IXP

[jbates at brightok.net (Jack Bates)]

Leo Bicknell wrote:
> The value of an exchange switch is the shared vlan.  I could see
> an argument that switching is no longer necessary; but I can see
> no rational argument to both go through all the hassles of per-peer
> setup and get all the drawbacks of a shared switch.  Even exchanges
> that took the small step of IPv4 and IPv6 on separate VLAN's have
> diminished value to me, it makes no sense.

Cost. Shared port/ports versus port per peer, no physical cross connects 
to be made for each new peer. For a medium sized network, an IXP can 
provide cheap connectivity to many peers saving on transit costs.

I'll admit, my knowledge is limited given I exist in the non-existent 
Oklahoma infrastructure, but I count the days (years?) until I can 
afford to light a 10Gb ring down to Dallas and hopefully minimize the 
number of ports and size of hardware I need down there to interconnect 
my ring (and thus me) to everyone else. Hopefully with as few physical 
interconnects as possible, as my Junipers ports are expensive for my 
size. I'll never be transit free, but perhaps I can get peering through 
an IXP and save some transit costs.

Jack