Re: Peering Table Question

[Jeff Barrows <jsb () UU NET>]

  One shouldn't necessarily believe any third-party web
  pages, documents, articles, or verbal statements about
  which networks any given network is peered with.

  Though I have seen many articles, web pages, and other
  tables that detail which networks are 'peering,' I
  have never seen an accurate representation of this
  type of data from a third party.

  It is difficult for a shared-medium (or direct) exchange
  point operator to keep this type of information up-to-date
  and accurate.  ...and, more importantly, many of their
  customers consider this type of information confidential.

  To further complicate matters, many networks out there
  are mis-representing themselves as [cost-free-] peering
  with other networks when they are actually customers, or
  in some type of 'settlement' arrangement.

  As for your second question about the locations that
  networks interconnect, many networks consider this
  information sensitive as well-- though during your
  conversations with them, they will typically exchange
  that data with you-- though probably under a mutual
  NDA.  Some choose to peer in locations where it is
  the most cost-effective between the two networks, 
  while others peer in a smaller set of locations that
  make sense from a network hierarchy/topology perspective.
  The decision about whether to peer with a given network
  privately/directly versus at a public exchange point
  is often based on the amount of traffic to be exchanged,
  the network coverage area, and other such criteria.

  With a bit of knowledge, tools, routing table vantage
  points, and time, you should be able to find out most
  of what you want to know on your own.

  You might start by asking the operators of the exchange
  points (where you intend to connect) who their current
  customers are-- then you can contact those networks
  individually.  Some exchange points will give you an
  "I want to peer with you" form and a list of e-mail
  addresses, so that you can mass-request.

  Don't get cook'ed by the wealth of misinformation out
  there.

 - jsb


--
Jeff Barrows
Director, Internetwork Engineering
UUNET, an MCI-Worldcom Company


> Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 09:20:03 -0500
> From: Jeff Lentz <jeff () sbtek net>
> To: nanog () nanog org
> Subject: Peering Table Question
>
>
> I apologize if this question is not relevant to your discussions, but
> Susan Harris, e-mail address srh () merit edu, suggested that I ask it
> here...
>
> The peering table that appears on the London Internet Exchange web site
> www.linx.net/peering.html...... is this something that can be generated
>  for different peering locations?  Also with this information would it
> be
>  possible to create a table that lists companies and the cities that
> they
>  are peering in?  Any insight would be of great help to me thank you.
>
> Once again any advice on how or where to obtain this info would be of
> great benefit to me. Thanks
>
> Jeff Lentz