Peering Tactics That Don’t Work
Conversations with peering coordinators revealed several approaches that were not effective:
- Hold desirable content hostage. The Western Australian Internet Exchange (WAIX) was not successful in getting Telstra to peer by allowing access to popular content only to those that peered at the WAIX. A notice was delivered to Telstra customers that the content wasn’t available to them since Telstra didn’t peer at the WAIX. The complaints fell on deaf ears.
- Exert market dominance in a foreign market. Some foreign ISPs have tried to push as if they were the Tier 1 in the new market. This strategy proved to be ineffective and it alienated the ISPs.
- Threaten litigation. Threatening litigation and government intervention often shuts down the conversation between peering coordinators.
- Public name calling and badgering in public forums brings personality conflicts into play and often results in doors being closed that should be open.
- Blind requests for peering with the largest target peers first often fails. Make sure you research the peering requirements and build your people network well before initiating contact. Many peers, for example, insist upon geographic diversity for peering. Having some knowledge of the common colocation environments and a sense of these peering requirements signals that the peering process and ongoing operations will not be an undue burden.
- Demonstrating lack of knowledge regarding backbone operations often stops the peering discussion. Interestingly, demonstrating too much knowledge was cited in instances when arrogance led to personality conflicts. “In the end it’s knowledge and attitude.”
Peering Workshop Practice Questions
Here are a few practice questions from the Internet Peering Workshop:
1. Which maneuvers involve social engineering, the manipulation of the human elements involved in a target peer’s operation?
2. Which maneuvers would most people consider unethical?
Answers to these questions are in the answer key in the back of the book.