Re: Peering Table Question

[Randy Bush <randy () psg com>]

> I still do not understand what this pseudo-marketing distinction is.

i wonder if there is a reason.  actually, i don't wonder.

> May I conjecture, in the light of the current discussion, that a "tier 1"
> ISP is one which makes a net profit from "peering" and a "tier 2" is one
> that does not ? Or is it that a "tier 2" ISP has real customers ?

teir-1s don't pay for routing to anywhere.  tier-2s pay for routes from
tier-1s and may also pay for transit.

tier-1s seem to have the majority of the customers.

this may be good or bad.  but it's the terminology we've been using for
about seven years now.  of course tier-Ns, where N is greater than 1, seem
to have an interest in distorting it.  big surprise.

randy