How do I troubleshoot Direct Connect connection issues where the Tx/Rx optical signal receives no or low light readings?

Resolution

To troubleshoot the Direct Connect dedicated connection, take the following actions.

Troubleshoot layer 1 issues

If you can't establish a physical connection to a Direct Connect device, then troubleshoot layer 1 (physical) issues.

Check the LOA-CFA

If the Direct Connect connection isn't up after 90 days, then the Letter of Authorization and Connecting Facility Assignment (LOA-CFA) expires. AWS sends you an email to notify you.

To refresh the LOA-CFA with a new issue date, download the LOA-CFA. Then, send the LOA-CFA to your network or colocation provider to request a cross-network connection. If you already requested your cross connect, then contact the colocation provider to request a cross connect completion notice. Finally, compare your ports with the ports that are listed on your LOA-CFA. You can also request a written report from your colocation provider for the Tx/Rx optical signal across the cross connect.

Check for the fiber connection traffic health and connection state

Use Amazon CloudWatch metrics to monitor Direct Connect connections and virtual interfaces. To determine the connection state, check ConnectionState.

For dedicated connections, check ConnectionLightLevelTx and ConnectionLightLevelRx to determine the health of the fiber light signal that transmits and receives on the AWS router.

A healthy light signal for a 1-10 Gbps connection is within the range of -14.4 decibel milliwatts (dBm) and 2.50 dBm for both ConnectionLightLevelTx and ConnectionLightLevelRx. For 100 Gbps connections, a healthy ConnectionLightLevelTx value is between -4.3 and 4.5 dBm, and a healthy ConnectionLightLevelRx value is between -10.6 and 4.5 dBm. There are four optical lanes for 100 Gbps connections. You must check the light signal for each optical lane. To filter the Direct Connect data, use the OpticalLaneNumber dimension.

If you find a light signal isn't within the healthy signal levels, then troubleshoot physical issues.