The SprintNAP is a much less congested place than MAE-East (though most providers also have less capacity out of it [besides Sprintlink, GSL, ICM, etc...])...

The Chicago NAP is even less congested (though most providers have less capacity out of it [besides AGIS, etc]) :-). If you refer back to my exchange point cross-matrix, you'll notice the Sprint NAP doesn't have a single unique connection. The Sprint column under the 1 connection section is empty. That tells me I would find more unique or interesting peering possibilities elsewhere. Or, to say it another way, everyone at the Sprint NAP is connected to at least one other exchange point and already has the option to peer with me (or not). It seems rather pointless to make the effort to connect somewhere, just to be told by the same group of people, no again. Heck, I wonder how much congestion could be allievated at MAE-East by people just exchanging traffic via all the places they connect in common. I peer with several providers only at MAE-East, who also have connections elsewhere. But they've never turned up peering at the other places. So all the traffic ends up flowing through MAE-East. -- Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation