With net neutrality in flux, disputes over the path of web traffic have taken on an unexpectedly high profile — but at least one high-profile fight may be coming to an end. GigaOm has discovered evidence of a new peering arrangement between Comcast and Netflix, allowing for a more direct route through the network that would result in faster speeds. Comcast is now serving Netflix traffic through direct connections, suggesting a fundamental change in the peering connections between the two networks.
Netflix and Comcast may have made peace with each other. If they have, that could be good news for users who are frustrated with poor performance of Netflix video on Comcast’s network. App.net co-founder Bryan Berg today posted a traceroute on Github, saying it shows that “Comcast and Netflix now have a direct adjacency.” “Looked at the host serving my Netflix streams today and noticed something new,” he wrote. “No clue if money is changing hands or not, and the return path is what actually matters, but it appears that Comcast and Netflix have reached some sort of agreement regarding direct interconnection.”