Hybrid liquid and air cooling in networking equipment

A method of operating networking hardware, comprising steps of:

• operating the networking hardware in a substantially sealed environment where, internal to a housing of the networking hardware including a board, airflow is maintained and circulated therein;
• cooling the airflow at one or more paths internal to the housing, via one or more liquid cooled heat exchangers, wherein the one or more liquid cooled heat exchangers each includes a portion of the board, is disposed on the board, or is disposed in an opening formed in the board;
• wicking condensate from the one or more liquid cooled heat exchangers via a hydrophilic wicking material coated on a plurality of fins of the one or more liquid cooled heat exchangers to a condensation collection system;
• and
• operating at least one fan disposed, each near the one or more liquid cooled heat exchangers, to provide cool airflow from the liquid cooled heat exchanger to at least one a plurality of components internal to the housing,
• wherein the condensation collection system is configured to maintain any condensate away from the plurality of components, the condensation collection system including:
• a reservoir, wherein the hydrophilic wicking material extends continuously from the liquid cooled heat exchanger to the reservoir such that condensate is wicked from the liquid cooled heat exchanger to the reservoir, and
• wherein the reservoir is at least one of coated with or fully constructed of a further hydrophilic wicking material such that, when a temperature of the heat exchanger is above a dew point of the provided cool airflow, the condensate wicked to the reservoir is wicked back to the liquid cooled heat exchanger to evaporate the condensate into the provided cool airflow.