Public Peering vs Private Peering

In a world where strong connectivity is the key to smooth and successful business operations, slow and expensive internet is no longer acceptable. Peering is a method that can help address this. Essentially, peering is defined as an interconnection of two different networks so traffic can directly be exchanged between them. There are two types of peering: public and private. Despite their similar nature, each peering type has their own advantages and points of consideration. Let’s take a closer look at both types.

Public Peering

What is public peering?

Public peering is a connection formed through an Internet Exchange (IX) using BGP protocols. It generally means that multiple members of an IX connect and exchange traffic with each other using one or more physical connections facilitated by the IX provider. There are two types of public peering: multilateral and bilateral. With multilateral peering, a member connects to a route server with a single BGP peering session and exchanges traffic with other members which are connected to the route server. Meanwhile, bilateral peering is a direct BGP peering relationship with another member of an IX.

Being a member of an IX does not mean an organization automatically has peering agreements with other members there. Connections can only be facilitated between the willing members — typically in the form of an individual peering agreement. Therefore, besides fulfilling all the operational and technical peering requirements, each member is also encouraged to do some research to determine who would be willing to peer with them. Most peering agreements require an organization to have a publicly routed ASN, at least one block of public IP addresses, and a network edge router capable of running BGP.

What are the advantages of public peering?

Public peering through an IX keeps traffic local and improves overall network performance, ensuring faster connections between parties. It’s also more cost-effective because of two things: traffic is exchanged directly rather than through a third party network and cost per peer is optimized as traffic is sent from one to many. Moreover, it gives an organization an opportunity to directly connect with various peers — digital players and service providers — within an IX environment. There is, however, one thing to consider. To participate in public peering in an IX, an organization must be a member of the IX and pay the required fee.

Private Peering

What is private peering?

Private peering is a direct, dedicated connection between two organizations with separate networks which is usually done in a colocation data center. It is done through the cross connect method by placing routers and a physical cable to link two different termination locations. Compared to public peering, private peering can scale to very high bandwidths at a very low cost per Mbps.

What are the advantages of private peering?

Private peering is a reasonable option when an organization needs to send large volumes of traffic to another organization’s network because more traffic means lower cost per Mbps. It’s also generally more secure and reliable compared to public peering. Moreover, it’s easier to control and monitor as it’s a private connection. However, it might be worth noting that private peering will be more beneficial for organizations which need to exchange an amount of traffic that is too large to fit on a shared connection at an IX.

As a colocation data center and IX provider, neuCentrIX supports its clients with both peering types to meet specific business requirements. Through these services, neuCentrIX guarantees high levels of performance and reliability, ensuring smooth and successful business operations.