A point of presence (PoP) is an artificial
demarcation point or network interface point between communicating entities. A common example is an ISP point of presence, the local access point that allows users to connect to the Internet with their
Internet service provider
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 priva ...
(ISP). A PoP typically houses
server
Server may refer to:
Computing
*Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called clients
Role
* Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers and su ...
s,
routers,
network switch
A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
A ...
es, multiplexers, and other network interface equipment, and is typically located in a
data center
A data center (American English) or data centre (British English)See spelling differences. is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommun ...
. ISPs typically have multiple PoPs. PoPs are often located at
Internet exchange point
Internet exchange points (IXes or IXPs) are common grounds of IP networking, allowing participant Internet service providers (ISPs) to exchange data destined for their respective networks. IXPs are generally located at places with preexisting ...
s and
colocation centres.
In the US, this term became important during the
court-ordered breakup of the Bell Telephone system. A point of presence was a location where a
long-distance carrier (IXC) could terminate services and provide connections into a local telephone network (
LATA).
See also
*
Content delivery network
A content delivery network, or content distribution network (CDN), is a geographically distributed network of proxy servers and their data centers. The goal is to provide high availability and performance by distributing the service spatially rel ...
*
Web cache
A Web cache (or HTTP cache) is a system for optimizing the World Wide Web. It is implemented both client-side and server-side. The caching of multimedias and other files can result in less overall delay when browsing the Web.
Parts of the sys ...
*
Meet-me room
A "meet-me room" (MMR) is a place within a colocation centre (or carrier hotel) where telecommunications companies can physically connect to one another and exchange data without incurring local loop fees. Services provided across connections in ...
References
Telecommunications infrastructure
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