Time Server Hardware Refresh

NTP (Network Time Protocol) is how devices across a network keep their clocks in sync, distributing time from a small number of accurate sources. Those sources are time servers, and we run our own rather than relying on someone else’s – with a lot of key mechanisms all depending on it such as: log correlation during incidents, certificate validity, scheduled jobs and much more.

We have operated an NTP service since 1999, and the current hardware that has been operational since 2007 is now reaching end of support, which prompted this refresh. As a result we sought an ideal replacement and worked with the same engineer that supplied the original solution, Meinberg.

When first launched our servers were atomic clocks, however our system now utilises a highly accurate Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) that is extremely power efficient and uses about a tenth of power an atomic clock would. We operate three NTP servers, located in two different data centres. Two of these track the German time signal from Mainflingen (DCF77) and the other tracks the UK time signal from Anthorn in Cumbria (MSF) – GPS satellite time also runs on all three servers, as this approach helps protect against outages and spoofed signals.

Our NTP servers are also available to members if they want an additional time source.

Upgrading our Management and Operational Support System (OSS)

Our management and OSS runs on Juniper kit and that enables us to reach our entire estate, covering all LINX infrastructure, our exchanges and our managed exchanges.

As with any software and hardware, it naturally reaches end of life, and as this was approaching for us we’ve spent the past year upgrading that kit. This involved software upgrades across our internal, management and out-of-bound devices, alongside hardware upgrades at remote sites such as Wales and Manchester, as well as London.

This now means we have an additional two years before any mass upgrades are needed again, but equally important, it gave us a chance to test our internal networks pre and post maintenance validation checks which came about and were strengthened because of this work.

We pride ourselves on automation and get it in wherever we can, those validation checks run on a series of Python scripts driven by NAPALM, though the upgrades themselves we handle manually. When we come to do this again, we’d look to introduce more pre-maintenance testing alongside additional hardware in our lab.

In total, across a year we upgraded the following kit:

• London – 22 external and 4 internal (the four internal devices sit on the OSS network for our core infrastructure)
• Manchester – 14 external facing
• Scotland – 4 external and 2 internal
• Wales – 2 external
• North Virginia – 7
• Nairobi – 4
• Mombasa – 2
• Accra – 3
• KSA – 4

Jennifer Holmes, CEO of LINX, said: “We recognize that network operators are managing a complex environment right now, from capacity planning to cost control. As a member-owned organization, our role is to listen carefully to the feedback from our membership and monitor trends in the industry, acting where we can. This initiative is about supporting our community in a practical way—creating space for networks to plan, grow, and adapt without immediate pressure.”

Follow the link ⬆️ for more details, terms and how existing member networks and new to LINX organisations can benefit and if you're attending NANOG this week, look out for Jennifer, Inga Turner and the rest of the team.

We have a full rack available at Telehouse West with 4kW power.

For more information, please contact sales@linx.net

Managing BGP sessions on portal

We’ve made several improvements to make BGP changes clearer and easier to manage:

• Clear visibility of when your changes are live following route server rebuilds

• Orders now automatically resume and complete after rebuilds, removing the need for manual follow-up

• AS-SET validation is now handled automatically, with clear messaging if there are any issues

• Issues are now directed to the LINX NOC for faster resolution

Expanded LAG (port bundle) capabilities

We’ve extended support for LAG (port bundle) configurations in portal:

• You can now configure Dot1Q and QinQ encapsulation on LAG/port bundles during the ordering process

• You can order port-based services (including Cloud Connect, MAPS, PVLAN and CUG) on bundled ports with encapsulation enabled

Draft orders and improved ordering experience

We know it can be frustrating to lose progress when placing or editing orders. We’re introducing draft orders, allowing you to:

• Save progress while ordering or editing services

• Return to and complete orders later

• Choose to continue, edit, or start a new order

The following changes are coming soon:

Improved bandwidth selection experience

We’ve heard feedback that the current bandwidth slider can be difficult to use and doesn’t clearly present available options. We’re redesigning this experience across our services to make it more intuitive and better aligned with our product portfolio.

Order Summaries

We've started work on order summaries when an action which requires service changes (new orders, bandwidth changes or location moves) to help aid finance reconciliation. Not to replace invoices, but will be downloadable to pass to your internal finance team

Our Third-Party Fabric introduces a new way to connect to LINX. By leveraging fabrics from trusted third-party providers, networks without a Point of Presence (PoP) in data centres where LINX infrastructure is hosted, members can now establish connectivity to LINX’s interconnection hubs, connecting to LINX LON1 (with access to our Peering and MAPS services) 

You can easily connect to LINX through Equinix Fabric, removing the need for a physical presence in London and enabling fast, cost-effective access to our interconnection services and member ecosystem. 

