Internet Exchange Point(IXP) questions

[randy at psg.com (Randy Bush)]

>> On the Seattle Internet Exchange (SIX) we have ARIN-assigned
>> addresses that we use on the Layer 2 fabric (your type 2 above).
>> Hopefully the addresses aren't being announced at all, although we
>> sometimes have to chase down people that announce it.
> 
> I've had to deal with exchanges like this in the past, and frankly
> they have always been a pain for the support organization.
> 
> You see, customers use tools like mtr or Visual Traceroute that do
> a traceroute and then continuously ping each hop.  Many of these
> customers don't have a default route, or default to their _other_
> provider.  These tools end up showing 100% loss at the exchange,
> as they get the traceroute response and then can't ping it.
> 
> They then open a ticket, and your support organization has to explain
> to them how all of this works and why it isn't the real cause of
> their problem.

<aol>

> My preference is that the exchange get an ASN, peer with everyone
> (e.g. from the route server) and announce the exchange prefix.

i do not like route servers or peering with strange things.

treat the exchange as an internal route and announce it within your
net and to your customer cone.

randy