Servers Australia colocation services are provided with redundant network connectivity by default. Each colocation service is provisioned with two physical switch ports on the same edge switch to provide resilience against individual port or cable failures.
By default, both ports are active and connected to the same network. These ports are not bonded or aggregated unless explicitly requested.
To ensure stable network operation, customer equipment must be configured correctly when using these connections.
Default Switch Port Behaviour
Customer-facing colocation switch ports are configured as edge ports and are intentionally isolated from customer network control protocols.
Key characteristics of these ports include:
Ports operate as edge ports and do not participate in customer spanning tree domains
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) control traffic is filtered on these interfaces
Discovery protocols such as CDP and LLDP are disabled
Storm control is enabled to protect the wider network
This configuration protects the stability of the Servers Australia network and other customers but means that loop prevention does not occur automatically between the two provided ports.
Supported Configurations
To safely use the provided colocation network ports, customers must implement one of the following supported configurations.
Option 1: Connect Ports to Separate Devices
Customers may connect each provided switch port to a separate device.
In this configuration:
Each port connects to a different physical device
No Layer 2 bridging occurs between the two ports
Redundancy is achieved at the device or routing level
This option is suitable for customers deploying dual firewalls, routers, or servers and eliminates the risk of Layer 2 loops.
Option 2: Request a Bonded LACP Connection
Customers may request that both switch ports be configured as a bonded Link Aggregation Group (LAG) using LACP.
In this configuration:
Both physical ports operate as a single logical interface
LACP is enabled and correctly configured on the customer device
LACP is configured on Servers Australia network equipment
Important notes:
LACP is not enabled by default
Configuration of LACP on Servers Australia network equipment is a billable service and may incur additional costs
Customers must contact Servers Australia support to request LACP configuration before connecting both ports
This is the only supported method for operating both ports in an active/active configuration on a single device.
Option 3: Use Layer 3 Only Connectivity
Customers may choose to avoid Layer 2 connectivity entirely and configure Layer 3 networking directly on their interfaces.
In this configuration:
Public IP addresses are configured directly on the customer interface
No Layer 2 bridging occurs between ports
Each port operates independently at Layer 3
This option is suitable for customers with routing-capable equipment and removes the risk of Layer 2 loops.
About Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
Customers may use Spanning Tree Protocol within their own networks to manage redundancy between internal devices.
However:
Servers Australia colocation switch ports do not participate in customer STP domains
STP control traffic is filtered on customer-facing ports
STP must not be relied upon to prevent loops between the two provided switch ports
STP is not a supported method for managing redundant connections to Servers Australia colocation switches.
Responsibility and Support
Customers are responsible for the configuration of their own equipment. Servers Australia provides physical connectivity and network access but does not manage customer device configurations unless explicitly contracted.
If you are unsure which configuration is appropriate for your environment, please contact Servers Australia support before connecting both ports.
Summary
Each colocation service includes two network switch ports for physical redundancy. To safely use these ports, customers must implement one of the following:
Connect each port to a separate device
Request a bonded LACP configuration (additional cost applies)
Use Layer 3 only connectivity
Using both ports on a single device without LACP is not supported and may result in service disruption.