{"id":1074,"date":"2021-03-17T11:01:18","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T09:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=1074"},"modified":"2022-05-19T18:24:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T15:24:05","slug":"what-is-a-cdn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/what-is-a-cdn\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a CDN?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s no point in having a website laden with information that users can’t access. While this may happen due to several factors like poor network or DNS failure, a faulty CDN could also be a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"What<\/span><\/p>\n

CDN stands for Content Delivery Network. It <\/span>stores static contents<\/b> (<\/span>images, JavaScript, and CSS files<\/span><\/i>) within its network and <\/span>delivers them swiftly to users<\/b> from all over the globe.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 400,000 websites out of 1,000,000 top websites globally store their website content in a CDN.\u00a0 <\/span>It <\/b>reduces website loading speed<\/b><\/a> and <\/span>prevents traffic spike issues<\/b> by using many proxy servers in different parts of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, when you search for information online, CDNs use your closest server to create the connection.\u00a0 CDNs also <\/span>store dynamic website contents<\/b> and protect against potential site crashes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s take an in-depth look at the <\/span>Content Delivery Network<\/b><\/a> and why you should store your web content on it.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does a CDN Work?<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A lot happens when people try to visit your site online. <\/span>On one hand<\/b>, the DNS servers try to sync your domain name with a matching IP address to bring up a web page.\u00a0 <\/span>On the other hand<\/b>, CDN servers accelerate the delivery of your static content saved on their servers. That way, your web visitors get a smooth user experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break it down further.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Say you type <\/span>www.scalahosting.com<\/span><\/a> on your browser. The computer sends a request that passes through several servers and routers to reach Scala Hosting’s server.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Scala Hosting\u2019s server is in the US. For example, if you stay in New Zealand, that would mean you\u2019re requesting <\/span>to access content<\/b> from a server in the US.<\/span><\/p>\n

A CDN server delivers parts of scalahosting.com from various locations closest to you, thereby reducing the distance between you and the web server<\/span>. The closer your device gets to the server, the faster you get your results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CDN servers have two essential components known as the Points Of Presence (POP) and Edge Servers. These servers route web traffic, mitigate attacks and increase loading speed.<\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re at populated locations around the globe <\/span>to establish efficient networks<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So if your website has got CDN features, your content will be on multiple CDN servers through a process called <\/span>caching<\/b>. Each time a user accesses your site, a CDN server retrieves cached content from your origin server.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a CDN Point of Presence (POP)?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Point of Presence (POP) plays an <\/span>essential role<\/b> in a Content Delivery Network. It refers to the physical data centers positioned at many locations. These data centers enable online users to content nearest to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, a London visitor requesting to view content from a US-based server may encounter a slow loading issue. But, using a local UK server (POP) can <\/span>hasten the loading speed<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"What<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Image credit: Sam Churchill via Flickr<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The CDN keeps a cached form<\/b> of your site contents at various physical locations. These locations are called Points of Presence (POP).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The whole point of this is <\/span>to direct a user\u2019s request to the closest POP<\/b>, such that when they request content from a site, the nearest POP receives it and delivers the content.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contents here expand beyond web content only. It also includes audio streams, OS updates, games, apps, HD, and 4K videos.<\/span><\/p>\n

The POP has its caching servers responsible for <\/span>providing content in the user area<\/b>. It comprises one or more edge servers positioned at Internet Exchange Points (IXP). Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use these data centers to interlink their networks.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are CDN Edge Servers?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Like POPs, Edge servers are also responsible for making content <\/span>more accessible to users <\/b>through edge computing.<\/span><\/p>\n

CDN edge servers function in <\/span>moving data exchange points<\/b> from a busy central location to the network edge and then nearer to end-users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The end-point users own devices that let them instantly consume the content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This could be:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • mobile phones<\/span><\/li>\n
  • laptops<\/span><\/li>\n
  • personal computers<\/span><\/li>\n
  • other devices<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Unlike the POP-single servers in one area, edge servers are located in scanty new Internet Exchange Points (IXPs).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Edge servers allow <\/span>the use of defensive techniques<\/b> near the end-user. Thus, they provide tight network security.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Why Do You Need a CDN?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    As mentioned, CDNs offer <\/span>blazing fast website speed while lowering latency<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Though it provides a superior user experience for your site visitors, the truth is, if most of your users are in one area, the benefits will be negligible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    That aside, you\u2019ll need a CDN for various reasons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    These reasons may include:<\/b><\/p>\n

      \n
    • The inability to provide quick internet service<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Providing diverse content types to your audience<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Device detection, and<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Data security\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      CDN curbs situations like these by providing fast loading speed and website stability. Asides from this, there are several other reasons why you should consider a CDN for your website.<\/span><\/p>\n

      We\u2019ll talk about them in a few.<\/span><\/p>\n

      To Improve User Experience<\/b><\/h3>\n

      If you have a global audience, <\/span>a CDN will cache static resources<\/b> on edge servers nearer to your users.\u00a0 It is perfect for website owners creating images and intensive bandwidth video content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      The page loading speed of your site <\/span>will deliver content faster and improve users\u2019 experience<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      To Increase Speed and Reduce Latency\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

      A two-second load time may not be feasible for your website, but five seconds can cost you <\/span>38 percent of your customers.\u00a0 <\/b>CDNs reduce website average loading speed by <\/span>shortening the distance<\/b> between the servers and users.\u00a0 Fast websites also <\/span>enhance user experience<\/b> and <\/span>Search Engine Optimization<\/b> (SEO).<\/span><\/p>\n

      For Efficient and Secure Delivery of Content<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Using the Content Delivery Network (CDN) secures your WordPress site. <\/span>It prevents an attack<\/b> from the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS). Thus blocks harmful requests from affecting your database.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Also, a few CDNs provide <\/span>extra firewall protection<\/b> and <\/span>two-factor authentication<\/b>. Another option to use is its <\/span>Bot filtering feature<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      For Site Stability During Traffic Spikes\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

      If you don\u2019t enable CDN features on your website, you might experience a sudden surge in traffic, <\/span>making it crash or become inaccessible to users<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Your hosting provider and pricing plan may also contribute to this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      How?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

      Subscribing to a smaller plan <\/span>limits your user visits<\/b> and other features. So, when your website attracts a higher traffic number than your hosting plan, it crashes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      A CDN allows you to reduce this risk by sharing the load to many servers. This guarantees a smooth and stable website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Rounding Up\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

      Content Delivery Networks (CDN) allow <\/span>reliable, stable, and efficient delivery<\/b> of website content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      We recommend storing your website content in a CDN, especially if you are running a long-term profitable business. This requires you to choose a suitable hosting plan with a reliable hosting provider.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Scala Hosting offers free <\/span>CDN services<\/b>, alongside <\/span>free SSL<\/b> and <\/span>unlimited bandwidth<\/b> to cater to all your hosting needs.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      There’s no point in having a website laden with information that users can’t access. While this may happen due to several factors like poor network or DNS failure, a faulty CDN could also be a problem. CDN stands for Content Delivery Network. It stores static contents (images, JavaScript, and CSS files) within its network and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-web-hosting"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1074"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1074\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4579,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1074\/revisions\/4579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}