Process of opening trouble tickets (was: Problems with Sprintlink...)

Tue Oct 8 17:05:01 UTC 1996

After sending the email regarding packet loss in Sprintlink, someone 
pointed out that the post was inappropriate for the NANOG list and that
I should have requested that my provider open a trouble ticket with
Sprintlink on my behalf.

I chose not to do that because I know that BBN Planet tried to open a
trouble ticket for this very problem and was informed by Sprintlink that
they (Sprintlink) could not open a trouble ticket for them since BBN Planet
was not a Sprintlink customer.  I presume that BBN Planet peers with
Sprintlink, and such a response seems rather counterproductive to me.

So, my meta-question is:  Shouldn't there be an informal arrangement that 
allows one provider to open a trouble ticket with another provider if the
providers peer with one another?  

Perhaps the above was an isolated incident, or perhaps it is a policy unique
to Sprintlink.  Nevertheless, it strikes me as antithetical to building
a well-oiled Internet.

mb