This makes connecting to LINX more accessible, cost-effective, and flexible than ever before, removing the need for physical deployments while improving access to the networks that matter most. 

And the service is semi-automated and easy to configure through your LINX member portal. 

Peering 
Peering has served as the primary method of exchanging internet traffic between networks for decades. Connecting to a LINX interconnection hub allows you to establish peering session with multiple other networks across a single port. Members can setup or remove bilateral peering sessions with networks without the need to reprovision circuits or order additional cross connects. 

https://www.linx.net/services-2/peering/ 

Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) 
Our Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) provides LINX members with a direct connection to any public Microsoft cloud service, including Microsoft Azure services, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, or any other Microsoft service accessible via the public internet. 

https://www.linx.net/services-2/microsoft-azure-peering/ 

Key Features 

• Available across the following LINX LAN, leveraging fabrics from trusted third-party providers, currently Equinix other to follow.  

  • London LON1 

Peering Services Available Bandwidths:

• 1Gbps - 9Gbps

Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) Available Bandwidths:

• 50Mbps - 5Gbps

• MTU Size: 1500 bytes 

Our Third-Party Fabric introduces a new way to connect to LINX. By leveraging fabrics from trusted third-party providers, networks without a Point of Presence (PoP) in data centres where LINX infrastructure is hosted, members can now establish connectivity to LINX’s interconnection hubs, connecting to LINX LON1 (with access to our Peering and MAPS services) and LINX LON2 (with access to our Peering and MAPS services) 

You can easily connect to LINX through Digital Realty's ServiceFabric, removing the need for a physical presence in London and enabling fast, cost-effective access to our interconnection services and member ecosystem. 

This makes connecting to LINX more accessible, cost-effective, and flexible than ever before, removing the need for physical deployments while improving access to the networks that matter most. 

And the service is semi-automated and easy to configure through your LINX member portal. 

Peering 
Peering has served as the primary method of exchanging internet traffic between networks for decades. Connecting to a LINX interconnection hub allows you to establish peering session with multiple other networks across a single port. Members can setup or remove bilateral peering sessions with networks without the need to reprovision circuits or order additional cross connects. 

https://www.linx.net/services-2/peering/ 

Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) 
Our Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) provides LINX members with a direct connection to any public Microsoft cloud service, including Microsoft Azure services, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, or any other Microsoft service accessible via the public internet. 

https://www.linx.net/services-2/microsoft-azure-peering/ 

Key Features 

• Available across the following LINX LANs, leveraging fabrics from one of our trusted third-party providers, Digital Realty, others to follow.  
  - LON1 & LON2 

Available Bandwidth Across Peering Services:

• 1Gbps - 50Gbps

Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) Available Bandwidths:

• 50Mbps - 10Gbps

  
  MTU Size: 1500 bytes 

LINX Protect is our free dedicated DDoS mitigation service, designed to help keep member networks secure and running smoothly. 

Available to all members peering via LINX route servers, by using Remotely Triggered Black Hole filtering, the member diverts harmful traffic away from their infrastructure, minimising disruption, maintaining service availability, and safeguarding their network. 

Remote Triggered Black Hole (RTBH), often called RTBH filtering, is a network defence technique used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and large networks to mitigate DDoS attacks by intentionally dropping traffic destined for a targeted IP address. 

Instead of letting an attack overwhelm routers, firewalls, or servers, the network “blackholes” the traffic, so that it is discarded before it reaches the victim. 

RTBH is widely used by ISPs, large enterprises, and backbone networks because it is fast, scalable, and router-based, requiring no specialized hardware. 

RTBH is usually considered a “last resort” emergency control when an attack is overwhelming the network. 

How LINX Protect - Remote Trigger Black Hole (RTBH) works? 

• If a member who peers with the route-servers is suffering from a DDOS attack on his network 

• The member would need to announce the affected prefix to the route-server.  

• This affected prefix will be picked up by the route-servers, and the next-hop is rewritten to that of a Blackhole next-hop.  

• The prefix with the new rewritten next-hop is then announced to all other members so the DDOS is then forwarded to the Blackhole next-hop instead of the victim member.  

• The member is then able to announce the less specifics of their network without been affected. 

Why Choose LINX Protect - Remote Trigger Black Hole (RTBH)? 

• Free for all LINX members using route servers 

• Helps maintain uptime and service reliability 

• Reduces the impact of malicious traffic on your network 

• No additional hardware required 

• Enhances overall network resilience and security 

 Key Features 

Available across the following LINX Fabrics: 

• London LON1 

• London LON2 

• LINX Manchester 

• LINX NoVA 

• LINX Nairobi 

• LINX Mombasa 

• LINX Scotland  

• LINX Wales 

• LINX Accra 

Summary 

• Remote Triggered Black Hole is a BGP-based method to quickly drop traffic to a targeted IP during a DDoS attack, protecting the network by discarding attack traffic. 

