ASN number registration, how to start and run your own ASN

• ASN number registration: To register an ASN, you can become a member of your local RIR like RIPE/ARIN or find a sponsoring LIR like freetransit.ch (personal and non profit)
• Make the required database objects in your local RIR.
• Find upstream providers for your BGP router to connect to: vultr.com, ifog.ch, bgptunnel.com, freetransit.ch.
• Setup a Router: can be a VPS with debian 12 and bird2, mtr-tiny (for troubleshooting later)
• Setup a Routinator instance for RPKI cache: do this on a separate vps and not your router vps it will use a lot of cpu power.
• Setup DNS resolvers: your choice you can do this on your router with something like Bind9 but it's better to do this on a separate VPS. Configure it so only your prefixes can use it as a resolver!
• Setup RDNS: use knotc DNS server if you want to generate automatic forward and reverse records for your future ip prefixes.
• Once you get your ASN number talk to your upstream providers to have your upstream configured for you.
• Make the required database objects in your local RIR like AS-SET and routes.
• Make a peeringdb.com profile page for your new ASN number, some upstreams use this page to configure their routers, make sure your AS-SET and maximum number of prefixes is listed correctly.
• Let your PA provider configure RPKI for your allocated PA IPv6 space, sometimes this is done automatically you can check it in your routinator ui.
• You are all set to start announcing your IP space to your upstream, if all goes well in birdc you should see established connections with the command "s p a"
• Now make the required database objects in your RIR to delegate RDNS for your prefixes to your knotc DNS server or get your prefix delegated by your PA provider.
• Configure a Nginx,NTP,DoT/DoH server(I use dnsdist for this), private wireguard vpn server if desired on a separate VPS and connect it to your new BGP router via a wireguard tunnel.
• If you have reached this far, good job! You are now a tiny self contained ISP with services like me, you can even host your own VPN and use your own ip space wherever you are even on your smart phone with a wireguard app.

Note on using "free" services