Question 1

What's the difference between Cloud Interconnect and Cloud VPN?

Accepted Answer

Cloud Interconnect provides private connectivity into Google’s network using dedicated or provider-managed circuits, typically offering higher and more consistent throughput and lower latency than the public internet. Cloud VPN encrypts traffic over the public internet (or over Interconnect as an additional layer) and is usually faster to set up but can have more variable performance. Many architectures use Interconnect as the primary path and Cloud VPN as a backup.

Question 2

When should I use Cloud Interconnect?

Accepted Answer

Use Cloud Interconnect when you need reliable, high-throughput connectivity between on-premises and Google Cloud—such as large data transfers, hybrid application architectures, disaster recovery replication, or latency-sensitive enterprise workloads. It’s also a good fit when you want predictable network performance and private routing that doesn’t traverse the public internet.

Question 3

How much does Cloud Interconnect cost?

Accepted Answer

Costs typically include (1) Interconnect port or attachment charges (Dedicated Interconnect ports or Partner Interconnect VLAN attachments), (2) data transfer/egress charges depending on traffic direction and destination, and (3) any provider/colocation fees (especially for Partner Interconnect or when using a colocation facility). Pricing varies by region, capacity, and redundancy design (for example, dual links in different edge availability domains). Always estimate using Google Cloud pricing for Interconnect and Network egress, plus your carrier’s circuit costs.

Cloud Interconnect

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