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Internet Exchanges, like Uber and Airbnb, are examples of the sharing economy, which has piqued the interest of users all over the world. They make it simple to connect with available assets, be it a ride home, a condo in Vail, or in the case of the an Internet Exchange, a network access point. The ultimate benefit is enjoying a service when you need it without having to purchase it outright.
So just how does a Commercial Internet Exchange work? While it is nice to imagine that your emails and files travel through the clouds to their destination, the reality is more complicated. Your data and emails are sent through a series of networks. Sending a file over the Internet isn’t that different than navigating a trip across the country in your car. There are many different potential routes (networks and connections) to consider. Network operators can choose to either connect directly to one another using private connections, generally more expensive, or they can use Internet Exchanges.
Internet Exchanges are physical points where network members, commonly Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), can exchange traffic with one another. They keyword here is “exchange” because they enable members to share networks versus going through a more expensive route with an upstream provider. Internet Exchanges allow networks to quickly exchange traffic, at minimal or no cost, with other members who operate under a mutual agreement.
365 Data Centers offers access to Internet Exchanges in a number of its 14 data centers in US. Let us know if you want to learn more.
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