ChOP Route Servers Are Live

The Chicago Open Pipes route servers are now live.

We passed our first packets back in March, and networks have been connecting and arranging bilateral peering sessions since. With the route servers running, joining gets considerably simpler: peer once with the route servers and you reach everyone else who has done the same, rather than setting up a separate session with each participant.

It's an exciting milestone for Open Pipes. What began as an idea for a neutral, nonprofit and community-focused Internet exchange in Chicago is now carrying real traffic between real networks.

We're delighted to welcome some of the first organizations helping bring ChOP to life: South Front Networks, Hurricane Electric and CoreSite. Their early support and participation have helped take ChOP from plans and equipment to an operational exchange.

Traffic graphs are coming soon, so everyone can see what the exchange is carrying.

Route servers are only the beginning. We'll continue adding networks, expanding connectivity and working with the community to build an exchange that keeps traffic local and makes interconnection more accessible.

You can find ChOP and the latest connection information on PeeringDB.

The pipes are open. The route servers are up. And the packets are flowing.