ISP (Internet Service Provider)

Networking at ISP Level

Peering

Peering involves two IPSs coming together to exchange traffic with each other freely, and for mutual benefit.

  • Normally, ISPs of competing size have peer-agreements in place, ensuring that all traffic is forwarded freely, since each ISP will make money from their customers anyway

Transit

Contrasted with Peering, this is when a bigger ISP charges a smaller ISP for the right to use its network in order to have access to the larger internet


An ISP is not necessarily a telecommunications company. In fact, it can be a university, or a private company providing internet access directly to its employees.

Tiers

Tier-1 ISP

  • known as Internet Backbone networks.
    • ex. Sprint, Verizon, AT&T etc.
  • link speeds are often higher (sometimes as fast as 2.5-10 Gbps)
  • They are directly connected to all other tier-1 ISPs
  • They are connected to a large number of tier-2 ISPs
  • They are international in coverage.

Tier-2 ISP

  • usually have regional or national coverage
  • connects to only a few of the tier-1 ISPs.
  • routes traffic through one of the tier-1 ISPs to gain access to global internet.
    • pay tier-1 ISPs for this right.