Express Connect provides a secure and convenient method to connect your data center to Alibaba Cloud. You can use an Express Connect circuit provided by a connectivity provider to connect your data center to an Alibaba Cloud access point. Connections over Express Connect circuits are not exposed to the Internet. Compared with Internet connections, connections over Express Connect circuits are safer and faster with higher reliability and lower network latency.

You can create point-to-point Ethernet connections or multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) VPN connections. By default, connections over Express Connect circuits support the following ports: 1000BASE-LX, 10GBASE-LR, 100BASE-T, RJ45, and LC ports that support a transmission distance of up to 10 km. These ports have a transmission rate that ranges from 1 Gbit/s to 100 Gbit/s.
Note If the model of the copper Ethernet port that you use is obsolete, the port may not support the advanced features of Express Connect. If you use a copper Ethernet port, contact your connectivity provider to replace the copper Ethernet port with an optical port.

Connection methods

Connections over Express Connect circuits include the following types:
  • Dedicated connections over Express Connect circuits

    To connect your data center to Alibaba Cloud, you can use a dedicated Express Connect circuit from a connectivity provider. You can apply for a dedicated Express Connect circuit in the Express Connect console. For more information, see Create and manage a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit.

  • Hosted connections over Express Connect circuits

    The access points of Express Connect partners are already connected to the access points of Alibaba Cloud. You can contact an Express Connect partner to use a hosted connection over an Express Connect circuit. In this case, the connection is shared by multiple tenants. For more information, see Operation guide for Express Connect partners.

Query the locations of access points

Note
  • Before you can query the locations of access points, you need to log on to the Express Connect or Quota Center console and apply for the quota whose name and ID are ec_can_get_pconn_address and q_db41hu. Wait 10 to 15 minutes after you submit the application because the system needs to refresh the cache. For more information about how to request a quota increase, see Adjust quotas.
  • You can query the access point locations of only dedicated Express Connect circuits.
  • Before you query the locations of access points, make sure that a dedicated Express Connect circuit is installed. For more information, see Create and manage a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit.
You can use one of the following methods to query the locations of access points in the Express Connect console:
  • View the location of an access point on the Physical Connection page:
    1. On the Physical Connection page, find the Express Connect circuit that you want to view.
    2. Move the pointer over the 叹号 icon in the Access Point column. Then, the access point location and access device details of the Express Connect circuit are displayed.
  • View the location of an access point on the details page of the Express Connect circuit:
    1. On the Physical Connection page, click the ID of the Express Connect circuit that you want to view.
    2. The location of the access point is displayed in the Basic Information section.