peering

Internet Peering in the New Digital Economy

by

As we continue our discussion on internet exchange points and peering, it’s essential to look toward the future – or simply to the present. IXPs and internet peering are part of an ongoing digital transformation affecting the way the internet operates and how it is used.

In a recent article, Equinix discusses the realities of the new digital economy, and how IXPs and internet peering are playing a role in this ever-evolving landscape. We’ll summarize those shifts below.

Previously, if a certain geographic area experienced slow or unreliable internet connections, internet service providers couldn’t – or wouldn’t – do much to improve those users’ experience. Then, providers began to make a shift, moving from a “best efforts” status quo model to one that placed a high value on high performance and availability.

In doing so, providers worked to improve service delivery and reliability by developing new (and potentially redundant) internet peering hubs in those geographic areas. These efforts have continued as the need for scalability and resilience continues to grow.

 

Multi-IX Strategies

Another recent internet peering trend is the development of the multi-internet exchange, or multi-IX, strategy. Essentially, this is the use of dual suppliers or vendors to help providers achieve resilient peering by:

  • Protecting against operational issues or bugs that may affect only one of the dual providers;
  • Insulating users from sudden changes in provider status;
  • Ensuring that competition is high and pricing is robust; and
  • Expanding services and improving quality of experience.

Ultimately, it is the customer who benefits from multi-IX strategies, with lower costs and increased reliability. However, it also offers protections and benefits for service providers.

Internet exchange points and peering are making the internet faster, more reliable and more secure. If you have questions about IXPs and internet peering, and how they could benefit your business, get in touch today.

Vaultas is a premier provider of IT solutions, providing data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage and more. Call us to better understand the value that peering and IXPs can bring to your business!

The Benefits of Internet Exchange Points

by

In our last blog post, we provided an introduction to internet exchange points and peering, discussing the basics and general benefits of internet exchange points. Today, we’ll continue with a more detailed discussion of IXPs, and who and how they can benefit. Curious about whether an IXP is right for your business? Read on!

To recap: Internet exchange points, or IXPs, are access points through with providers connect their networks and exchange traffic. They are not internet service providers, but act as a switch that directs internet traffic to different networks.

Internet exchange points can be especially beneficial for local and small businesses, universities, and similar institutions. This is because the majority of their traffic is local. Therefore, by exchanging traffic with other local providers in the internet exchange point, the internet will become less congested and more efficient, leading to improved performance on apps and websites. Further, businesses won’t have to upgrade their internet networks nearly as often. This is a win-win for everyone on the IXP!

To further illustrate the benefits of internet exchange points: imagine that your internet service provider is located in New Jersey. So if you’re forwarding an email to your neighbor, it will first go to New Jersey before it goes across the street. Wouldn’t it be faster if your email was sent to a network in your city rather than a faraway location? Of course, all internet traffic eventually gets where it needs to go. But IXPs help it get there faster and more efficiently, improving the performance from the user’s standpoint.

Still not sure if an IXP will benefit your business? Give Vaultas a call – we’re happy to go over the details with you. Vaultas is a premier provider of IT solutions, providing data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage and more. Get in touch to learn more about how our services can benefit your business.

An Introduction to Internet Exchange Points and Peering

by

The needs and potential uses of the internet continue to shift among businesses in Minnesota and around the country. In response, the internet itself is changing, with more opportunities for connection, agility and security. At Vaultas, we’re always working to stay at the forefront of trends, determining whether they’re just that – trends – or whether they represent ongoing and long-term changes in how Minnesota companies are doing business online. Internet exchange points and peering are two such developments.

So what are internet exchange points, or IXPs? Here’s a brief definition, courtesy of Techopedia:

“An internet exchange point (IXP) is a physical network access point through which major network providers connect their networks and exchange traffic. The primary focus of an exchange point is to facilitate network interconnection through an exchange access point instead of third-party networks.”

While IXPs allow network operators to exchange traffic, they are not internet service providers and cannot, on their own, connect a user to the internet. Instead, they function as a sort of “building block” of the internet. In more relative terms, an IXP is usually an Ethernet switch to which networks connect one or more routers, thereby sending traffic across the switch to other networks.

So who connects to IXPs? Generally, internet service providers (ISPs) connect in order to allow their customers to communicate. In addition, content providers or advertisers may connect to IXPs in order to spread their content to customers of other ISPs.

Peering is an essential aspect of IXPs. But what is peering? DrPeering defines it as:

“Internet Peering is a local routing optimization, a way to exchange some of your traffic with neither party incurring Internet Transit fees.”

So while IXPs are the point at which ISPs connect and share information, peering is the process by which that sharing occurs. Peering allows networks to connect and exchange traffic without having to pay a third party to move the traffic across the internet. Peering is often less expensive than similar information sharing processes, and it gives network operators greater control over traffic flows.

Vaultas offers a wide variety of network connection options, and because we’re carrier– and vendor-neutral, we’ll work to find the best hybrid IT solution for you and your business. To learn more or get started, contact us today.