FAQs

1. I have a route object on the RIPE IRR and I have forgotten my RIPE NCC maintainer password. What should I do?

Use this link:https://apps.db.ripe.net/change-auth/ and follow the instructions.

2. What are proxy registration of route objects?

This is the case where you hand over the confidential details such as your maintainer password to your upstream provider who in turn registers and manages the route objects on behalf of their customers. This is not advisable as the AFRINIC resource holder does not have any control on their route objects and routing policies.

3. How to query the AFRINIC WHOIS?

You can query the AFRINIC WHOIS and Routing Registry using the web-update interface at https://whois.afrinic.net.

Alternatively, you can use command line: WHOIS -h WHOIS.afrinic.net XXXX

4. How to query the AFRINIC IRR?

You can query the AFRINIC Routing Registry using the web-update interface at https://whois.afrinic.net.

Alternatively, you can use the command : “whois -h rr.afrinic.net XXXX”

5. My route objects are not visible on RIPE IRR

Our Route Registry is currently mirrored by RADB, NTTCOMM, Moscow IXP, WorkOnline(SA), APNIC do near real time mirroring (NRTM), while RIPE picks up a daily dump around 22:00 UTC. By default, queries on RIPE’s Routing Registry only return objects created directly with their registry. Objects mirrored from other registries are located in a non-RIPE address space placeholder. Thus, when querying RIPE NCC for an object created on AFRINIC Routing

Registry one has to either:

1. Specify the source with a (-s) flag,

Ex: whois -h whois.ripe.net -s AFRINIC-GRS 196.216.234.0

2. or, Request all sources with a (-r) flag

Ex: whois -h whois.ripe.net -r 196.216.234.0

6. I created my route objects are not visible on RIPE IRR(searching all sources)

If you just created the objects, chances are that the daily dump has not happen. To recall RIPE NCC picks up a daily dump around 22:00 UTC. However, all other IRR mirror the AFRINIC IRR using near real time mirroring (NRTM).

7. What is a maintainer?

For more information please refer to this document.

8. Is my maintainer the username for MyAFRINIC (https://my.afrinic.net)?

No, your maintainer is an objects created on the AFRINIC WHOIS, used to protect your objects on the AFRINIC WHOIS and IRR.

9. What maintainer should I use? AFRINIC-HM-MNT?

Never use AFRINIC-HM-MNT. AFRINIC-HM-MNT is managed and accessible to AFRINIC Hostmasters only. Members will not be able to authenticate via this maintainer and are advised to use their own maintainer. For more information please refer to this document.

10. What my maintainer’s password?

The maintainer and password details are communicated to a member on the email sent after the organisation is enrolled as a member, after IP resources are issued. This email also contains all the details of the resources that were issued to your organisation.

11. How to reset my maintainer password?

You should be compliant with the Contractual Obligation Check

In order to reset the password for your maintainer, please follow below steps:

1. Go to http://afrinic.net/en/services/ip-tools/whoiscrypt

2. Input the new password you wish to use for the maintainer you mentioned.

3. Click on "Generate hash".

4. Please send us the encrypted hash that will be generated on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it from an email address registered under your AFRINIC membership account. We shall then use this to reset your object.

12. I do not have a mnt-routes on my IP resources.

Since we previously did not support the IRR in our WHOIS database, there were no mnt-routes attributes in inetnum/ine6num/aut-num objects. It was required to have these before adding route objects. After the enhancements implemented on the AFRINIC IRR, you can now also authenticate via mnt-lower for the route creation. If you still want to add mnt-routes on your objects, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

13. Is the Service Free?

Yes. Only to AFRINIC members in good standing.

14. Can I use it if not an AFRINIC member or non AFRINIC resource holders?

The AFRINIC IRR is free to use only for AFRINIC members and is not available to use (creation/update) for anyone else, other than basic querying/searching for routing policies defined by network operators that are AFRINIC members.

15. Can I use the AFRINIC Routing Registry if I am located outside Africa?

Yes – for querying/searching purposes but if you have an IP prefix which was delegated by AFRINIC you may create route objects as well.

16. Is it mirrored with other IRRs?

Yes. AFRINIC IRR is mirrored by the other IRRs such as RIPE NCC, RADB, NTTCOMM, Moscow IXP, WorkOnline(SA), and APNIC.

