Eyeball network is a

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...

term used by network engineers and architects that refers to an access network whose primary users use the

network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

to “look at things” (browse the Internet, read email, etc.) and consume content, as opposed to a network that may be used primarily to generate its own data, or “content networks/providers”. The term “eyeball network” is often overheard in conversations and seen in articles that discuss peering relationships between other networks, as well as

net neutrality Network neutrality, often referred to as net neutrality, is the principle that Internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all Internet communications equally, offering users and online content providers consistent rates irrespective of co ...

issues. An example of an eyeball network would be any given

ISP An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise private ...

that provides internet connectivity to end-users – The ISP may peer with

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

(which is a content provider) where the end users consume content serviced/provided by Google, in this case the ISP is just an “eyeball network” providing a means for the end user to reach Google provided actual content. However, it is to be noted that not all ISPs are eyeball networks, they can be pure transit providers. With Tier 2 networks and lower, they can serve as both an eyeball network and a transit provider, depending on their business model. In the modern day ecosystem where peering is given priority, the lines are blurred between the different types of networks as ultimately any given network must be able to reach every other given network on the internet at large.

References

{{Reflist Computer engineering Computer networking Slang