Cogent & Google IPv6

Wed Mar 2 22:05:20 UTC 2016

I think actually, that Cogent is the new SPRINT.

I remember a time when virtually all of the internet Transited SPRINT and it was nearly impossible to avoid going through SPRINT’s network.

Then SPRINT started de-peering left and right. Today, as near as I can tell, this strategy has made then an “also-ran”.

Cogent is already essentially the weakest of any who can lay claim to the idea of “tier-1” whatever that’s supposed to mean (varies widely depending on who you ask).

For now, Cogent is hoping that they can force the same environment in IPv6 as they have enjoyed in IPv4 while ignoring the reality that many players have surpassed them in IPv6 and that there are new opportunities to go settlement free in IPv6 that didn’t exist in the IPv4 world. The IPv6 game is somewhat different than IPv4 and recent rulings from the FCC are going to potentially change the game even further.

My guess is that Cogent won’t blink, but they will continue to become more and more isolated from more and more IPv6 networks who become wise to their game. As a result, they will become less and less relevant in the market until they join SPRINT on the also-ran list.

Owen

> On Feb 24, 2016, at 12:12 , Patrick W. Gilmore <patrick at ianai.net> wrote:
> 
> Are HE & Google the new L3 & FT?
> 
> Nah, L3 would never have baked Cogent a cake. :)
> 
> Shall we start a pool? Only problem is, should the pool be “who will disconnect from Cogent next?” or “when will Cogent blink?” I’m voting for the former.
> 
> -- 
> TTFN,
> patrick
> 
>> On Feb 24, 2016, at 3:08 PM, Baldur Norddahl <baldur.norddahl at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> This is Google saying that Google does not want to pay for traffic to
>> Cogent. If Cogent wants to exchange any traffic with Google, Cogent is
>> invited to peer directly with Google. Of course Cogent refuses. And now
>> Cogent is not only missing the part of IPv6 internet that is Hurricane
>> Electric single homed but also everything Google.
>> 
>> Why does Cogent refuse? They used to deliver this traffic on free peering
>> with another tier 1 provider. Now they are asked to deliver the same
>> traffic for the same price (free) on a direct peering session. They won't
>> because Cogent believes Google should pay for this traffic. That another
>> Cogent customer already paid for the traffic does not matter. They want
>> double dipping or nothing. So nothing it is.
>> 
>> Seems to me that if you are serious about IPv6 you can not use Cogent as
>> your primary or secondary transit provider. You can use them as your third
>> if you want to.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Baldur
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 24 February 2016 at 20:46, Matt Hoppes <mhoppes at indigowireless.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Correct me if I'm wrong, but if Cogent isn't peering with Google IPv6,
>>> shouldn't the traffic flow out to one of their peer points where another
>>> peer DOES peer with Google IPv6 and get you in?
>>> 
>>> Isn't that how the Internet is suppose to work?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 2/24/16 2:43 PM, Damien Burke wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Not sure. I got the same thing today as well.
>>>> 
>>>> Is this some kind of ipv6 war?
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: NANOG [mailto:nanog-bounces at nanog.org] On Behalf Of Ian Clark
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 10:25 AM
>>>> To: NANOG
>>>> Subject: Cogent & Google IPv6
>>>> 
>>>> Anyone know what's actually going on here?  We received the following
>>>> information from the two of them, and this just started a week or so ago.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> *From Cogent, the transit provider for a branch office of ours:*
>>>> 
>>>> Dear Cogent Customer,
>>>> 
>>>> Thank you for contacting Cogent Customer Support for information about
>>>> the Google IPv6 addresses you are unable to reach.
>>>> 
>>>> Google uses transit providers to announce their IPv4 routes to Cogent.
>>>> 
>>>> At this time however, Google has chosen not to announce their IPv6 routes
>>>> to Cogent through transit providers.
>>>> 
>>>> We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and will notify you
>>>> if there is an update to the situation.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> *From Google (re: Cogent):*
>>>> 
>>>> Unfortunately it seems that your transit provider does not have IPv6
>>>> connectivity with Google. We suggest you ask your transit provider to look
>>>> for alternatives to interconnect with us.
>>>> 
>>>> Google maintains an open interconnect policy for IPv6 and welcomes any
>>>> network to peer with us for access via IPv6 (and IPv4). For those networks
>>>> that aren't able, or chose not to peer with Google via IPv6, they are able
>>>> to reach us through any of a large number of transit providers.
>>>> 
>>>> For more information in how to peer directly with Google please visit
>>>> https://peering.google.com
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Ian Clark
>>>> Lead Network Engineer
>>>> DreamHost
>>>> 
>>>> 
> 