17. What happens to my routing policy in the APNIC, RADB, RIPE NCC IRR?

It is recommended that AFRINIC members move their routing policies into the AFRINIC IRR, however, they are at liberty to choose what to do. If the choice is to remain using the APNIC, RADB, RIPE NCC IRR, nothing will break the existing data.

18. What happens to my routing policy in RADB and other IRRs after migration to AFRINIC IRR?

Migration to the AFRINIC IRR will not be affect any of the objects domiciled in the other IRRs.

19. If I delete my route object in the RADB, or other IRRs, will it get deleted in the AFRINIC IRR?

No. Unless it is manually deleted from both IRRs.

20. I need assistance with the IRR syntax and RPSL. Do you have training on these?

Our training programs have a one-day “Internet Number Resource Management” (INRM) workshop which includes a comprehensive section on how to use the AFRINIC IRR. Please check out http://learn.afrinic.net for where the next course will be!

21. We are changing peers/upstream and modifying/deleting routes.

If your network is part of your upstream providers AS, your route will have that upstream’s source ASN. Changing this will need to be done by your upstream ISP, and you need to contact them for it. If you are maintaining the object and have access to the mnt-by of the route object, you can easily update the route(6) objects.

22. I need to do advanced routing policy specification not available in the route object.

Please read through RFC2622 and RFC2650 for more information.

23. Are there any automatic router configuration tools that use policies in IRRs?

Yes. The most common are tools are bgpq3 and IRRToolset.

24. I want to mirror the AFRINIC IRR

Steps required for AFRINIC IRR mirroring

a. You will need to download our latest WHOIS dump from the ftp ftp://ftp.afrinic.net/dbase/afrinic.db.gz and import it into your server.

b. Then you will have to provide us with your server IPs (IPv4 and IPv6 if applicable) for whitelisting.

c. Once whitelisted, you will be able do NRTM with our server (whois.afrinic.net) on port 43003.

Let us know if you would like detailed step by step instructions on how to do the setup. If you are mirroring the IRR of RIPE NCC, the setup procedure is very similar.

Send a mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it after you completed the above steps.

25. Is the AFRINIC IRR Open to Legacy Resource Holders?

Yes. Legacy resource holders can use the AFRINIC IRR if they hold the password of their maintainer. Should they require a reset of the maintainer password, they may send an email to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

26. Are my IP prefixes routed as soon as I create my route objects?

No. A route object only has the information of which AS number originates the IP prefix in the WHOIS database. To route the IP prefixes, you will have to configure a routing protocol, usually BGP, with your IP transit provider. Route object information can be used for configuration of routing information filters.

27. What is the RIPE NWI-5 implementation and what does it imply?

RIPE NCC implemented the NWI-5 changes their Internet Routing Registry (IRR) which affected all Out-of-Region route objects. These changes were implemented on the 4th of September 2018 and the RIPE NCC IRR no longer support the creation of route(6) and aut-num objects that refer to out-of-region resources (resources that are not allocated to the RIPE region by IANA).

28. Can I create multiple route objects for my IP prefix?

Yes. You can create as many route objects as you like for the same IP prefix. You may also create route objects for more specific IP prefixes.

29. Can I delegate the task to someone who is not a registered contact?

Yes. As long as you have the maintainer password, you can create the route objects. You may hand the password to another person in your team to create or update your route objects. However, we recommend that you update the maintainer password to avoid any unauthorised changes in the future.

30. I have an IPv4/IPv6 prefix from a different RIR. Can I create a route object in the AFRINIC database?

No. If you have received an IPv4/IPv6 prefix from another RIR, we recommend that you create your route object in their own IRR database or you may also use other third-party databases.

31. How do I create a route object on MyAFRINIC?

The feature is currently not available on the MyAFRINIC portal.

32. How can I import my route object from other IRR databases to the AFRINIC database?

Currently we do not have an automated tool to do that. However, you may contact us at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and a Hostmaster will assist you with the import.

33. Why am I getting ***Error: Authorisation … failed using "mnt-by:"?

You are either using an incorrect password for your maintainer or you are using AFRINIC-HMMNT. Please ensure that you are not using the latter as the “mnt-by:” in the object. If you are using your own maintainer, then you need to authenticate using the clear-text password/PGP Key referenced in the maintainer.

34. I have route/route6 objects in RIPE's database. What will happen? What should I do?

It is highly recommended that you replicate your route objects with IP prefixes delegated by AFRINIC in the AFRINIC IRR database. You may refer to the RIPE NCC NWI-5 Implementation and Replication IRR objects to the AFRINIC IRR sections for more details.