LOA in IPv4 Leasing: Get Your Network Ready

In this guide

• What an LOA does for your network
• LOA, IRR and RPKI explained
• Get your prefixes ready for deployment
• From routing authorization to business continuity
• Your LOA questions answered

Put your leased IPv4 addresses to work

Your customers need working connections, accessible applications and capacity for their next order. Leasing IPv4 lets you add that capacity while keeping capital available for your network. A Letter of Authorization, or LOA, helps turn the address block you have chosen into a deployment your upstream can verify.

For ISPs, hosting providers and cloud operators, the practical goal is simple: get the right prefixes announced from the right network, then keep those services running as demand grows. IPv4 remains part of that delivery alongside IPv6. LARUS connects direct address supply, routing support and Continuity around the business you are building.

What is a Letter of Authorization (LOA) in IPv4 leasing?

An LOA is a letter from the address holder, or its authorized representative, confirming who may announce specified IP prefixes. Your transit provider can use it to verify that the network announcing those addresses has permission to do so. In networking, this is the connection between your leased block and the team bringing it online.

The useful details are the address ranges, the authorized organization, the origin Autonomous System Number (ASN) and an issuer contact. Your ASN identifies the network originating the route through Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). Getting those details consistent gives your upstream a clear answer and saves your engineers unnecessary exchanges.

Give your upstream a clear path to accepting your routes

LOA, IRR and RPKI support different parts of deployment. Knowing which part needs attention helps your team resolve a filtered route quickly.

• LOA: the document your upstream uses to confirm routing permission.
• IRR: Internet Routing Registry objects describe routing information. Networks can use route and AS-set data to build filters.
• RPKI: a Route Origin Authorization (ROA) identifies an authorized origin ASN for a prefix and its permitted maximum prefix length. Networks use validated ROA data for route origin validation.
• BGP: your actual route announcement needs to match the prefixes and origin you prepared.

Keep these pieces aligned before launch. An LOA reaches people; IRR and RPKI feed the systems those networks use. If a route is filtered, check the actual announcement, the upstream's filters and the relevant records together. That is more useful than repeatedly sending the same letter.

Make your next deployment easier with LARUS

LARUS brings LOA preparation and routing support into your address delivery. Share the prefixes you are deploying, the origin ASN and your upstream's requested details so the team can connect the authorization to your actual network.

1. Prepare the deployment: match the address block and originating ASN to the services you are bringing online.
2. Coordinate the routing: line up the LOA, relevant IRR objects and ROA with the intended announcement.
3. Confirm reachability: check the route and traffic with your upstream before moving customer services onto the addresses.
4. Keep changes connected: when adding a location or changing the origin ASN, update the routing details as part of that network move.

You gain one direct supply relationship to return to as the deployment evolves, with the address operation connected to the people supporting it.

Protect the business behind the route

An LOA answers who can announce a prefix. Your business also needs someone standing behind the address supply after launch. Customer sessions, APIs and established network identities need continuity throughout the life of the service.

Buying a block leaves the registry-facing relationship with your operating company. LARUS's first-party model places that relationship upstream with LARUS, alongside routing, renewal and continuity support. Its foundation includes Cloud Innovation's court-recognised statutory member position at AFRINIC and its authorization to LARUS. Read Lu Heng's explanation of the LARUS continuity model to see why the structure behind an address matters to the business using it.

LARUS is the world’s only IPv4 platform built on court-recognized shareholder rights in the RIR system. See the shareholder-rights foundation behind your supply.

Grow without repeating the address search

New customers and locations create demand for more IPv4. A repeatable deployment path gives your team time back: prepare the capacity, align the routing and bring the next service online. Leasing keeps that expansion connected to operating demand rather than another capital purchase.

Unlimited IPv4 from LARUS gives your network a supply path for growth. Combine it with a Continuity plan for the services your customers depend on, and put your team's energy into serving the next customer.

Choose the partner who supports the whole address lifecycle

A useful IPv4 provider makes authorization, routing changes, renewal and ongoing support work together. With LARUS IPv4 Continuity, you can choose your capacity and plan directly with the operator supplying the addresses. Your next step is a network decision with a clear path to deployment.

For a broader deployment overview, read the complete IPv4 leasing guide.

Your LOA questions answered

What does LOA mean in networking?

LOA means Letter of Authorization. For leased IPv4, it confirms permission to announce specified prefixes and gives the upstream a contact and network details it can verify.

Why does my upstream ask for an LOA?

It helps the upstream connect your BGP announcement to the address holder's authorization. Preparing the correct prefixes and origin ASN makes that exchange easier and keeps your deployment moving.

Does an LOA update WHOIS, IRR or RPKI?

Each has its own role. WHOIS or RDAP provides registration information; IRR supplies routing-policy data; ROAs support RPKI origin validation. Coordinate those records with the LOA so people and routing systems see consistent information.

How do I deploy leased IPv4 in another region?

Bring the destination network, transit connection, prefixes and origin ASN into the deployment plan. Coordinate the authorization and routing records with that upstream, then test reachability from the locations your customers use.

Does LARUS help with the LOA?

Yes. LARUS connects LOA preparation with address delivery and routing support. Choose your IPv4 Continuity plan and bring your deployment details to the same team supplying your capacity.