springix.net

What It Is

SPRINGIX (Springfield Internet Exchange) is a free, non-profit Internet exchange point located in Springfield, Missouri, USA. It operates out of Bluebird Underground’s carrier-grade facility and aims to provide Ethernet switching infrastructure for local and reachable networks, enabling ISPs, CSPs, education/research networks, and telecom operators to exchange IP traffic, improve local connectivity, and reduce latency and costs.

Core Capabilities

SPRINGIX offers public peering, bilateral peering, multilateral peering, Private VLAN, and Remote Peering. Multilateral peering uses route servers to simplify route exchange with multiple peers; Private VLAN is used to isolate broadcast domains between members and exchange traffic privately; Remote Peering can extend a VLAN on a client port to other partner Internet exchanges. Its technical requirements are clearly defined: only BGPv4 is allowed, a public ASN is required, prefixes must be registered in an IRR or backed by an LOA, the minimum prefix size is /24 for IPv4 and /48 for IPv6, and each port is limited to one MAC address.

Pricing and Service Scope

Its biggest selling point is that port fees are zero: since 2020, SPRINGIX has not charged peering port fees, which is very attractive for regional networks. However, cross connects provided by the data center or building operator may incur charges. Remote Peering is also described as carrying a “small fee,” but no pricing is provided. SPRINGIX explicitly does not sell Internet access, bandwidth, colocation, Web hosting, cabinets, or cross connects; it only provides the exchange fabric itself.

Pros and Cons

The advantages are its non-profit model, free ports, support for common IXP use cases, and backing from local networks. The website also discloses parts of its equipment architecture, including Cisco Nexus, Cisco ASR-1002-F, dark fiber, and MUX/DEMUX. The downsides are that it is highly regional and only valuable to networks that can connect to its facility or via remote interconnection. Details on SLA, support response times, Remote Peering pricing, and partner IXPs are limited, and the terms state that the service is provided as-is with no liability for loss of continuity.

Who It’s For and Access from China

SPRINGIX is suitable for ISPs, cloud/content networks, education and research networks, and telecom operators that have a public ASN and need to optimize interconnection in or around Springfield. It is not directly relevant for ordinary developers, SaaS teams, or software engineering toolchains. The source text does not provide information on access from China, so this remains unknown. If Chinese networks need similar capabilities, they would typically consider local IXPs, carrier interconnection, commercial data center interconnect platforms, or cross-border dedicated line solutions.