• For more information on the technical details, please click here. 

IXConnect is a transport service that enables LINX members to remotely connect to JPIX (Japan Internet Exchange), NAMEX (Roma Internet Exchange), and NYIIX (New York Internet Exchange). It provides a simple, reliable way to extend your network, reduce latency, and connect with new peers who are not available locally. 

With IXConnect, you gain full membership at the remote IXP, giving you direct access to our partners peering LAN and the networks within that community. This removes the need for multiple PoPs, making it easier than ever to expand your reach while maintaining efficient, low latency traffic exchange. 

Why choose IXConnect 

• Expand your reach: Access new peering ecosystems without physical presence 

• Trusted partnerships: Built in collaboration with leading IXPs 

• Traffic optimisation: Connect with new peers who are not available locally and reduce latency for better performance 

Summary 

• LINX IXConnect is essentially a bridge that extends your peering capabilities worldwide without the cost, complexity, or physical presence normally required. 

Through strategic partnerships with Digital Realty and Megaport, LINX provides secure, low-latency, and direct connectivity to leading cloud service providers, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Service (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform, ensuring reliable access to the business-critical applications organisations rely on. 

Additional to Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Service (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform, through the LINX network, you can achieve a seamless end-to-end solution to connect directly to other major cloud providers, such as IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Salesforce Express Connect, SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud and Wasabi. 

With LINX Cloud Connect, organisations benefit from direct integration with key cloud platforms via our robust and trusted network infrastructure. This solution delivers low-latency performance, high availability, and enhanced control over data traffic, advantages that are often unattainable through standard internet connections. 

Empower your business with the performance, reliability, and operational control it demands, delivered via one of the world’s most resilient and trusted interconnection platform, LINX. 

LINX Cloud Connect Service are semi-automated and easy to configure through the LINX member portal. 

Benefits of LINX Cloud Connect 

• Connection direct to Microsoft, AWS, Google and other Cloud Service 

• Benefit from low latency 

• Gain reliable uptime 

• Achieve greater traffic control 

• Access your business-critical applications through one of the world’s leading peering infrastructure providers 

Key Features 

• Scalability – Automatically scale resources up or down based on demand. 

• Reliability – Built for high availability and fault tolerance. 

• Security – End-to-end encryption, compliance certifications, and customer data ownership. 

• Cost-Efficiency – Pay-as-you-go pricing, reserved instances, and savings plans. 

• Innovation – Constantly evolving with new services and features added regularly. 

Currently available across the following LINX Fabric: 

• London LON1 

Coming soon to the following LINX Fabrics: 

• London - LON2 

• Manchester - MAN1 

• NoVa - NVA1 

  
  Available Bandwidth: 

• 50Mbps, 100Mbps, 200Mbps, 500Mbps, 1Gbps, 2Gbps, 5Gbps and 10Gbps 

MTU Size: 1500 bytes  

A single membership to the London Internet Exchange (LINX) provides you the fastest and simplest way to take control of your network traffic and establish low-latency connections with more than 950 global members. 

Peering refers to the interconnection of two or more networks to exchange traffic directly, without relying on intermediary transit providers. This direct exchange improves performance, reduces latency, lowers costs, and enhances network resilience. Connecting to an Internet Exchange allows you to establish peering with hundreds of other networks across a single physical port. Members can set up or remove bilateral peering sessions with networks without the need to reprovision circuits or order additional cross connects. 

Key Features 

Available across the following LINX Fabrics: 

• London LON1 

• London LON2 

• LINX Manchester 

• LINX NOVA 

• LINX Nairobi 

• LINX Mombasa 

• LINX Accra 

• LINX Scotland  

• LINX Wales 

  Available Bandwidth: 

• 1Gbps, 2Gbps, 3Gbps, 4Gbps, 5Gbps, 6Gbps, 7Gbps, 8Gbps, 9Gbps, 10Gbps, 30Gbps, 50Gbps, 100Gbps, 130Gbps, 150Gbps and 400Gbps 

• MTU Size: 1500 bytes 

 
Peering at LINX Includes: 

• Single mode fibre and optics for all ports 

• Support for 10GE, 100GE and 400GE ports with fractional peering bandwidths available 

• The first 10GE port and the first service on a Peering LAN with a speed of up to 4Gbps is included in the membership fee. This service can either be a Peering Service, MAPS Service, Private VLAN or a CUG.  Any additional service, or any service with a bandwidth above 4Gbps will be charged according to the published fees in addition to the Membership Fee. 

• LINX Protect provides RTBH based DDoS mitigation 

Benefits of Peering with LINX 

• Gain greater network resilience and lower latency 

• Increase control and enhance security of your network traffic 

• Connect directly via a single cross connect or remotely through one of our layer 2 reseller partners