When it comes to getting more out of WordPress page out, it is not enough to install a nice WordPress theme and write on it. Thanks to numerous WordPress plugins, not only WordPress can be extended by many functions, but also the loading time can be reduced significantly.
As CDN is a network of regionally distributed servers that are used to store large media files (videos, images, scripts). With regard to YouTube, for example, one can speak of a CDN, since the videos are located on many servers worldwide and are made available via a content delivery network (CDN).
However, the CDN principle is not only used for videos, but also in relation to filesthat can be delivered using the Cache System. This includes JPG, GIF, JavaScript or HTML files. So that the files do not have to be downloaded from your own server, they can be stored in the CDN as well, thus saving traffic and conserving the server's resources while maximizing the requests from the browser.
Setting up CDN - first steps
In order to set up your own CDN, some preparations must be made in advance. As in most cases, it is also necessary to set up your website including the SQL database, because if something goes wrong or doesn't work as desired, the old state of the WordPress site can easily be restored with the backup.
To ensure that the CDN for the WordPress page works smoothly and that there is no major downtime, some information must be obtained in advance.
This includes setting up the sub-domain, determining the absolute server path of the sub-domain, moving the media library files to the sub-domain, updating the SQL database of the WordPress page, adjusting the WordPress settings, and informing the search engines about the changed structure.
Advantages of a CDN
A content delivery network is especially useful for websites with large content. However, smaller WordPress sites also benefit from the advantages of this technology. The advantages of a CDN are the reduced response timewhich results from the reduced distance between visitor and server.
In addition, there is also the saving of traffic on the main server, since most of the traffic is carried out via the CDN and thus the great relief of the own server as well as the possibility of load sharing.
Different options
If a CDN is to be used, it should always be remembered that there are two different options for using the CDN. The first option is called Customer Origin, where all data remains on your own server and the respective provider automatically synchronizes it with all its worldwide servers.
The big advantage of this is that the data does not have to be copied to any location and no changes have to be made in WordPress.
The second variant is called CDN storage, whereby all data to be delivered with the CDN is located on the storage of the respective provider.
The additional storage is usually subject to a charge and care must be taken to ensure that the data to be delivered is always transferred to the CDN storage. WordPress offers different plugins for this purpose.
Use CDN for free
To be able to use a CDN for free, Cloudflare offers some possibilities. As a complete solution for web security and speed optimization, the service can also be used as CDN in a simple way.
To do this, simply install a new domain at the service for free and direct the DNS entry to the IP of the server. All links to the static files can then be redirected to the new domain.
From then on Cloudflare all static content free of charge, with no hidden costs or restrictions. Many Web host offer Cloudflare also free of charge in the packages. Then you also have the Cloudflare Web Application Firewall and various professional features that are otherwise only included in the business version.
