Before you start

1. Select an access point

An access point is a location where Alibaba Cloud provides network services. Multiple links are available at access points for you to connect your on-premises data center to Alibaba Cloud. Before you use a physical connection to Alibaba Cloud, you must obtain the specific locations of access points. Before you use a physical connection to Alibaba Cloud, you must to determine the specific location of the access point.

2. Check available resources

After you determine the access point, service provider, and port type, you can go to the payment page in the Express Connect console, and check whether the resources you require are available for purchase.

1. Go to the Express Connect-Port Initialization for Physical Connection page.
2. Set Region, SP, Access Point, Understand Billing Rules, and Redundant Connection ID. Click Buy Now.
3. Check the configurations of the physical connection interface and click Pay.
4. Check the message that appears on the page.
   • After you click Pay, a payment page appears, it means the resources you require are available at the selected access point.
     Notice Do not click Confirm Payment.
     
   • After you click Pay, if the system indicates that the activation failed, the required resources are unavailable at the specified access point. You must select another access point.

3. Contact the service provider to perform a site survey

After you determine the access point and obtain the location of the access point, you must consult the service provider about a connection solution and require the service provider to perform a site survey.

1. Consult your service provider about how to build a leased line between your on-premises data center and the specified Alibaba Cloud access point.
2. After you and your service provider confirm the connection plan, you must to apply for a site survey in the data center where the Alibaba Cloud access point is located.

   You must provide required information, including names, ID numbers, and contact information of the service provider engineers who will perform the site survey.

3. After your application is approved, Alibaba Cloud helps the engineers finish the site survey within two workdays.
4. Contact the service provider to perform the site survey and ask for a price quote for end-to-end resources. Relevant fees include:
   • Alibaba Cloud charges a one-time initial installation fee and a resource occupation fee for the port used in the connection.
   • The service provider charges a rental fee for the leased line used to connect your on-premises data center to the access point.
   • The data center provider may charge an indoor cable fee. Data centers of all access points are owned by service providers and third-party providers, for an exception of the Hangzhou-Yuhang-A-Ali access point and access points in China (Zhangjiakou) which are owned by Alibaba Cloud. Therefore, you may need to purchase indoor cables in the data center building from the data center provider.
   • The provider of your on-premises data center may charge fees for cable connections and use of indoor cables
     Note Before your service provider performs the site survey at the Alibaba Cloud access point, follow these rules:

     • For data centers within mainland China, the service provider can apply to enter the room dedicated to Alibaba Cloud devices and perform a site survey.
     • For data centers outside mainland China, the service provider can perform the site survey at the Meet-Me-Room instead of the dedicated room of Alibaba Cloud. Therefore, site surveys outside mainland China do not require applications or approvals by Alibaba Cloud.
     • To obtain detailed locations of Alibaba Cloud access points, submit a ticket.

Access point locations

To help you select an appropriate access point, the following table lists the landmarks within 5 kilometers away from the Alibaba Cloud access points. For more information about detailed locations of access points, submit a ticket.