RIPE Atlas Anchors

What are RIPE Atlas anchors?

RIPE Atlas anchors are both enhanced RIPE Atlas probes with more measurement capacity, as well as regional measurement targets within the greater RIPE Atlas network.

Anchors are able to perform many more measurements than a regular RIPE Atlas probe, and the large amount of data they collect is made available to everyone. In addition, anchors act as powerful targets that can handle a large number of measurements originating from nearby probes in the RIPE Atlas network. As such, RIPE Atlas anchors provide valuable information about the local and regional connectivity and reachability of the Internet. In most cases, it is not necessary to send a ping or traceroute around the entire globe in order to identify problems in local connectivity – investigating connectivity at the local level is usually sufficient.

In addition to performing more measurements themselves, RIPE Atlas anchors also act as well-known and co-operating targets for user-defined measurements set up by probe hosts throughout the RIPE Atlas network, and are located at hosts with sufficient bandwidth to support this larger number of incoming measurements. To recognise this service to the community, RIPE Atlas anchor hosts earn additional credits.

RIPE Atlas anchors became a full production service in October 2013.

RIPE Atlas anchor features

  • RIPE Atlas users can schedule measurements originating from anchors. In this sense, anchors act as probes, but with much greater measurement capacity than regular probes.
  • RIPE Atlas users can schedule measurements targeting anchors via the user-defined measurements menu. In this sense, anchors act as regional measurement targets providing information about regional connectivity and reachability. Any host of any probe can direct measurements towards an anchor. The anchor names are encoded in such a way that they display their country and city (airport code) location as well as the Autonomous System Number in which it is situated. This way, RIPE Atlas users get to choose from a list of regional targets (anchors) in different networks and in different geographical locations.
  • Each RIPE Atlas anchor can be used as a target for the following measurements: ping, traceroute, DNS, HTTP(S).
  • The RIPE NCC schedules baseline measurements, called anchoring measurements, towards the anchors. These ongoing measurements are performed by between 100 to 200 probes from the RIPE Atlas network.
  • Users can see a complete list of current RIPE Atlas anchors.
  • Users can see a map showing the locations where anchors have been deployed.

We are continuously working on increasing RIPE Atlas anchor features and functionality based on the feedback we receive from the hosts and the community. Find out how you can give us your feedback.

Benefits for RIPE Atlas anchor hosts

Become a RIPE Atlas anchor host

We are interested in distributing RIPE Atlas anchors as widely as possible.

Organisations willing to host a RIPE Atlas anchor can find the pre-requisites and instructions here. You do not have to be a RIPE NCC member to host a RIPE Atlas anchor. Organisations are responsible for purchasing the necessary hardware and maintaining it for the period specified in the RIPE Atlas Service Terms and Conditions and Memorandum of Understanding. The RIPE NCC provides the software and firmware in order to connect the hardware to the RIPE Atlas network.

Learn more

Download RIPE Atlas anchor flyer

Current Sponsors

Become a RIPE Atlas Sponsor

The RIPE NCC uses cookies. Some of these cookies may have been set already. More information about our cookies can be found in our privacy
policy. You can accept our cookies either by clicking here or by continuing to use the site.