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Our Network


XLHost’s no compromises network is built for reliability, performance, and scalability. These goals are achieved through a number of unique methods, all of which are designed to meet or exceed the expectations of our clients and partners. XLHost is pleased to deploy Cisco routers and switches alongside Foundry Networks content switching/load balancing devices. Whether you are managing a single virtual private server or hundreds of dedicated servers you or your organization will benefit from XLHost’s no compromises network.

Performance is achieved on XLHost’s network through a number of unique methods including:
  • "No distribution" switching, every dedicated server on XLHost’s network is physically connected directly to a Cisco Catalyst 6500 access switch. By removing the distribution layer XLHost eliminates a possible point of failure, latency, and packet loss from your hosting experience. Many dedicated server providers oversubscribe their access layer which can cause numerous performance issues.
  • By choosing to partner with only the finest Internet transit carriers in the world including Level3, Global Crossing, and TWTelecom; XLHost ensures that your dedicated server always meets or exceeds your performance requirements.
  • XLHost’s routing tables are updated hundreds of thousands of times per day, automatically. Many dedicated server providers tout their usage of BGP as a performance enhancement. The truth is BGP is only a traffic director. BGP has no performance basis to use to decide which path is the fastest and has the least amount of packet loss. XLHost’s network constantly tests all of our connections to find the best route to use to specific destinations (up to thirty thousand times per minute). Based on this performance data, routing decisions are made and trouble avoided.


Image: Our advanced network searching for optimal routing paths on the internet.
These are some of the ways that XLHost ensures network reliability:
  • Physical connection diversity: We connect with our Internet transit partners via multiple protected fiber-optic entry points into our state of the art datacenter.
  • N+1 peak bandwidth availability: XLHost constantly makes available two times its average peak bandwidth plus an additional 1/3rd as a backup to make sure we are ready when you are.
  • Multiple Internet connections (BGP4) to Level3, Global Crossing, TWTelecom, and more.
  • All core and edge network devices are both chassis redundant (duplicate systems) and have redundant power supplies, processors, modules, and connections to the network. All redundant systems are hot and push traffic to eliminate convergence time inherit in hot-cold network scenarios.
Scalability is achieved through:
  • XLHost’s no compromises network commitment means that our network will exceed performance requirements at every layer and be upgradable without impacting client performance or operation. The routers and switches XLHost employs are capable of switching 720Gbps per chassis or 40Gbps per slot.