By Anna Nilsen
Today, the majority of web traffic, including traffic from leading players like Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook, is served through a content delivery network (CDN). In basic terms, a CDN consists of geographically distributed servers that provide the fast delivery of online content, from HTML pages and JavaScript files to stylesheets and videos. A CDN does not actually host content, so it cannot replace web hosting, but it does cache content at the network edge. That means website performance is improved, interruptions in service are prevented, and security is enhanced. At the end of the day, CDNs relieve many of the problems that can come with traditional web hosting. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of using a content delivery network.
Streaming videos is becoming ever more popular, but whatever type of content you stream, you will want it to be speedy and lag-free. By connecting servers across the globe, a CDN creates a path that reduces the time required to send video streams from the origin to users. Basically, CDNs enable quick and uninterrupted streaming. So, whether you are in the United States, China, or Finland, if you want to stream casino games or video games to platforms like Twitch, a CDN can make sure your broadcast is fluid. Furthermore, sharing the load across a network enhances scalability too, meaning CDNs are able to effortlessly accommodate large live audiences and viewership spikes when streaming to platforms like Twitch.
Bandwidth consumption costs are the main expenses for website hosting. But CDNs, via caching and other optimizations, can reduce the amount of data an origin server provides, meaning they can reduce the expense of hosting a website.
A CDN delivers content at low latency, and using speedy networks, content can be delivered to global audiences. Even if your local network or ISP causes slow delivery, a CDN helps you to bypass any of the traffic in between, thus providing quicker load times for websites and individual web pages. Seeing as visitors to websites are more likely to leave slow-loading websites, a CDN can help to reduce bounce rates and increase the time visitors spend on a site.
A CDN does not only make website loading times faster. It also provides greater data security. For instance, websites are kept safe with fresh SSL certificates to ensure a high level of authentication and encryption. CDNs also help to prevent DDoS attacks. That is because CDNs with multiple access points cause failover.
When large amounts of traffic or failures of hardware interrupt website-function, it can be a major problem. But with a CDN, thanks to its distributed nature, a greater level of traffic can be handled and hardware failures can be withstood more.
It is clear that content delivery networks have many benefits, so you may be feeling ready to use a CDN. But before you do, you need to know that there are various types available. You will find general-purpose CDNs, live-video CDNS, and on-demand CDNS, so it is important you choose the right one for your needs. In addition, you can choose from private networks and internet-based networks that integrate with online video platforms. So, that is a good option for live streaming. You should also be aware that not all CDNs support high-definition videos, and you should check that the CDN supports mobile delivery. Different CDNs have different analytics capabilities as well. So, make sure you look at the specific features to ensure you choose the right one.
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