What are your client / facility rules?

While we don’t look to rule with an iron fist over our facilities, we do have some general rules to follow that keep you, fellow clients and our team safe.

Please take a look at these general rules, and stick to them at all times during your clientship with us.

❌ No ID, no entry

We require all visitors to the data centre to have a valid form of photo ID with them. Even if you’re well known to our team, and visit the facility very frequently, you will be asked to show your ID.

If you do not have a valid form of photo ID (such as a driving licence or passport), or otherwise refuse to provide this when asked, you will not be permitted access to any of our data centres, whether that be a Netwise site, or a third party PoP.

❌ No food or drink in the data halls

While we appreciate you may need to eat and drink during your time on-site, we ask that this is never done inside the data halls please.

This ensures that our data halls stay free of unnecessary contaminates, and avoids any liquid spills that may cause electrical faults.

❌ No combustibles in the data halls

We do not allow for the storage of any combustibles in our data halls, for reasons of fire safety.

By removing one of the key pillars of the fire triangle, we’re able to dramatically reduce the risk of fire, which is good news for everyone.

Please use the build room for unboxing where possible, or unsure that packaging is swiftly broken down and removed from the data halls as soon as you can.

We can dispose or recycle packaging for you, once it’s been flattened down.

Anything that does need to be stored in your rack(s) / area(s) - such as spare components or cables - is best contained within plastic tubs, or in purpose-designed rack drawers.

We do not allow any other form of combustible material in our data halls, such as aerosols, batteries, or flammable liquids.

❌ Do not leave rack units open without blanking

Open rack units without equipment or cable / airflow management bars installed must have rack blanks fitted. We supply these in each data hall, which are free to use.

This is important, both for efficiency, and to ensure that the hot and cold sides of the air handling system do not mix.

Passing cabling from front-to-rear without use of proper airflow management bars will be in contravention of this rule, and may require significant (and potentially service-impacting) recabling to rectify, which is best avoided.

❌ Do not mount devices with incorrect airflow direction

All devices must push air through them from front-to-rear. This ensures that cool air from the cold aisle is ingested into your equipment, and exhausted into the hot extraction side as designed.

If you are rear-mounting a network (or similar) device, this will need to be a reverse airflow model to adhere to this rule. Otherwise, this will need to be blanked off at the front and siloed in the hot side, or front-mounted with the necessary airflow management bar for cable passthrough, such as a brush strip.

❌ Do not run your own cross-connects

Cross-connects between two remote end-points will need to be ordered from us, and will be installed by our team.

You are not permitted to run your own cross-connects, unless this has been pre-agreed as part of a continuous run of racks, or in your own private pod / suite / hall.

❌ Do not lift floor tiles

We do not allow client access to the underside of the raised floor.

Please do not raise floor tiles, as this will impact airflow within the data halls, and will expose you to potentially life-threatening power delivery systems - if you need to access under the floor for any reason, please let us know and we can handle this for you.

If you need to connect or disconnect your own PDUs from the power delivery systems under the floor, please request this from a member of our team.

❌ Do not tamper with equipment that isn’t your own

While all clients will have their equipment held within locked racks, should you find any open racks, unauthorised tampering with equipment is strictly forbidden.

Please ensure your own rack(s) or area(s) are closed and/or locked when you have completed your visit.

Unauthorised tampering with any equipment, whether that of another client or facility systems, will result in immediate ejection from the site. You may be subject to prosecution and will be held liable for any damages or any operating costs associated with tampering actions.

❌ Do not take photos without prior permission

Data centres are private spaces, and as such, we do not allow for photos to be taken within the facility without prior permission and guidance.

If you require use of high quality photos for your own marketing or website, please let us know and we can provide these and the required permissions for onward use where applicable.

❌ Ensure your power is balanced

Please ensure that dual-fed devices are connected to both A and B side PDUs, to balance the load in your rack(s). Single fed devices should be balanced across both PDUs where possible.

Balancing your power ensures safer failover should there be a need to drop to a single side, either for maintenance or during a fault.

We recommend that any single fed devices that are critical to your deployment are deployed via an ATS, or upgraded to dual-fed models where possible.

❌ Equipment should be in good working order

While equipment failures and faults can happen, we ask that all installed equipment is in good health, and is well maintained, to avoid any unnecessary issues.

If any newly installed equipment shows signs of failure or any other issue (such as smoking), please ensure that this device is powered down immediately, and let a member of our team know.

❌ Deliveries must be pre-notified

Please ensure that deliveries are notified to us ahead of arrival, using the dedicated Delivery Requests section within your customer portal.

Any deliveries that are not notified in advance using this tool may be rejected.

❌ No use of hot works tools

Please refrain from using any tools that will generate debris or smoke. This would include soldering irons and drills. There should never be any need for cutting equipment, and as such items like grinders and saws are forbidden for use by clients.

You’re welcome to use hand tools or basic, low-energy power tools to assist in the racking process, such as an electric driver, however if you’re unsure of suitability, please do let us know ahead of starting your work.

❌ Do not block or hold doors open

For reasons of security, please do not block or hold open any doors around the facility, as this may allow access to areas that some visitors may not otherwise be permitted.

Please also ensure that cold aisle containment doors are not held open, as this will cause airflow issues within the pod / hall. Data hall entrance doors must not be held open either, as this will allow air from the corridors to be drawn into the space, which will impact exhaust setpoints.

All facility doors are auto-closing, so you do not need to manually close them behind you.