Linx.net Review 2026. Is linx.net providing Any Good services?

📄 Editorial Review

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) is not a classic web hosting provider, but a member-owned, not-for-profit Internet Exchange Point (IXP) that sits at the heart of how Internet traffic flows. It started in 1994 in London, when a small group of UK ISPs joined forces to keep UK-to-UK traffic local instead of sending it across the Atlantic. Over more than three decades, that small exchange has grown into one of the largest IXPs in the world, now connecting hundreds of networks (over 950 autonomous systems) from more than 80 countries.

Rather than selling shared hosting or VPS packages to end users, LINX focuses on interconnection services for networks: ISPs, cloud providers, content delivery networks, mobile carriers, national research networks, financial institutions, and serious hosting companies. The core service is public peering, where members connect via 10GE, 100GE or 400GE ports and exchange traffic either through bilateral BGP sessions or via multilateral route servers. On top of that, members can add:

• LINX Cloud Connect for direct, private connectivity into public clouds such as Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google Cloud.
• Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) for optimized, low-latency access to Microsoft services.
• Private Interconnect for high-capacity, dedicated links between two networks.
• Closed User Groups to build private Layer 2 environments between multiple parties.
• LINX Protect for DDoS mitigation using blackholing and traffic-scrubbing techniques.
• Colocation services so routers and network equipment can live inside the same facilities as the exchange.

Additional features such as Bi-Directional optics, route collectors, NTP time servers and route-server infrastructure round out a full platform tailored to serious network operators.

For hosting companies or large online platforms, joining LINX is less about buying a server and more about upgrading the quality of connectivity they offer to their own customers. A hosting provider connected to LINX can peer directly with eyeball ISPs, CDNs, cloud platforms and other content networks, which helps cut latency, keep local traffic local, and reduce dependence on expensive upstream transit. Enterprises that run latency-sensitive workloads (trading systems, streaming media, multiplayer gaming, collaboration tools) use LINX as a key interconnection hub to achieve consistent performance even when traffic volumes are high.

Membership is designed to be simple and transparent. There is a single membership class with a flat annual fee, and that membership already includes a 10GE access port plus a bundled amount of peering bandwidth across multiple LINX locations. Networks that need more capacity can increase their fractional peering bandwidth on existing ports or add extra ports at higher speeds. Pricing is openly published, consistent with the organisation’s mutual, not-for-profit status.

Technically, LINX is very engineering-driven. The platform uses redundant Ethernet switching fabrics (LON1 and LON2 in London plus a series of regional IXPs), supports automation through a self-service portal and APIs, and offers free route servers, route collectors, and time servers to members. The LINX Protect DDoS mitigation layer is available across interconnection hubs at no extra charge to members using route servers, using RTBH and similar tactics to neutralize attack traffic while keeping legitimate sessions up. For members, this feels less like using a retail hosting provider and more like plugging directly into critical national and international infrastructure backed by a strong technical operations team and 24/7 support.

In short, LINX is aimed at networks and infrastructure providers, not at individuals. A small business looking for a simple WordPress site will typically benefit from LINX indirectly, through a hosting or cloud provider that is already a member. Once a provider or enterprise network reaches a certain scale, connecting to LINX becomes a strategic step to improve performance and control.

💰 Price & Cost

Pricing at LINX is based on membership plus service and port fees, rather than per-site or per-domain charges. The annual membership fee is set at £1,200 per year (equivalent to £100 per month). Membership includes a 10GE access port and 4 Gbps of peering bandwidth that can be spread across multiple LINX locations, with the potential to reach up to about 36 Gbps of total peering capacity when fully utilized across the UK, US and African hubs. For many networks, that bundle already represents a meaningful starting point.

Beyond the bundled capacity, the Service Fees schedule lists charges for:

• 10GE, 100GE and 400GE ports at different exchange locations.
• Fractional peering bandwidths (for example 3, 5, 10 Gbps and higher) that allow gradual scaling without immediately committing to the full capacity of a port.
• Additional services such as Cloud Connect, MAPS, Private Interconnect, Closed User Groups, colocation footprints, and cross-connects.

The fee tables make it relatively straightforward for a network to estimate its monthly recurring cost based on the mix of locations, ports and committed bandwidth it plans to use.

Invoicing is generally in GBP, but some services can be invoiced in USD or Kenyan Shillings (KES), reflecting the international footprint (for example, LINX NoVA in the US and the Kenyan exchanges in Mombasa and Nairobi). Payment options include bank transfer, standing orders and, in some cases, card payments; cheques and bank drafts are explicitly not accepted.

When services have been pre-paid and are later cancelled, any refund that is due is handled under the formal payment terms, usually within 30 days once the amount is agreed. This is treated as a contractual refund process, not a retail "30-day money-back guarantee" of the sort associated with consumer hosting. There is no generic, marketing-style money-back guarantee; instead, financial issues are managed through membership agreements and service contracts.

Overall, the cost structure is predictable and wholesale-oriented. It makes sense for organisations that move significant volumes of traffic or want to bring more of their routing under direct control, but it is not aimed at small retail customers.

🏢 Data Center

LINX runs a multi-site, multi-platform architecture that avoids single points of failure and lets members choose from a broad range of data centers. In London, the exchange is split into two independent platforms, LON1 and LON2, interconnected for resilience. These platforms are available from numerous carrier-neutral facilities, including major sites such as:

• Telehouse North, North 2, East, West and South in the Docklands area.
• Equinix LD4, LD5, LD6, LD8, LD9 and LD10 in Slough and London.
• Digital Realty London sites (for example LHR19, LHR20 and central London facilities).
• Other key facilities such as Iron Mountain in Slough, Colt Powergate, and Virtus in the London metro.

