CloudCone Launches CDN Nexus with Asian Nodes: A Quick Start Guide
CloudCone has long offered CDN services, but the previous functionality was limited and lacked Asian nodes. Last month, after receiving an email notification from CloudCone, I learned about their new CDN service, CDN Nexus. I selected an Asian node package to activate and test.
CloudCone Registration
CloudCone is a US-based hosting provider founded in 2017, primarily offering VPS, cloud servers, CDN, and email services. The company's VPS prices are extremely affordable, and they frequently run promotions, earning them the nickname "price butcher" in the overseas VPS market.
CloudCone Registration Link: https://app.cloudcone.com.cn/?ref=1003
CloudCone CDN Nexus Service
Address: https://cloudcone.com/cdn/?ref=1003 (May require a proxy to access)
Recently, I received an email from CloudCone informing them of their new CDN service. After checking it out, I found the pricing is average, but it supports Asian nodes, which is a great benefit for domains without ICP filing. Interested users can click the link above for more details.
CloudCone CDN Nexus Features
- Supports global node coverage, including Asia
- Supports custom hostnames (back-to-origin Host), a feature common in domestic CDNs but rare in foreign ones
- Free SSL: One-click SSL activation on the CDN without needing to upload your own certificate
- Supports Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- Supports hotlink protection
- Supports URL signing (URL authentication)
Quick Start
I spent a "huge" sum of $6.68/month to activate a package covering Asian nodes. It includes only 100GB of traffic per month. While this price is higher than domestic CDNs, the benefits are no ICP filing requirement and coverage of Asian nodes.
After purchase, add a domain. First, select the back-to-origin protocol, then set the back-to-origin address. The address can be a domain name or IP + port, offering good flexibility.
Once the domain is added successfully, a CDN alias address will be assigned, such as xxx.r.cloudnexus.cc. Use a CNAME record to point your domain to this alias and wait a few minutes for it to take effect.
After the alias resolution is successful, you can click "Enable SSL" to activate the free SSL. There is no need to upload your own certificate. The system indicates it will take about 10 minutes to take effect, showing that CloudCone CDN Nexus uses Let's Encrypt SSL certificates.
In the "Options" section, you can modify the back-to-origin address, set cache times, and enable CORS headers. However, it appears that caching cannot be set by path or extension. If this is the case, it is only suitable for purely dynamic or purely static scenarios. For mixed dynamic and static scenarios, cache control is difficult.
In the "Security" section, you can configure security settings such as "Block Search Engines," "Password Protection," "URL Signing," "Hotlink Protection," and "IP Blocking."
In the "WAF" section, you can enable the Web Application Firewall and select various security protection features to enable or disable as needed.
I tested the website speed, and the results were good, showing a green status across the board.
Checking the nodes, the Asian nodes include Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. The service is honest and transparent.
However, the total number of CDN nodes is not large, around 10. The Asian nodes are primarily based in Taiwan.
Since the package I selected included Asian node coverage, if you choose a package covering other regions, it may not include Asian nodes. Therefore, I did not test each region individually.
Conclusion
CloudCone CDN Nexus has moderate pricing, and its CDN functions are suitable for most scenarios, making it easy to get started. Unfortunately, it does not support setting cache by path and extension. Additionally, CloudCone CDN Nexus provides free SSL certificates, which is very convenient as no upload is required. The number of nodes in Asia is average. Speed tests during the day were good, but further testing is needed during peak evening hours.
CloudCone Registration Link: https://app.cloudcone.com.cn/?ref=1003