A guide: How to build and scale cloud connectivity with AWS

In a previous blog, we explored how Console Connect is accelerating and simplifying cloud connectivity for AWS customers. Now, we’ll take a closer look at how this works within the Console Connect platform, highlighting key features and deployment steps.

Cloud-to-cloud connectivity, simplified

Moving data between cloud environments is one of the most common challenges for partners and customers. Console Connect is built for this. As a carrier-agnostic Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) provider, we offer connectivity to both global and domestic cloud service providers with redundancy and reach that supports a wide variety of use cases.

Console Connect is a trusted AWS partner and continues to grow its AWS integrations, with an expanding number of direct connect locations across multiple AWS regions and availability zones. Bandwidth capacity is also scaling continuously to meet increasing demands.

Getting started: Find Console Connect on AWS Marketplace

First things first, you will find Console Connect listed on the AWS Marketplace where you will find a list of our services and capabilities before being directed to the Console Connect Login/Signup page. It's simple to sign up, all you need is an email and password.

Once logged in, you will land on the platform dashboard, showing all of your active services and capabilities. Key navigation tabs include:

• Network, Security, Marketplace, Pricing – Primary service categories.
• Invite – Easily add partners or team members and assign their roles.
• Support – Access the Help Centre, FAQs, raise a ticket or chat live with one of our operational support team 24/7.
• Pricing calculator – Quickly price services that are available and deploy into AWS in real time.

Access options: DC and Edge Ports

Console Connect supports two types of access:

• DC Ports – For customers with equipment in a data centre.
• Edge Ports – For connecting from an office or remote site.

Both options benefit from PCCW Global’s Tier 1 global network, allowing fast provisioning. Flexible bandwidth and contract terms (including month-to-month) are available in many locations, making the service ideal for both long-term and temporary needs.

With Edge Ports, Console Connect manages the local loop, reducing administrative overhead. Additionally, Internet On-Demand enables burstable bandwidth across ports, useful for workloads with fluctuating traffic.

Connectivity: Flexible, on-demand Layer 2 services

Console Connect offers Layer 2 services with the flexibility to connect from locations like London to a broad ecosystem that includes; data centres, cloud providers, Internet exchanges and SaaS platforms. Connections can be provisioned by the day, month, or year.

Multiple services from Layer 2 circuits, Internet On-Demand, and Layer 3 VPNs, can be delivered over a single access or edge port, or dual ports for redundancy. This consolidates network infrastructure and replaces rigid, legacy models with agile, scalable connectivity.

CloudRouter®: Cloud-based Layer 3 networking

CloudRouter® is Console Connect’s cloud-native Layer 3 routing service, enabling users to spin up, manage, and tear down routing environments without physical infrastructure or complex configurations.

Unlike other Layer 3 solutions that rely on a central gateway or hub, CloudRouter® provides a fully meshed architecture - delivering low latency, direct routing between sites without a single point of failure.

Below, shares a breakdown on how to manage your CloudRouter®s. To see this in action and for more detail you can watch this on-demand demo.

Build a full-mesh Layer 3 VPN

Users can:

• Provision CloudRouter®s on-demand, from one hour to multiple years.
• Choose throughput from 500 Mbps to 10 Gbps.
• Add or remove sites dynamically.
• Establish BGP or static routes within ~20 seconds of activation.

Use cases include temporary data exchanges, workload migrations, and disaster recovery. The platform’s intuitive interface removes the need for deep networking expertise.

Site management and scaling

From the Console Connect portal, users can:

• Add new sites from a global DC library.
• Connect via existing ports or on-demand services like Edge SIM.
• Set QoS levels per site (Bronze, Silver, Gold).

As long as total traffic remains within CloudRouter® bandwidth, scaling is simple, e.g., a 1 Gbps router can support 100 sites at 10 Mbps each.

Provisioning a CloudRouter®

Steps to deploy:

• Select router size and term – Choose throughput and billing duration.
• Add a site – For AWS, input account ID, ASN, and select a region.
• Provision – Automated setup completes in ~3–4 minutes, including AWS Direct Connect integration.
• Activate – Accept connections directly via your AWS console.
• Manage – Monitor BGP settings, VLANs, IPs, and provisioning details in-platform.

Fast teardown

To remove a site:

• Select the site in the portal and delete it after terminating associated VIFs.
• Console Connect auto-withdraws routes and cleans up the connection bidirectionally.
• This rapid spin-up and teardown process is perfect for demos, POCs, and temporary deployments.

Transparent, usage-based pricing

CloudRouter® pricing is:

• Geography-based – Varies by site location.
• Usage-based – Billed by the hour, not by monthly commitment.
• Transparent – Monthly estimates are shown, but billing is calculated strictly on actual hourly use.

This is ideal for businesses that need cost-efficient flexibility without long-term contracts.

Global reach via a single MSA

One standout feature is the single Master Service Agreement (MSA). Customers can access Console Connect’s global infrastructure immediately, without signing multiple regional contracts. This is especially valuable for multinational businesses with diverse connectivity needs.

Why Console Connect’s CloudRouter® is for you

In summary, with Console Connect’s CloudRouter®, users can:

• Spin up full-mesh L3 VPNs in minutes.
• Connect cloud, DC, and edge environments.
• Scale on demand with granular QoS controls.
• Pay only for what they use.
• Operate globally under a single agreement.

CloudRouter® delivers the flexibility, speed, and simplicity needed by businesses adopting cloud-native architectures, hybrid models, and dynamic network strategies.