The Benefits of Localized Traffic and How to Connect to Internet Exchange

Is your business relying on strong connectivity? Is slow and expensive internet a major issue that hinders your business operations? If your answer is yes, you should join an Internet Exchange (IX). An IX has the ability to facilitate direct interconnections and keep traffic local, providing you with a number of advantages. To help you consider your options, in this article, we will take a closer look at how IX can benefit you and how you can join one.

How does localized traffic benefit you?

Without an IX, crossing from one network to another would rely on a transit provider — as an entity that provides access to the Internet, an ISP is a transit provider. Such connections, especially international links, aren’t only expensive but also prone to high latency and congestion, creating lags and affecting website performance. 

In an IX environment, a network can peer with multiple other networks through a single connection and exchange traffic without involving a transit provider. Therefore, with an IX, traffic is localized and the distance data has to travel from its source to its destination is shortened, reducing latency and improving data round-trip time. This means that by being a member of an IX, you significantly improve your website response time and allow any of your content, services, and applications that demand low-latency connections to become feasible.

Localized traffic also means lower connectivity costs. Moreover, as the costs of maintaining the physical infrastructure and associated services are shared among IX members, you will be able to reduce your operating expenses. Remember, lower costs means more money to allocate for other important posts which allow you to gain more revenue.

How do you connect with an IX?

Are you convinced yet? If your answer is another yes, then all you need to do is connect with your preferred IX. Generally, to access an IX, an organization has to become a member, install hardware at the exchange, and establish a connection to the site. If you choose an IX provided in a colocation data center, such as neuCentrIX Internet Exchange (AS 137019), you can start with colocating in the same data center as the IX infrastructure and request to be a member of the IX. 

It’s important to note that being a member of an IX doesn’t mean you automatically have peering agreements with other members there. Therefore, once you’re a member, what you should do is arrange peering agreements with other IX members. To peer with other members, there might also be some technical requirements, such as publicly routed ASN, at least one block of public IP addresses, and a network edge router capable of running BGP. Fulfilling these requirements is essential for successful and beneficial peering.

Before joining an IX that will suit your requirements, it’s important to do your own research because there are a lot of providers to choose from. Your preferred provider should implement IX best practices not only to guarantee high levels of performance, but also to ensure efficient and reliable services for its members.