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Networking Beginner

What is Content Delivery Network (CDN)?

A geographically distributed network of servers that caches and delivers web content from locations closest to users for faster load times.

CDNs reduce latency by serving content from edge servers near users instead of a distant origin server. They cache static assets (images, CSS, JavaScript, fonts) and can also cache dynamic content with proper configuration. Major CDN providers include Cloudflare, Fastly, Akamai, and AWS CloudFront. CDNs also provide DDoS protection (absorbing attack traffic across their network), SSL/TLS termination, image optimization, and web application firewall (WAF) capabilities. Configuration involves pointing DNS to the CDN, setting cache rules (TTL, cache keys), and defining origin pull behavior. Modern CDNs support edge computing (running code at edge locations) for personalization and A/B testing.

Related Terms

HTTPS Everywhere
The practice of securing all web traffic with TLS encryption, ensuring data integrity and privacy between browsers and servers.
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
The routing protocol that makes the internet work by exchanging routing information between autonomous systems.
Network Packet
A formatted unit of data carried over a network, containing headers with routing information and a payload with the actual data.
DNS Record Types
Different types of DNS entries that map domain names to various information like IP addresses, mail servers, and verification strings.
Network Bridge
A device or software that connects two or more network segments at the data link layer, forwarding traffic based on MAC addresses.
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)
A protocol that maps IP addresses to physical MAC addresses on a local network segment.
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