The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods

TNO043: Under the Manhole Cover: The Architecture of an Internet Exchange

Sep 26, 2025
James June, an IP core network architect and director of MassIX, dives deep into the physical infrastructure of internet exchanges. He shares his journey from early networking experiences to founding Toradex amid Boston's colocation boom. The conversation highlights the intricacies of local peering, the challenges of managing dark fiber, and the importance of building an independent fiber backbone. James also discusses the regulatory landscape in Massachusetts and the skills needed beyond networking to succeed in the industry.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

How A Wired School Sparked A Career

  • James June started networking in junior high after seeing wired classrooms and immediately fell in love with TCP/IP.
  • He parlayed that curiosity into an internship with his school's ISP and early hands-on router work that launched his career.
ANECDOTE

From Consulting To Running A Carrier

  • Toradex grew from consulting and hosting into a full carrier provider after years in colo and local peering efforts.
  • James recounts building relationships and buying transit to improve customer connectivity in Boston's changing market.
INSIGHT

Local Peering Restores Market Resilience

  • Boston used to be a highly local, well-routed internet market but became dependent on NYC after the telecom bust.
  • Restoring local peering required persistent relationship-building and targeted peering with local networks like Internet2.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app