Peer Networks are domestic or international research and educations networks that peer with the Internet2 Network. Peering refers to the voluntary interconnection of administratively separate networks for the purpose of exchanging traffic freely between the users of each network for mutual benefit.
Through its extensive peering arrangements with R&E networks, both domestically and internationally, the Internet2 Network provides members with the advanced networking capabilities to reach and effectively collaborate with their colleagues around the world. Exchange points play an important role in providing facilities in key geographic locations where numerous R&E networks co-locate in order to enable peering and network interconnection.
List of Domestic Peer Networks
- DREN - The Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) is the U.S. Department of Defense recognized research and engineering network
- ESnet - The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), is a high-speed network serving thousands of U.S. Department of Energy scientists and collaborators worldwide
- NISN - NASA Integrated Services Network. The NASA Integrated Services Network (NISN) is the result of the consolidation of the management responsibility for the various NASA wide area telecommunications networks under a single organization
- NREN - NASA Research and Education Network Project. The NREN Project vision is to create a next generation network test bed that revolutionizes end-to-end applications for NASA missions and the Nation
U.S.-based Exchange Points
Exchange points play an important role in providing facilities in key geographic locations where numerous R&E networks co-locate. There are several U.S.-based exchange points that provide facilities which ease the interconnection of the Internet2 Network with non-U.S. R&E networks bringing links to the United States.
The following are U.S.-based international exchange points operated by Internet2 community member organizations.
 |
AMPATH is an international exchange point in Miami, Florida, that facilitates interconnections between the United States, Latin American and Caribbean research and education networks. AMPATH aims to facilitate participation to under-represented groups in Latin America and the Caribbean in U.S. science and engineering research and education activities through the use of high-performance network connections. |
 |
AtlanticWave is an international peering fabric interconnecting the United States, Canada, Europe and South America. With distributed IP peering points in New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, and Sao Paulo, AtlanticWave connects the key exchange points on the U.S. East Coast - MAN LAN, NGIX-East, SoX and AMPATH. |
 |
MAN LAN (Manhattan Landing) is a high performance exchange point in New York City that supports both Layer 1 optical and Layer 2 Ethernet connections to facilitate peering among U.S. and international research and education (R&E) networks. The exchange point, built within the fiber meet-me room (FMMR) at 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, is a collaborative effort of Internet2, NYSERNet, the Global Research NOC at Indiana University and the IEEAF. |
 |
Pacific Wave is a joint project between the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) and the Pacific Northwest Gigapop (PNWGP), and is operated in collaboration with the University of Southern California and the University of Washington. Pacific Wave provides a peering fabric available at three U.S. Pacific coast locations: |
 |
StarLight is a 1GigE and 10GigE switch/router facility for high-performance access to participating networks, and a true optical switching facility for wavelengths. StarLight is operated by Northwestern University at a downtown campus location in Chicago, Illinois. |
