multi homing pressure

Wed Oct 19 17:05:28 UTC 2005

>For the customer with an Internet "mission critical app", being tied
>to a Tier 2 has it's own set of problems, which might actually be
>worse than being tied to a Tier 1.

The key word is "might". In fact, I would posit that a Tier 2 with multiply 
redundant transit to all of the Tier 1s could theoretically have better 
connectivity than an actual Tier 1. The Tier 2 transit provides flexibility 
that the transit-free Tier 1s do not have. Just my opinion.

Anyway, it has been my experience that most (but not all) of the customers 
that want to "multihome" are _really_ wanting either: A. geographic/router 
redundancy. or B. easy renumbering. Geographic redundancy can be done 
within a single AS and IP block. They just don't know to ask it that way. 
(And easy renumbering will eventually be solved with v6. Eventually.)

The demand for multi-homing might not be as great as suspected.

John 