NetConnex - A fast, reliable and secure network

Introduction

Our core network is based in two carrier-neutral datacentres; Telehouse Docklands and Telecity Sovereign House. By locating our core in two of the best connected sites on the UK Internet, we have diverse connections to the London Internet Exchange (LINX) and London Access Point (LONAP), allowing us to offer customers ultra-reliable services no matter where they need to access it from. We have built relationships with both datacentres over the last 5-10 years to ensure we are confident in their standards.

We connect our core sites together using three diverse links which operate across physically separate fibre rings with different hardware vendors for the most reliable service. Our internal core network runs OSPF/OSPFv3 for quick failover in the event a link fails, and we use BGP4 for customers and peers.

Trusted vendors

Our core network is based on Cisco Systems 10 Gigabit routers and switches, including their Service Provider-grade Cisco 7600-series routers with RSP720-3CXL route processors and Cisco Catalyst 3750X-series switches.

Monitored rack power distribution units are sourced from Olson Electronics and server power distribution is managed with APC Switched Rack PDUs which provide power control for each outlet. We also use APC Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems and Automatic Transfer Switches (ATSs) in core network racks for additional protection of critical equipment.

APC environmental monitoring solutions are used for temperature, humidity and door status for racks in conjunction with Axis IP surveillance CCTV cameras. Our cabinets in Telehouse are protected by Abloy Protec high security locks which maintain key control.

Cooper B-Line supply us with their Access cabinets which provide for excellent airflow options within different environments as well as easy access to the side for maintaining tidy cabling.

For our internal use, we use a mix of Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant servers.

Internet Exchanges & Transit

We have diverse multi-Gigabit connections to both LINX (Juniper & Extreme LANs) and LONAP as well as Abovenet Communications and other global tier-1 providers. By peering directly at the two most significant London Internet Exchange Points, we can ensure the best connectivity to the major UK broadband and content networks. In the event that an issue arises, it also means we can liaise directly with the networks in question to resolve issues. Our long standing relationship with Abovenet has been significant in providing high quality routing to the rest of the world. With 10Gbps+ of edge capacity, we can cope with clients' expanding needs.

Redundancy & Diversity

We ensure that wherever possible, we introduce redundancy into critical equipment, such as diverse uplinks to different core switches/routers, dual power supplies (fed from diverse power feeds where available), dual UPS systems, automatic transfer switches, multiple suppliers for inter-site links, using redundancy protocols where possible, etc.

Independence

We run an autonomous network (AS21396), which means that we do not rely on any single supplier for our network connectivity. If one of our transit providers switched off their entire network, within a matter of seconds, all traffic would be taking alternative paths. This also means that we control our routing preferences, and allows us to 'work around' problems in third party networks when they cause issues for our clients.

We also offer access to third party networks operated by other service providers using different upstream connectivity and thus have the ability to provide a truly redundant service with a choice of using one or two datacentres to add physical redundancy under a single service contract and support facilities.

Monitoring

We monitor everything. It is only by doing so that we can be sure that we are delivering our customers an unparalleled service. If a problem arises, we must be alerted before our clients notice, and we endeavour to fix problems before they impact on customer service. Due to the redundancy in our network, most issues are non-customer affecting. We have hundreds of individual monitors in place to detect the earliest sign of a problem developing.

Networking Monitoring Latency & Packetloss

IPv6 Support

Our network is IPv6 enabled and we can provide IPv6 transit and related services to customers. Find out if your Internet connection is IPv6 enabled on thinkbroadband:

Reasons to choose NetConnex

We do not rely on any single supplier for our network connectivity . We run an 'autonomous' network which means we are in control over how our routes are announced to the Internet.
Our network is designed and maintained for performance and quality which are our priority #1. We provide hosting to companies specialising in network metrics/monitoring and VoIP, applications which are very sensitive to latency, jitter, packet loss and speed variations.
We monitor everything. We monitor servers, switches, routers, availability and performance to various international destinations, BGP announcements, traffic levels,
We have been providing hosting services since 1997 and have run our own autonomous network for over 10 years. You can rest assured we are financially sound and technically competent. We still have many customers who signed up over ten years ago!
We are members of LINX and LONAP so we can interconnect directly with most UK network operators . This helps us to get the fastest and most reliable connectivity to key broadband networks and hosting companies, and when problems do arise, we can liaise directly with network engineers of the relevant networks We have diverse connections to both exchanges.
We use the best quality international transit providers and our routing policies ensure we pick the optimal path. We have diverse multi-Gigabit links to tier-1 providers in multiple sites.
We have direct relationships with co-location facilities, with no third parties involved. This protects us from failure of intermediate suppliers and ensures a high quality of service.
We are a Local Internet Registry within the RIPE region, so we can assign IP space directly to clients from our aggregate block, so it shows up being registered to you.