You’ve probably used an internet testing tool like https://fast.com/# to test your internet at home.
When you test your Internet speed, you typically measure only the speed at which data moves between you and your Internet Service Provider (ISP), not the entire journey to the website or service you’re accessing.
Think of your internet connection as a highway with multiple stops along the way.
Peered links:
This is like having a straight road from your house to your neighbor’s house. Direct connection is fast but expensive.
CDN caching:
Think of it as copies of popular websites and content stored in other nearby locations. It’s like having a local store with the items you need so you don’t have to drive far to get them.
Routed links:
This is the most common way data moves on the Internet. It’s like driving from your home to a friend’s house, but instead of a direct route, you have to pass through multiple roads, intersections, and highways maintained by different actors. There will be some delay at each stop.
When you pay for internet bandwidth, you’re essentially paying to speed up the first leg from your home to your ISP. But beyond that, it’s like driving on a public road where the speed limit doesn’t really matter once you enter a highway or an intersection.
Bandwidth and latency:
Network bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be sent over a network connection in a given amount of time. For example, if your internet plan advertises a download speed of 100 Mbps, it theoretically means that your internet service provider to your modem should be able to transfer up to 100 megabits of data per second.
However, it is important to note that faster bandwidth does not necessarily mean better performance. One important factor to consider is latency. Latency is the delay between sending a request and receiving a response on the network. Long delays can be frustrating for users, such as slow loading web pages and unresponsive links.
