BBN Peering issues

Sat Aug 15 20:34:14 UTC 1998

On Thu, 13 Aug 1998, Jay R. Ashworth wrote:
> > What I would like more than anything right now is some official word from
> > high-up's at BBN regarding what this policy entails exactly, and what
> > their rationale is behind it.
> >
> Based on just that little slice of the conversation, is BBN doing what
> UUnet apparently failed in _it's_ attempt to do last fall, to Jack
> Rickard's (and my) vast amusement?

Now it all fits in to something I didn't quite understand 2 weeks ago.  I
consult for a university network planning the purchase of a  T3 to the
Chicago NAP for access to StarTap and Internet-2.  Part of the cost
planning is finding Internet-1 access via an ATM VC of 8Mb.  I sent around
to a number of major ISPs at the Chicago NAP asking to *pay* for full
peering at the Chicago NAP via an 8Mb VC.  A number of them came back with
good answers.  But BBN's sales droids indicated very clearly that they
will not peer with me unless I purchase the line into the NAP from them:

>Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 11:34:33 -0500
>Organization: GTE Internetworking
>
>We will allow the peering if you get the lines from us. So if you order the 
>T3 through GTE Internetworking, you can peer with us at a NAP.  Where are 
>you getting the T3 from now?
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:	Hank Nussbacher [SMTP:hank at ibm.net.il]
>Sent:	Saturday, July 18, 1998 1:25 PM
>To:	xxxxx
>Subject:	RE: T3s
>
>On Fri, 17 Jul 1998, xxxxx wrote:
>
>Even to pay you won't allow a university to peer with you at a NAP?!
>-Hank
>
>> Hank, we only do private peering with telco companies.  The only way to 
>do the peering you want to do with us is to order the T3 through us.

Needless to say, they are now off my short list.  Tis a shame though.  The
BBN NOC is by far the most responsive I have seen.  When sending our Smurf
complaints to UUnet, MCI, Sprint, BBN, etc.,  I will usually get 5 responses
in 24 hours from their NOC (different people).  The others just send an
automated trouble ticket and I never hear from them again.

Hank