spokaneix.net

What It Is

SpokaneIX is an Internet Exchange (IX) serving Spokane, Washington and the surrounding region in the United States. Its goal is to support local Internet infrastructure, keep traffic local, and optimize routing paths. It is not an ISP and does not sell bandwidth or Internet access. Instead, it provides a shared Ethernet switching fabric where different network operators can exchange selected traffic directly.

Core Capabilities

Functionally, SpokaneIX is aimed at ISPs, transit providers, DNS services, and content networks that have their own ASN and IP resources. Interconnection is based on BGP: participants can establish bilateral BGP sessions directly, or use the two BGP route servers operated by SpokaneIX to simplify multilateral peering. The switching fabric allows ARP, IPv4, and IPv6 traffic, while port security restricts behaviors such as multiple MAC addresses on a single port, BPDU traffic, and abnormal Layer 2 traffic. Its route servers support AS transparency and perform automated filtering based on IRR, RPKI ROA, and ARIN WHOIS OriginAS data. Members are required to maintain PeeringDB records.

Access and Pricing

SpokaneIX switches are located at sites including US Bank Building, TierPoint Spokane, and IonSwitch Coeur d'Alene. It supports 1G, 10G, 25G, 40G, and 100G Ethernet connections, typically delivered via full-duplex single-mode fiber from the data center to its cabinet. In terms of pricing, SpokaneIX does not charge mandatory membership or port fees, though SFP optics or a one-time installation fee may be required. Cross-connects and facility-side service charges must be confirmed separately with the relevant data center. The project is built by volunteers and donations, and accepts donations of optics, switches, or funds.

Pros and Cons

Its advantages include a low cost barrier, clear positioning, transparent technical rules, and operational documentation covering route servers, BGP communities, route filtering, and maintenance procedures. For local networks, it can reduce latency, cut down on traffic tromboning, and improve interconnection efficiency. The downside is that it is not a general-purpose developer tool: there are no APIs, SDKs, or application framework integrations. Access requires an ASN, IP resources, BGP operational capability, and data center connectivity. Its operation depends on volunteers and sponsors, so the support model is closer to best effort.

Who It’s For and Access from China

SpokaneIX is suitable for network operators with nodes in the inland Northwest United States who want to establish local peering. It is not intended for ordinary software development teams or SaaS application integration scenarios. The source text does not specify access conditions from China, so this is considered unknown. Even if the website is reachable, actual use requires deploying network resources in its U.S. data center locations. Alternatives may include SeattleIX, NWAX, Equinix IX, DE-CIX, and AMS-IX, depending on the network’s location and compliance requirements.