On Wed, 16 May 2001, Eric Cordian wrote:
> Still, the Internet is for the most part a Star Network, with only the
> very largest providers multi-homed.
This is not true, unless your definition of 'the very largest' is very
loose indeed. There are many thousands of multi-homed ISPs. People
periodically attempt to draw graphs of the relationships between
ISPs. If you look at these you see nothing similar to a star network.
In the UK, 120+ of the largest networks peer at the LINX. I believe
that most have 50+ peers, other networks that they exchange traffic
with. Most of the UK's traffic flows across the LINX, across that
very dense Web of peerings.
> When the upstream bandwidth of an ISP
> starts making threatening noises, or has an "in its sole discretion"
> clause in their contract, you have a few players able to control a lot of
> bits.
This isn't the picture that the world's ISPs see.
--
Jim Dixon VBCnet GB Ltd http://www.vbc.net
tel +44 117 929 1316 fax +44 117 927 2015
