Which is better, the 9929 line or the CN2 GIA line?

What lines are CN2 GIA and 9929?

Before introducing the AS9929 line, you need to understand what an AS number is. Simply put, an AS number is an Autonomous System. It is the basic unit that constitutes the Internet routing system. Whether it is a network operator, a data center, or a cloud service provider, each has a unique AS number and uses the BGP protocol to publish and exchange routing information with each other.

So, what line is AS9929? AS9929 is a high-end premium network for government and enterprise under China Unicom. Its official name is CUII (China Unicom Industrial Internet), commonly known as "China Unicom A Network". The following are its core features:

• Domestic routing: It uses independent A Network routers for forwarding, bypassing the 169 backbone network throughout the entire route;

• International exit: It connects to a dedicated international exit, and bandwidth resources are completely independent and are not shared with ordinary traffic;

• Performance during evening peak hours: Due to low load and independent bandwidth, congestion rarely occurs even during evening peak hours.

CN2 is China Telecom's next-generation carrier network. It is a physically independent network with its own routers, transmission equipment, and dedicated international submarine cable capacity, and does not share resources with the ordinary public network.

CN2 is further divided internally into CN2 GIA and CN2 GT. Among them, GIA uses AS4809 and goes through 59.43 nodes throughout the entire route, and is almost never congested during evening peak hours; GT only enters CN2 at the international exit, while the domestic segment still uses the ordinary 163 network, and its performance during evening peak hours is noticeably reduced.

To distinguish whether a line is GIA or GT, you only need to execute "nexttrace local IP" on the server and judge through the complete route.

• If every hop along the entire route is 59.43.x.x, the line is CN2 GIA;

• If the international segment is 59.43, and after entering the domestic segment a certain hop becomes 202.97, the line is CN2 GT.

Who is better, AS9929 or CN2 GIA?

China Unicom AS9929 and China Telecom CN2 GIA are both high-end lines. It is difficult to say in general terms whether AS9929 VPS or CN2 GIA VPS is stronger. The key depends on which broadband provider you use at home.

• China Telecom broadband: First choose CN2 GIA. It uses China Telecom's independent channel throughout the entire route, and its stability and speed are top-tier. China Telecom users have the smoothest access.

• China Unicom broadband: First choose the AS9929 line. This line uses China Unicom's own premium network, with the shortest path and the highest priority. During evening peak hours, it is even more stable and less congested than CN2 GIA.

On the market, in addition to single 9929 line VPS, there are also three-network optimized VPS (CN2 GIA/9929/CMIN2). This type of cloud server integrates three premium lines together, for example, VMRack cloud servers.

VMRack three-network premium cloud servers integrate three top-level return lines, China Telecom CN2 GIA, China Unicom AS9929, and China Mobile CMIN2, on the same machine. No matter which broadband provider you use, you can obtain premium line access quality, saving the trouble of separately purchasing multiple solutions to cover users of different operators.

Conclusion

There is no absolute distinction between the 9929 line and the CN2 GIA line in terms of superiority or inferiority. They are both high-end premium networks. The essence of choosing a line for a VPS is actually choosing the one that best matches your local broadband. China Telecom users should focus on CN2 GIA, and China Unicom users should prioritize AS9929. Only in this way can the value of premium lines truly be brought into play.