Peering
Peering is a direct network interconnect between two providers so their traffic doesn't have to traverse a paid transit link.
3 min readReviewed Jul 2026TTML Editorial
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Definition
In depth
When your ISP peers directly with a game publisher's network, packets take fewer hops and the path is more predictable. When they don't peer, traffic goes through one or more transit carriers — the primary cause of long-distance ping surprises.
Peering quality is invisible to end users but is arguably the single largest determinant of consistent competitive ping.
Deep dives
Guides that use Peering
Full index