10 Reasons to peer: 1. Peering Raises Your Revenue

10 Reasons to peer: 1. Peering Raises Your Revenue

 

Peering is a process in which two or more networks exchange traffic, and it can help you to make the most of your resources and expand your network for the benefit of your business.

From reduced cost to improved user experience, peering has many benefits for all sorts of organizations, from small hosting providers to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and content delivery networks, and on to enterprises. In our new article series, we take a look at 10 different reasons why you should give peering a go. In the first installment of our “reasons to peer” series, we explain how peering can help you to make more money by offering a better service to your customers.

Shortest possible path to your target networks

If you are an ISP or a carrier, you provide your customers access to other networks. These customers can, and often do, have more than one provider, which puts you into direct competition in terms of delivering the customers’ traffic. If not steered manually by the customer, there is exactly one reason that decides who delivers the most traffic to the customer: The network who can deliver the shortest path wins the largest amount of traffic.

Peering helps you to shorten the paths to other networks compared to classical IP transit. With transit, it could well be that the customer’s target network sits behind multiple transit carriers, and if your competitor can offer a path with fewer hops, the traffic will go through their network. With peering, you can offer direct or shorter routes to the networks your customers are trying to reach.

More traffic, more revenue

So, to put it simply: By introducing peering and offering direct and shorter routes to networks, you win more traffic from your customers and competitors, which means more revenue for your business.

 

Peering Vs IP Transit

The Internet means the interconnection of computer networks which is connected by a group of servers and networks the same way cities and towns are connected by roads and highways, all the networks on the Internet need some way to communicate. The two types of interconnection that exists are “IP Transit” and “Peering”.

IP transit: The term “transit” means the transportation of systems from one place to another. In networking, a large amount of data flows from one network to another. For example, it can be similar to the water pipe inside the wall that says ‘Internet this way’.

Peering: Peering is a process by which two Internet networks connect and exchange traffic to distribute traffic to each other’s customers without having to pay a third party to carry that traffic across the Internet for them. The routing protocol that allows peering between ISPs is Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which is free and benefits all ISPs.

The difference between the two is when an organization connects to an ISP with the motive of accessing the whole internet, it is known as IP transit. It should not be jumbled up with connecting to an ISP over border gateway protocol (BGP) peering, peering is only for an organization’s prefixes and their directly connected peer.

Different levels of ISPs:

Numerous ISPs that operate within a city/town. The internet that we access at home is provided by Tier-3 ISPs. These are the most basic level of ISPs are subject to a limited area. ISPs that cover large population-based areas are Tier-2 ISPs and can cover the whole state or an entire country. Tier-1 ISPs are in-charge for global internet connectivity. These ISPs have non-disclosure agreements with each other for the transit of data. These may include the amount of data to be exchanged, the use of the equipment among others.

Tier -1: The Tier-1 ISP is a transit free network. They do not pay for internet transit as they are the transit providers. ISPs of different ranks pay them if they want to acquire internet transit services.

Tier -2: The Tier-2 ISP networks remunerate for internet transit to Tier-1 ISP to acquire some features of the internet. They then provide internet services to Tier-3 ISPs. These ISPs also have an arrangement for internet sharing with each other called peering.

Tier-3: The Tier-3 ISPs are at the lowest of the hierarchy and have to pay for transit as well as peering services.

To choose IP Transit or Peering?

The major difference between IP Transit and Peering is the tariff. While obtaining services from a transit service provider we need to reimburse the traffic settlement costs. But in peering the cost is negligible as the exchange of data is shared. The cost involved in peering is due to equipment, tools and power utilization among others.

Talking about IP transit, an SLA (Service Level Agreement) between the ISP and the transit provider is signed. The SLA states an agreement linking the two parties where the transit provider has to provide certain services to the ISP at a pre-defined charge.

Conclusion:

ISPs have an option of either peering with other networks or purchase IP Transit. On the other hand, some ISPs operate on both services – it is general for a large quantity of an ISP’s traffic requirement to be met through the use of IP Transit, and increased by peering where the conditions are satisfied.

How to get maximum benefits of Peering

Peering is a process by which two Internet networks connect and exchange traffic to distribute traffic to each other’s customers without having to pay a third party to carry that traffic across the Internet for them. The routing protocol that allows peering between ISPs is Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which is free and benefits all ISPs.

Below are top five ways to get the maximum benefits of Peering.

Optimize your routing data base entry Please make sure that you:

→ have your routing data in just one routing database like IRINN, TRAI, etc. (unless you are a global player)

→ have all used prefixes covered by one correct database entry, matching the ASN which they come from (more-specifics need dedicated entries too)

→ have all active own and customer ASNs and AS-SETs listed in your main AS-SET – and remove unused ones

Use the route servers (2 session’s IPv4, 2 sessions IPv6

The route servers help you to get the majority of possible sessions. It will help you to avoid extra work to configure all the new arriving members.

