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Magic Mesh

Magic Mesh is a NetActuate-managed overlay network that automatically connects multiple Cloud Routers together using encrypted tunnels and iBGP. All mesh configuration is automated and hidden from the user: you do not see or configure the underlying WireGuard interfaces or BGP sessions that Magic Mesh manages.

Note: Magic Mesh is a NetActuate-coined term. The underlying technology is standard WireGuard + iBGP, orchestrated automatically.

How It Works​

When you add Cloud Routers to a Magic Mesh, the system:

  1. Establishes encrypted GRE-in-WireGuard tunnels between all routers in the mesh
  2. Configures iBGP with route reflectors: three routers are automatically selected as route reflectors based on geographic distribution
  3. Exchanges routes between all routers: any routes configured on each Cloud Router (static or BGP-learned) are automatically shared across the entire mesh

You configure each Cloud Router's local interfaces and routes as normal. Magic Mesh handles everything else.

Example​

You have three private networks to connect:

  • AWS US East (connected to a Cloud Router via an Ethernet/VLAN interface)
  • AWS US West (connected to a second Cloud Router via Ethernet/VLAN)
  • NetActuate VMs in Dallas (connected to a third Cloud Router via WireGuard)

Deploy a Cloud Router at each location and configure each with the appropriate local interface and routes. Create a Magic Mesh and add all three Cloud Routers. The mesh automatically exchanges routes between all three locations: each can now reach the others without manual BGP configuration.

Creating a Magic Mesh​

  1. Navigate to Networking → Cloud Routing → Magic Mesh.
  2. Click Create to create a new mesh.
  3. Add existing Cloud Routers to the mesh.

Routes begin exchanging immediately after routers are added.

Limitations​

  • Magic Mesh only works with the default VRF. If you need isolated routing tables (custom VRFs), you must configure tunnels and BGP manually on individual Cloud Routers.
  • Cloud Routers: configure interfaces, routing, and BGP on individual routers
  • How-To Guide: step-by-step setup for WireGuard and Magic Mesh
  • Cloud (VPC): isolated private cloud environments

Need Help?​

Contact support@netactuate.com or open a support ticket from the portal.