Members can connect from any supported site to reach all peers on that platform, and many locations have diverse fibre paths and redundant switching to minimize the impact of any local failure. Some of these sites act as transmission PoPs, while others host core switching infrastructure.

LINX also operates a number of regional and international exchange points, including:

• LINX Manchester, connecting over a hundred networks in one of the UK’s largest digital and media hubs.
• LINX Scotland, spanning sites near Edinburgh (South Gyle) and Glasgow (Airdrie), intentionally designed to keep Scottish traffic local rather than pushing everything back to London.
• LINX Wales, located at Vantage Data Centers in Newport, providing local interconnection for Welsh networks.
• LINX NoVA in Northern Virginia (USA), at the heart of one of the world’s densest carrier and cloud regions, near major subsea cable landings.
• LINX Mombasa and LINX Nairobi (Kenya), using modern facilities operated by partners such as IXAfrica and Africa Data Centres to anchor East African connectivity.
• LINX Accra (Ghana), built across data centers from Onix, PAIX and Digital Realty to offer redundant access in West Africa.
• Center3 IXs powered by LINX in Jeddah and Riyadh, extending the platform into Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

For organisations that want everything under one roof, LINX offers colocation services in selected sites. Members can rent ¼ racks, full racks or larger footprints, order cross-connects, and rely on remote-hands services where available. LINX-managed colocation is available in London, Manchester, Scotland, as well as at LINX NoVA and LINX Nairobi, giving members options to place routing hardware strategically close to their peers. Access to facilities follows strict security and access-control procedures.

Service reliability is underpinned by a formal Service Level Agreement (SLA). For members with 3 Gbps or more of peering bandwidth on LON1, LON2 or LINX Manchester, the SLA commits to 99.99% availability of the exchange fabric and a four-hour fault-resolution target for issues related to LINX-supported network equipment. Dual route servers, redundant switching, diverse site interconnects and constant monitoring add further resilience, which is essential for networks that depend on LINX for mission-critical traffic.

From the perspective of a hosting or content provider, the key point is that LINX connects into many top-tier data centers rather than a single proprietary facility. A member can choose the colocation provider that fits its own resilience, cost and compliance requirements, and still participate fully in the peering fabric.

✍️ Customer Support

LINX takes a support-heavy, engineering-first approach to operations. The organization is having a highly skilled technical team available 24/7/365 to deal with any issues that might affect members’ connectivity. This is critical, because many connected networks treat LINX as part of their core infrastructure rather than as a simple add-on.

Members have direct access to a dedicated Network Operations Centre (NOC) that works around the clock. While general enquiries and sales questions can be sent through web forms and standard contact channels, operational and incident-related communication is encouraged via the chat function in the Member Portal, which reaches the NOC team immediately.

In addition, LINX operates under ISO 27001 information-security certification and is FSQS registered, which matters for financial institutions and other organizations that must carry out stringent supplier due diligence. Regular member meetings, technical events and policy updates keep the community informed about platform changes, industry trends and regulatory developments that could affect interconnection.

Compared to low-cost hosting providers, where support may be email-only or limited to business hours, the LINX model feels closer to a network operator’s internal NOC: real engineers on shift, real-time communication, and procedures built around high availability.

🔨 Control Panel

LINX does not provide traditional web hosting control panels, because it does not sell site-level hosting. Instead, members interact with a web-based Member Portal that effectively acts as the control plane for their interconnection services. Through this portal, a member can:

• Request and manage peering ports and adjust fractional peering bandwidth.
• Order services like Cloud Connect, MAPS, Private Interconnect, Closed User Groups and colocation options.
• View detailed traffic statistics, port status and historical graphs.
• Access route-server and route-collector information and use looking-glass tools for troubleshooting.
• Open a chat session with the 24/7 NOC for operational questions or incident handling.

Automation and self-service are important aspects of how the portal works. Many tasks that used to require email back-and-forth with account managers can now be handled directly, and the platform is built with APIs and automation workflows in mind. For hosting companies and cloud providers that already run DevOps-style environments, this integrates well into existing processes.

🎯 Conclusion

LINX is not the right choice for someone looking for a cheap shared hosting account or a small VPS. It is a strategic interconnection platform designed for networks that run their own infrastructure and care deeply about routing, latency and resilience. ISPs, large hosting companies, CDNs, cloud providers, financial institutions and major online platforms are the natural customers.

The key strengths include:

• A large and diverse membership, meaning excellent peering opportunities and better traffic localization.
• A broad portfolio of interconnection services: peering, cloud connectivity, private interconnects, closed user groups and integrated DDoS protection.
• A carrier-neutral, multi-data-center footprint in London and across the UK, the US and Africa, with technology partnerships extending into the Middle East.
• A clear 99.99% uptime SLA (for qualifying members) and a network built with redundancy at its core.
• Strong 24/7 engineering support, coupled with recognized security and supplier-assessment credentials.

The main limitation is simply that LINX is wholesale infrastructure, not retail hosting. It assumes familiarity with BGP, ASN management and data center operations. Smaller companies and individuals will usually benefit indirectly by choosing hosting or connectivity providers that are already LINX members. There is also no consumer-style, flexible money-back guarantee; financial arrangements are governed by contracts and formal payment terms.

For any hosting company, carrier or large online service that has reached the point where transit bills are significant and performance needs to be tightly controlled, connecting to LINX can be a decisive move. For everyone else, LINX remains an important piece of the Internet’s backbone—one that is worth checking for in the technical credentials of their chosen provider.

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