Verify your prefix amounts and details

Please verify via the route server looking glass whether the route server accepts all of your sent prefixes. If you see a difference, most probably you have not specified the right AS-SET during turn-up or you have missing or wrong routing database entries.

Keep your PeeringDB entry up to date

Please update your PeeringDB record or create a record if you have none yet.

https://www.peeringdb.com/ is the tool for all peering administrators.

You can refer to the article here for benefits and importance of having updated peeringDB account in Hindi.

Go for direct sessions to members who are not on the route server and with large or important networks

Not everybody peers with the route server. And not everybody who peers with the route server sends or imports prefixes. Check on the looking glass who is not present at the route server (session down, zero prefixes) and ask them for a direct session.

Route Server Peering helps new peers to exchanges traffic with other peers from day one over the shared fabric.

Many of the very large operators or CDNs send more prefixes via a direct session and/or give you more priority and traffic engineering focus on direct sessions. Examples are: Akamai, Google, Microsoft etc. Some large CDNs like e.g. Limelight are, in general, not present at route servers. So have an eye on such important players too.

The same is true for your individually important partner networks. Secure your traffic path to all those who are important for you with direct sessions.

The top five points described above are based on DE-CIX’s whitepaper on 10 useful tips on how to maximize the benefits of peering. The white paper can be downloaded here

What is Peering DB? Why should networks use it?

all about Peering DB

Any Networks looking for Peering, Public or Private Peering may have come across Peering DB. In this blog, we will tell you about what is Peering DB? Why should you have a properly Updated Peering DB Entry and How to get one? How it would be useful for my network or Organization?

What is Peering DB?

As per Peering DB is “PeeringDB is a freely available, user-maintained, database of networks, and the go-to location for interconnection data. Peering DB database facilitates the global interconnection of networks at Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), data centres, and other interconnection facilities, and is the first step in making interconnection decisions”

https:/peeringdb.com

How Peering DB Started?

Peering DB is widely accepted Default Public Database for making Peering & Interconnection decisions. Created in 2004 by Richard Steenbergen. Previously Internet Exchange Points (IXP’s) or Private Peering facilities (Colocation facilities) use to maintain a list for their Peering Partners. Today Peering DB is not only a Public Database but also a tool to collect information on the latest happenings in Peering World.

When I should create a Peering DB Entry.

When networks are Planning to initiate Peering at any Internet Exchange Point or at Private Facility they are mostly asked to show their presence concerned IX or Datacenter. So it becomes easy for any other Peers to understand Where you are available and

Peering DB entry acts as a First stop when deciding where and whom to peer with. The account can be read-only or read-write in nature. While creating an account, it is recommended to use your official email address or the email address which is used in the registry for allocating resource. The users are generally encouraged to put these details Public.

Peering DB A/C Creation Process.

1. Navigate to www.peeringdb.com and register a user account.

DE-CIX_Indias_How_to_Create_an_PeeringDB

2. Confirm your email address by clicking on the link received on your email.

3. List affiliated network with your ASN and Organization Name. If already exists, create an affiliation with other networks which you need.

4. Wait for Peering DB to approve affiliation with the mentioned organization.

5. Go on the affiliated organization page and edit information. If your network is already added, then update Private and Public Peering Exchange Facilities.

DE-CIX_Indias_How_to_add_Org_details_PeeringDB

6. Save the updated information and get listed on Peering DB.

7. It is suggested to keep the Information like contact details, Prefix Counts & Peering Facilities properly Updated.

DE-CIX India is proud to announce that we are Platinum Sponsor for Peering DB. We are always happy to help its community, If you facing any issues while updating the Peering DB entries, please drop us a mail at marketing@de-cix.in

To know more about DE-CIX India Internet Exchanges Services Visit here. To know more on Available Datacenters and IX Locations Visit here

 

10 Reasons to peer: 6. Peering increases the stability of your network

While buying IP transit is always just a best-effort method, without any guarantee that data is delivered or that the delivery meets any quality of service, peering increases the stability of your network. Read on to learn how this happens in this sixth instalment of our “reasons to peer” series.

Peering gives you direct access to many of your required traffic partners without having other networks in between. Internet Exchanges are the central Points of Presence (PoPs) for most networks, meaning that networks treat those PoPs well and put special effort in regards to redundancy, router hardware, etc. As mentioned in the previous article, for the major content, streaming, social, and gaming networks, peering is the key to having good network performance. Their presence at the major Internet Exchanges is at the heart of their network.

Secure routes to important networks

By being directly connected to an Internet Exchange, you secure the traffic routes to these most important networks. Aside from this, you also have a better-working network, as you have less latency, fewer jitter problems, less packet loss, and more throughput – which has a strong impact on the stability of your network. And in case of failure in peering, you are backed up by your IP transit.

You can read the previous articles in the Reasons To Peer series below :

10 Reasons to peer: 3. Peering lowers latency

In this third article in our “reasons to peer” series, we look at how peering lowers latency.

