional branch broadband tunnels into a nearby Megaport Virtual Edge running Fortinet, Cisco, Versa, or Palo Alto and ride private VXCs into every cloud.
Post Acquisition Network Bridging
Interconnect an acquired company's Meraki or VeloCloud environment with your core Fortinet or Palo Alto estate inside Megaport MCR and MVE in days rather than months.
Hybrid Colocation to Cloud Extension
Link owned racks in Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, or national colocation facilities privately into AWS Direct Connect and Azure ExpressRoute over redundant 10G or 100G ports.
From first look to proven results
- 01
Cloud VPC & Branch Traffic Audit
We map your AWS VPCs, Azure VNets, Google Cloud projects, Oracle tenancies, branch sites, and monthly cloud egress bills to quantify exact bandwidth and latency needs.
- 02
On Ramp, MCR & MVE Topology Design
Our engineers select the optimal peering zones, size MCR or MVE compute tiers (2, 4, 8, or 12 vCPU), and design redundant active active BGP paths across diversity zones.
- 03
Fabric vs Carrier Cost Modeling
We benchmark Megaport side by side against Equinix Fabric, PacketFabric, and dedicated carrier circuits, modeling total cost including hyperscaler port fees and egress savings.
- 04
LOA, Cross Connect & BGP Turn Up
We coordinate Letters of Authorization, facility cross connects, hosted connection acceptances in AWS/Azure/GCP/OCI, and BGP cutover until production traffic is verified.
Direct Cloud Interconnect & NaaS in your industry
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions buyers actually ask about direct cloud interconnect & naas, answered plainly.
What is the difference between an AWS Direct Connect Hosted Connection and a Dedicated Connection?
An AWS Direct Connect Dedicated Connection is a physical 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or 100 Gbps Ethernet port ordered directly from AWS inside an AWS Direct Connect location, requiring your own hardware and cross connect in that building. A Hosted Connection is provisioned on demand over a partner fabric such as Megaport at capacities from 50 Mbps up to 100 Gbps, allowing you to connect from over 1,000 enabled locations worldwide and share a single physical port across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle.
How does Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) eliminate multicloud hairpinning?
Without a virtual cloud router, traffic moving between AWS and Azure or Oracle Cloud must travel all the way back to a physical router in your corporate data center and back out again. Megaport Cloud Router deploys a managed Layer 3 BGP router (scaling from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps) inside the Megaport data center nearest the cloud on ramps, routing packets directly between clouds in milliseconds without consuming your local access bandwidth.
How does Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE) support MPLS to SD-WAN migrations?
When enterprises replace legacy carrier MPLS with SD-WAN over local internet circuits, long distance internet hops can still degrade voice, video, and ERP performance. Megaport Virtual Edge hosts your SD-WAN virtual appliance (Cisco, Meraki, Fortinet, Versa, Aruba SilverPeak, VMware VeloCloud, Palo Alto Networks, Aviatrix, or Arista) in 2, 4, 8, or 12 vCPU tiers right beside the cloud on ramps. Branches hop onto the nearest MVE over local internet in roughly 20 milliseconds and ride Megaport's private Layer 2 backbone the rest of the way, letting you retire MPLS loops site by site.
Does Azure ExpressRoute require two connections for Microsoft's availability SLA?
Yes. Microsoft designs Azure ExpressRoute around dual active active circuits terminating on redundant routers at each peering location. On Megaport, you can provision primary and secondary Virtual Cross Connects across diverse Megaport diversity zones to satisfy Microsoft's resiliency design and qualify for the ExpressRoute availability SLA.
Can we connect Oracle FastConnect to AWS Direct Connect or Azure ExpressRoute for split database architectures?
Yes. Running latency sensitive Oracle Database workloads in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) while hosting front end applications in AWS or Microsoft Azure is one of the most common use cases for Megaport Cloud Router. MCR establishes private Layer 3 BGP peering between Oracle FastConnect and AWS Direct Connect or Azure ExpressRoute in the same metro, frequently keeping round trip latency under 2 milliseconds.
Do we need to buy new SD-WAN licenses to run appliances on Megaport Virtual Edge?
No. Megaport Virtual Edge operates on a Bring Your Own License (BYOL) model for the virtual appliance software while Megaport provides the underlying vCPU compute and private network fabric. You can port existing virtual instance licenses from Cisco, Fortinet, Versa, Aruba, VeloCloud, Palo Alto, Meraki, Aviatrix, or Arista, or have Obsidian X source both the SD-WAN licensing and the MVE fabric together.
Why benchmark Direct Connect and ExpressRoute partners through Obsidian X?
Ordering from a single carrier or fabric locks you into one footprint and one pricing model. Obsidian X compares Megaport, Equinix Fabric, PacketFabric, and dedicated carrier circuits across 250+ vetted suppliers, models your exact cloud egress and port math, and manages the entire turn up with no fee for our advisory work and no obligation to buy.
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