Chicago and New York Data Centers

Why Steadfast Networks is the place to be.

Steadfast Networks operates out of its own state of the art data centers located in downtown Chicago, Illinois (350 E Cermak Rd. Suite 240 and 725 S Wells St. 8th Floor) and in the heart of Manhattan, New York City (121 Varick St. 6th Floor). The data centers offer complete redundancy in power, HVAC, network connectivity, and security. The datacenter facilities sit atop multiple power grids, with full UPS battery backup power and a diesel generators onsite. Our network is supplied by several separate networks including, Level(3), NTT, Tinet, and nLayer. Dozens more third party backbone providers are available in the building via cross connect, such as MCI, Global Crossing, Abovenet, Qwest, XO Communication, Sprint, Williams, and Cogent. The fiber provided to the data centers is also provided over redundant paths, with diverse entry points and building riser. The data center facilities have been built to meet the high demands and reliability of telecommunications providers and Fortune 500 companies.

We are always happy to give tours of all of our facilities. Simply contact us to schedule a tour.

The Facilities

• 350 E Cermak Road, Chicago, IL (chi01-chi02) - Our original facility with phases built in each 2001, 2005, and 2009. It is the primary carrier hotel in Chicago with direct access, through Equinix and the building meet-me-room (MMR), to hundreds of networks. Ideal for those in need of diverse connectivity or for trading/financial purposes due to the proximity to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in addition to many other financial networks and exchanges.
• 725 S Wells Street, Chicago, IL (chi18) - Our newest facility, completed in 2010 with planned expansion for late 2011. It offers direct connectivity to 350 E Cermak Rd along with a building MMR consisting of Abovenet, Cogent, RCN, Verizon, Qwest, and others. As a whole, the facility offers strong connectivity options in a downtown location for those needing a lower price point than is possible out of 350 E Cermak Rd.
• 121 Varick Street, Manhattan, NY (nyc16) - A new facility completed in early 2010 with planned expansion in 2011. The facility offers easy connectivity to New York's premier carrier hotels, including 111 8th and 60 Hudson. Since the facility itself is not in a primary carrier hotel the pricing is some of the best in Manhattan.

Click the links above to download the PDF data sheets for the specific facilities. The rest of the page provides general information applicable to all of our data centers.

Why are we based out of Chicago?

More long haul fiber goes through Chicago than any other city in the United States. Most of the fiber connecting the East and West coasts of the United States goes through Chicago, giving Chicago ample network capacity as well as routes that offer low latency to both the East and West coasts. Chicago also has an extremely low occurence of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, floods, and earthquakes compared to most of the rest of the United States, meaning there is a reduced risk of outages due to natural disasters. In addition, Chicago has a much lower average cost of living compared to other major markets such as New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC. The lower cost of living reduces the expenses we incur as a whole and allows us to pass those savings on to you.

Fire Suppression System

A state-of-the-art fire suppression system constantly monitors the physical environment for smoke, chemicals and other hazardous materials that might spark a fire. The data center uses a dual-interlock pre-action sprinkler system throughout the facility. These pipes are dry-filled with compressed air - until two alarm conditions are reached thereby releasing the valve to charge the system. Water is only released in the area when a sprinkler head has lost its seal, or is actuated, due to heat, and the fire detection system has detected a fire condition. If a head is accidentally knocked off, water does not flow into the system. Any water discharged will be sprinkler-head specific, which will limit the potential for damage caused by over-spray.

Redundant and Precise HVAC System

Air control is critical in maintaining fast, efficient performance from our customers' equipment. To create the right environment, the data center is fitted with a comprehensive HVAC system that delivers constant, ideal air conditions, between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit and between 40% and 50% relative humidity at all times. Our HVAC system uses efficient and effective chilled water cooling, not a standard forced/chilled air configuration. HVAC systems maintain a minimum of N+1 redundancy, allowing the data center to maintain a constant, cool environment that is conducive to our customers' mission-critical equipment and operations.

Redundant Power and UPS

The power systems are equipped with a level of redundancy that guarantees continuous operation. To ensure that the data center is always operational all the time, a multi-layer power generation system, using some of the highest grade equipment available, is in place. Conditioned AC power with two independent A & B power buses, respectively, is available. In addition, UPS, battery and diesel generators back up every power system. Unlike some other data centers the climate control and security measures are also backed up with redundant power to ensure clean operation during power outages. The UPS systems maintain three hours of battery backup and a 2 MW diesel generator is onsite for longer outages. If there are issues with the diesel generator the three hours of battery backup gives ample time to dispatch a portable diesel generator system, if needed.

Security

Visual confirmation and strict sign-in procedures, both conducted by trained security personnel, along with key cards, and photo ID verification ensure that only authorized personnel have access to our data center. No customers are allowed in our space unattended and staff is on-site 24/7. In addition, all aspects of the data center are monitored and recorded via color, hi-resolution digital video cameras. All video footage is kept on hand for a period of at least 30 days.

More Information/Pictures

For more information and pictures regarding our data center please check our official Data Center Pictures thread on the forums. Also, if you want to see more or have any questions, don't heistate to ask in that thread.