The shorter the trip, the better the latency

Latency is the delay between a user’s action and the response to that action from a website or an application – in networking terms the total time it takes for a data packet to make a round-trip. It is measured in milliseconds, and Internet quality depends on it. For example, for a website, even a 2-second delay in the loading time is sufficient to increase the bounce rate more than 100%!

Peering paths outperform transit paths for 91% of Autonomous Systems (ASs), meaning that peering offers the shortest path for data to travel, and therefore better latency.

Control your traffic streams

Peering gives you the control over where your network exchanges traffic with other important networks. You control where to handover the traffic (which city/which Internet Exchange) and you have control over your backhaul and the peering port usage. As the other network also has this control, together with your peering partner, you have a controlled end-to-end handling of your valuable traffic streams.

Catch-up with the first two articles in the series:

1. Peering Raises Your Revenue

2. Peering lowers your costs

10 Reasons to peer: 10. Peering is a quality seal

This is the final article in our “reasons to peer” series, and it is dedicated to the non-technical benefit of peering – how it can be used as a quality seal to grow your business.

Assurance of a well-operated network

If you are a company that sells network services to other companies or individuals, peering at an Internet Exchange offers you a chance to show your customers and prospects that you care about the quality of your service. Better latency, less packet loss, and higher throughput are all benefits of peering, and many network providers use their Internet Exchange membership as part of their marketing strategy and as an assurance of a well-operated network.

As part of an Internet Exchange, you can leverage the brand and present yourself as a member of the community.

Ready to start peering?

We hope you enjoyed this series. You can download our white paper “Ten reasons why you should peer” to get a quick overview of all the benefits we presented. And if you have any peering related questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at sales@de-cix.in

You can read the previous articles in the Reasons To Peer series below :

 

10 Reasons to peer: 9. Peering connects you to an interconnection ecosystem

Peering at an Internet Exchange means being part of an interconnection ecosystem. While the exchange itself is a small niche topic for those who operate it, the ecosystem around it offers a very broad range of possibilities for doing business – another reason to peer.

While the Internet Exchange (IX) or Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is the physical infrastructure which lets networks exchange traffic, the networks who want to peer at one create their own ecosystem. They have large demands on data center space, backhauling, IP transit, voice and VoIP business, CDN clusters, maintenance and operational staff, MPLS and much more. In the big hubs, this is a billion-dollar business.

Peering is about community

Beyond business and engineering, a successful ecosystem also requires the building of a community. Peering requires a common understanding and mutual agreements for the benefit of better, more resilient Internet infrastructure.

Interconnection beyond peering

The leading Internet Exchange operators connect thousands of networks both locally and through remote peering at their locations around the world. They also offer additional interconnection services such as security solutions, cloud connectivity solutions, direct connections with SDWANs, and the possibility to create Closed User Groups.

Internet Exchanges have become the enabler for a whole interconnection ecosystem connecting businesses and people in the most transparent, secure, and performant way.

 

You can read the previous articles in the Reasons To Peer series below :

10 reasons to peer: 8. Peering improves user experience

When it comes to end-user experience, peering has a lot of advantages compared to IP transit-only designs. Better latency, less packet loss, and higher throughput all mean that your services work better and your users will be happy.

We have already talked about latency in a previous article in this “reason to peer” series, when we said even a 2-second delay in the loading time of a website is sufficient to increase the bounce rate more than 100%.

Another good example is gaming in the cloud: Cloud gaming providers have to select their servers and Internet Exchanges through which the game data is transported in such a way that they are closer to the gamers, meaning that the data path between the user and the server is as short as possible, resulting in the best possible latency and the best possible gaming experience.

Increase performance and access speed

Peering can also solve some of the challenges larger enterprises are facing. From video conferencing to cloud computing, digital capabilities are essential for any organization that wants to build a more efficient workforce – especially at a time when people are increasingly working from home. Rising volumes of IP traffic need to be distributed efficiently and cost-effectively to employees around countries and around the world. By peering at an Internet Exchange, you can increase the content performance and access speeds, enhance productivity, and reduce frustration with unresponsive applications.

 

You can read the previous articles in the Reasons To Peer series below :

10 reasons to peer: 7. Peering makes partnerships possible

As we have learned in this reasons to peer series, peering has many advantages, ranging from financial benefits to having a more robust and stable network. It can also offer opportunities for new partnerships.

Easy start for premium services

Internet Exchanges not only offer you access to hundreds of networks for peering, but also to hundreds of possible partners e.g. for buying or selling MPLS connections (known as: MPLS NNI). You can target hundreds of networks without organizing or buying additional expensive fiber patches or ending up in problems with different, not matching data center locations. Peering on an Internet Exchange platform gives you an easy, cheap, and quick start for premium services.

Further, you can also go for dedicated VLAN connections to other members if you need a logical separation of the handover of these services.

You can read the previous articles in the Reasons To Peer series below :

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