From: Omachonu Ogali [mailto:oogali@pantherexpress.net]

I have the need to de-pref my routes to Level3, to be of equal value as the routes they receive from their peers, but they don't offer a community for that. But wow, I can see that this route originated from Tustin, CA!

I've found them pretty responsive to unusual requests, maybe they'd find a way to do that if you ask them; or go through your sales rep if the support guys aren't being helpful. Or maybe you can alter the preferences your providers that peer with them announce for you. Besides them, we've also had good help for unusual things from Global Crossing, who we no longer use for reasons other than dissatisfaction, and Time Warner Telecom. Have not yet had a need to make unusual requests of our other providers so I can't say how they'd deal with it.

Everyone's traffic engineering needs are different. BGP

Yes, that's why the more a provider offers, the better. I'd rather have more than I need than not having what I currently need; my only point was that Cogent's community support is more lacking than the others I have used and BGP communities are often something that is not considered until the link is up or until the first problem where they would come in handy is encountered.

P.S. You have transit, not peering.

Thank you, an egregious typo on my part. David