AS36351 is an Autonomous System Number (ASN) assigned to SoftLayer Technologies Inc., a company that provides cloud computing infrastructure[1][18]. ASNs are unique identifiers assigned to entities such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other large organizations that control blocks of IP addresses[5].
SoftLayer Technologies Inc., now an IBM company, offers a range of services including cloud servers, storage, and networking. They also provide services related to security, analytics, and mobile, among others[11].
In relation to the VPN industry, SoftLayer’s infrastructure is often used by VPN providers. VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are services that allow users to connect to the internet via an encrypted tunnel, which enhances privacy and security. Some IP addresses associated with SoftLayer have been identified as VPN connections[2][7].
However, SoftLayer has faced some controversies. In 2015, it was criticized for allegedly hosting spam activities. Despite several complaints, SoftLayer and IBM were accused of refusing to suspend the spammers[3]. Additionally, some sources suggest that ASNs like AS36351 could be used by automated botnets, potentially leading to security concerns[16].
In summary, AS36351 is a significant player in the internet infrastructure landscape, providing the backbone for various online services, including VPNs. However, like many large tech entities, it has faced its share of controversies and challenges, particularly related to spam and security issues.
Citations:
[1] https://bgp.he.net/AS36351
[2] https://us.ipqualityscore.com/free-ip-lookup-proxy-vpn-test/lookup/108.168.239.90
[3] https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/10/ibm-runs-worlds-worst-spam-hosting-isp/
[4] https://www.whatismyip.com/asn/36351/169.56.0.0/18/
[5] https://ipinfo.io/AS36351
[6] https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3278532.3278570
[7] https://www.ipqualityscore.com/free-ip-lookup-proxy-vpn-test/lookup/169.62.89.11
[8] https://www.ipqualityscore.com/asn-details/AS36351/softlayer-technologies-inc
[9] https://www.arista.com/en/um-eos/eos-bgpmpls-l3-vpn
[10] https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=148510.0
[11] https://www.peeringdb.com/asn/36351
[12] https://mailman.nanog.org/pipermail/nanog/2018-September/097221.html
[13] https://www.ip2location.com/as36351
[14] https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/12792/block-all-botnets-and-tor-addresses-from-accessing-our-site
[15] https://www.bigdatacloud.com/asn-lookup/AS36351
[16] https://github.com/LorenzoSapora/bad-asn-list
[17] https://cleantalk.org/blacklists/as36351
[18] https://www.whatismyip.com/asn/36351/
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