Where The Internet Plugs Into Itself Screensaver
The Where The Internet Plugs Into Itself screensaver shows internet exchange points ranked by connected networks, read live and key-less from PeeringDB. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Where The Internet Plugs Into Itself screensaver works
The saver reads the source described above and draws it on a canvas — no account, no tracking.
Internet exchange points ranked by connected networks, read live and key-less from PeeringDB. Networks that meet at an exchange swap traffic directly instead of paying transit, so the count is a proxy for how much is one hop away in that city.
It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.
Colours and any options can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.
What an internet exchange does
An internet exchange point, or IXP, is a shared meeting point where internet service providers trade traffic. It lets participating networks interconnect directly, via the exchange, rather than going through one or more third-party networks. Under peering agreements, traffic is typically exchanged without compensation, with operating costs usually split among participants, whereas traffic sent to an upstream provider is charged. Direct interconnection, often in the same city, also avoids detours and can reduce latency.
PeeringDB is a volunteer-run database for networks and peering coordinators. Network operators add their own interconnection details, and exchanges and other facilities maintain their own entries, with volunteers helping to validate the data. This board ranks exchanges by the networks listed at them. Very large exchanges, such as those in São Paulo and Frankfurt, sit near the top of public analyses of PeeringDB data.
The count is a proxy for how much of the internet is a short hop away, not a measure of traffic. Capacity and traffic volume are separate numbers, and because entries are maintained by the operators themselves, how complete and current a listing is depends on them.
A worked example
Internet exchange points ranked by connected networks, read live and key-less from PeeringDB. Networks that meet at an exchange swap traffic directly instead of paying transit, so the count is a proxy for how much is one hop away in that city.
Settings & tips
- Accent and Background recolour the display.
- Every value on screen comes from the live source — nothing is simulated.
- Press ESC to leave fullscreen.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real data?
- Yes — it comes from the source named on this page and is refreshed on a schedule.
- Is a key needed?
- No. This source is fully key-less.
- Is it free?
- Yes, and it runs entirely in your browser.
- Is a bigger exchange a faster one?
- Not necessarily. Membership shows how many networks are present, while capacity and traffic volume are separate numbers.
- Who fills in PeeringDB?
- Largely the network operators, exchanges and facilities themselves, with volunteers helping to validate the data, so completeness depends on how well operators keep entries current.