IPv6 Exchange Points Becoming More Common

Joe St Sauver
joe@oregon.uoregon.edu

Internet exchange points have long been the glue that binds the Internet together, providing a common location where multiple service providers can meet and exchange customer traffic.

Traditionally, exchange points have focused on IPv4 unicast traffic, or "regular" Internet traffic. However, a growing number of exchange points are now emerging that are designed to facilitate native IPv6 peering (see related article on page 14).

As these IPv6 exchange points attract additional participants, IPv6 connectivity will improve, and IPv6 will become a more routine production service.

Current IPv6 exchange points include:

http://www.6iix.net/ (NY and LA)

http://www.6tap.net/ (Chicago; see also http://www.6ren.net/)

http://www.ny6ix.net/ (NY)

http://www.nttmcl.com/html/ComIPv6.html

http://www.paix.net/

http://www.ams-ix.net/home.html (Amsterdam)

http://www.uk6x.com/ (London; see also http://www.labs.bt.com/projects/ipv6.htm)

http://www.inxs.de/ipv6.shtml (Munich)

http://www.wide.ad.jp/nspixp6/ (Tokyo)