FAQ

An Internet Exchange (IX) or Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is a physical infrastructure which lets Internet service providers (ISPs), content delivery networks (CDNs), and other network providers exchange Internet traffic with one another, typically on a cost-neutral basis. Being connected to the infrastructure allows each network to connect to other networks and share traffic (also known as “peering”). This reduces costs for the networks because they do not need to pay for transit on all of their Internet traffic. By having direct access to the infrastructure and to networks you want to peer with it reduces latency by reducing the length of the path that traffic needs to travel. In the end, an IX increases the resilience of the Internet by providing many more redundant routes for traffic, allowing congested routes to be avoided.

Watch the video: What is an IXP

Peering is the exchange of data on a cost-neutral basis. All kinds of networks like carriers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and network operators need to exchange data in order for the Internet to work. The data exchange is either agreed on a bilateral payment basis (for transit/upstream) or on a cost-neutral basis, also known as peering. Read more.

Interconnection is a connection between two or more parties in order to exchange data. In the context of telecommunications, interconnection is a physical link between either a carrier’s network and a data center, or a carrier or ISP and their customers, or between multiple carriers, data centers, ISPs, enterprises etc. But when you look at it not only from the physical point of view, it becomes much bigger: Interconnection stands for “being connected”. Find out more.

An Autonomous System Number (ASN) uniquely identifies every network on the Internet. An Autonomous System (AS) is a group of IP networks operated by one or more network operators, with a single and clearly defined external routing policy. The ASN both identifies the network and enables it to exchange routing information with other ASes. 

Every Internet service provider (ISP) requires their own ASN, but also the individual organizations that connect to the Internet through an ISP require one. After an application from an organization, ISP or other entity has been approved, ASNs are assigned by regional Internet registries. It is necessary for any network wanting to peer at a public Internet Exchange to have a public ASN.

To peer at an Internet Exchange, you need an ASN, which you can request at one of five regional Internet registries. The DE-CIX Academy video “What is an AS number and how do I get one” explains the basics. DE-CIX itself does not offer consulting services to accompany the process of getting an ASN, but if you have any questions, feel free to approach us at sales@de-cix.net. We can either assist you or recommend someone who can.

PeeringDB is a nonprofit, member-based organization that facilitates the exchange of user maintained interconnection information, primarily for peering coordinators and Internet Exchange, facility, and network operators.

Having a well maintained PeeringDB entry is a must-have for all networks engaged in interconnection, especially for all peering administrators. It gives you information about networks and shows other networks who might be interested in peering with you the basic data they need to know.

If you do not have an entry yet, you can register here for free. If you already have one, we recommend checking your entry from time to time to make sure it's up to date.

If you want to know which networks you can reach at our locations you can search for a company name or AS number or you can check the list of connected networks for each location directly.

Although more than 1,800 networks peer at DE-CIX’s exchanges, not all ASNs are available. Do you have an ASN you would like to peer with and you cannot find it at our exchanges? Let us know and we will try to bring it to the exchange of your choice. Just fill in our form.
 

Peering offers many benefits, and in general, looking at both quality and costs, it makes sense to peer. But at which Internet Exchange? This question pops up soon after you’ve decided to peer. What criteria you should take into consideration is answered here. 

Start by choosing a DE-CIX location where you want to connect. Then, have a look at the cities and data centers where it is possible to connect to your chosen exchange. Choose the data center that best suits your needs. If you have your own PoP, you can use this; otherwise, you can buy a transport connection or get connected via an authorized DE-CIX reseller. You can check out here if you can connect directly or if a certified DE-CIX reseller can connect you.

Choose an access size suited to the amount of traffic you have. Fill in our form or request an offer for these specifications by contacting sales@de-cix.net. We will send you the DE-CIX agreement and service order form accordingly. As soon as the paperwork is signed, we can get you up and running within a few days.

More information.

IP transit is a service where a network pays another network for Internet access (or transit), also known as upstream.  When networks exchange traffic between each other freely (settlement-free), and for mutual benefit, is called peering.  See our white paper "When to peer and when to use transit" for more information.

Blackholing is a security measure for protecting a network against a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. The method allows packets to a specific network to be “dropped” so that they do not reach the recipient and overload their resources. The network under attack can announce the affected prefixes as Blackholes by using the BGP BLACKHOLE community. DE-CIX offers Blackholing at all DE-CIX exchanges, except the IXs in India, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Berlin, free of charge.

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a routing protocol designed to exchange routing and reachability information between Autonomous System (AS) networks. BGP manages how data gets delivered between networks: AS networks have BGP speaking routers that advertise or announce to other BGP speaking routers they are connected to (called neighbors) the prefixes of IP addresses that they can deliver traffic to. BGP routers then use decision-making algorithms and policies established in AS-peering agreements to analyze the data they gather via the prefix announcements and choose which peer is best to send each packet of data to at any given time. Generally, the fastest path with the fewest number of network hops is selected. Once the data moves across an AS and reaches another BGP router connected to a different AS, the process repeats itself until the data reaches the AS where the destination site is located. 

All connections to DE-CIX require a single-mode private interconnect (a.k.a. cross connect or in-house cabling). A cross connect is a dark fiber point-to-point interconnection. They are used to access the DE-CIX platform.

You can order cross connects via DE-CIX in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Dusseldorf.  In select enabled sites in Frankfurt, customers can order cross connects to interconnect networks directly. 

At the other platforms, DE-CIX will provide all customers with demarcation details in the appropriate data center.  Please talk to your data center operator for details.

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 round-trip time it takes for a data packet to travel. It is measured in milliseconds and Internet quality depends on it – the lower the latency, the better the user experience.