peered

Peered is the past tense and past participle of the verb peer. In everyday language, to peer means to look with effort, curiosity, or narrowed eyes, often at something difficult to see. Examples include "She peered through the fog" and "They peered at the tiny print." The verb also appears in contexts implying examination or scrutiny, such as peering into a bag or peering over a ledge.

In a technical sense, peering refers to a direct interconnection between computer networks to exchange traffic, typically at Internet Exchange Points. When two networks establish a peering arrangement, they are said to peer with each other. Public peering occurs at shared exchanges using a common infrastructure, while private peering is a direct link between two networks. Peering arrangements aim to reduce reliance on transit providers, lower costs, improve latency, and give network operators more control over routing.

Usage and scope: The past tense peered can describe both everyday observation and past network relationships. In networking, phrases such as "AS12345 peered with AS67890" describe the establishment of a peering relationship, whereas in ordinary language it conveys that someone looked closely at something in the past.

See also: peer, peering, Internet exchange point.