IXP

An Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is a physical fabric (usually a high-density Ethernet switch in a data center) where dozens to hundreds of networks meet to exchange traffic directly. Networks plug in once and then peer with any other member, avoiding paid transit and reducing latency. Major IXPs like AMS-IX, DE-CIX, and LINX move terabits per second at peak. IXPs are where the modern internet's mesh actually exists in physical form, and route servers at the IXP let small networks peer with everyone using a single BGP session.