Datanet.co.uk has been a member of the London Internet Exchange (LINX) for nearly 20 years, leveraging the exchange to connect efficiently with hundreds of networks. Today, around 60% of traffic to and from its primary data centre travels across LINX’s infrastructure, helping deliver faster, more resilient connectivity.
With growing demand for cloud services and reliable network performance, Datanet is exploring new ways to bring LINX connectivity closer to customers from its Farnborough data centre.
From ISP to Infrastructure Provider
Datanet was founded in 1996, at a time where the internet looked very different compared to the modern day. What started as a business focussed Internet Service Provider (ISP) has evolved into a hosting, colocation and connectivity provider supporting organisations across the UK.
Today, Datanet operates from the Ark Data Centres campus in Farnborough, with additional presence in London Docklands. From there, Datanet provides colocation, network connectivity and disaster recovery services for businesses relying on stable and predictable infrastructure.
Across three decades, Datanet has maintained an important role in interconnection, keeping networks running efficiently.
Meeting Growing Connectivity Demands
Datanet first joined LINX in 2006, when exchanging traffic between networks was far less straightforward than it is today.
“Bandwidth was expensive back then, and if you wanted to exchange traffic with another network, it could involve negotiating individual connections or relying on costly transit providers,” says Mark Jennings, Infrastructure Technical Lead, Datanet.
As Datanet transitioned customers from dial-up to always-on broadband, demand for faster, more reliable, and lower-latency connectivity grew rapidly. Traffic volumes, particularly from cloud providers and content delivery networks (CDNs), placed increasing pressure on existing connections.
Joining LINX provided a simpler and more efficient way to exchange traffic with multiple networks in one place, reducing reliance on upstream providers and giving Datanet greater control over how its traffic moves across the internet.
Driving Performance and Resilience
Nearly two decades later, peering at LINX remains a key part of Datanet’s interconnection strategy. Connecting at both of LINX’s London LANs, LON1 and LON2, provides greater resilience and improved access to a wider ecosystem of networks.
“Being able to peer directly with large networks such as Microsoft and Amazon makes a huge difference. It helps reduce latency and improves the overall experience for our customers,” says Mark Jennings.
Many of Datanet’s customers, and even their end users, rely on this connectivity to support critical digital services such as online ticketing, payments and media delivery, where reliability and speed are essential.
With cloud adoption on the rise, Datanet now leverages LINX Cloud Connect to provide direct connectivity to major providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, lowering latency and giving customers greater control over their traffic. This is particularly beneficial for customers with a hybrid cloud strategy.
A Greener Home for Datanet
In 2022, Datanet relocated its services and customers to a new home at the Ark Cody Park Data Centre campus in Farnborough. Sustainability was a major factor behind the move, with the site incorporating energy-efficient technology such as free air-cooling, solar panels, rainwater capture, and generators powered by hydrogenated vegetable oil.
“Small changes in the data centre can make a noticeable difference. Even reducing cooling by a degree can help improve energy efficiency by 2% or more,” says Mark Jennings.
This move gives Datanet and its customers access to modern, secure data centre infrastructure while reducing environmental impact without compromising performance.
Expanding Access with LINX ConneXions
Datanet is now exploring becoming a LINX ConneXions reseller partner, allowing customers at its Farnborough facility to access LINX’s infrastructure and services more directly. The aim is to make it easier for organisations outside central London to benefit from peering, cloud connectivity, and the wider LINX ecosystem.
As demand for reliable interconnection continues to grow, accessibility will become increasingly important for organisations building the infrastructure behind today’s digital world.
The Value of LINX Membership
Datanet has gained numerous benefits through LINX’s infrastructure and global peering ecosystem, but membership extends far beyond connectivity.
The team regularly attends the annual AGM and EGM member meetings, which provide opportunities to learn from industry experts, meet other network operators, share experiences, and discuss industry challenges.
“It’s always useful to hear how other organisations are approaching similar problems, you end up learning a lot just by talking to people,” says Mark Jennings.
Datanet also values the support provided by the LINX 24/7 NOC. Their prompt, knowledgeable responses enable Datanet to respond quickly to customer connectivity issues and adapt to changing external network conditions.
After nearly two decades of LINX membership, Datanet continues to evolve its network strategy, leveraging LINX’s infrastructure, services, and community to deliver fast, resilient, and reliable connectivity. By combining performance, sustainability, and accessibility, Datanet is well positioned to meet the growing demands of its customers.
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