Speed Tiers

Optimize edge routing, caching, and protocol optimization based on your performance requirements.

Last updated: March 12, 2025

Overview

CloudNexus Speed Tiers allow you to balance performance, cost, and geographic coverage. Each tier upgrades edge routing algorithms, TLS/QUIC handling, cache hit optimization, and latency targets. You can assign a tier per zone or globally via the console, CLI, or API.

ℹ️

Tiers are applied at the DNS level. Switching tiers typically propagates in 30–60 seconds due to anycast routing adjustments.

Tier Comparison

Tier	Edge Nodes	TLS / QUIC	Geo-Steering	Target Latency	Base Pricing
Base	85+	TLS 1.2/1.3	Continental	< 45ms (avg)	$0/mo + egress
Accelerated	240+	TLS 1.3, QUIC	Regional	< 25ms (avg)	$12/mo per zone
Ultra	410+	QUIC, TLS 1.3, Early Data	City-Level	< 12ms (avg)	$39/mo per zone
Enterprise	All (500+)	Custom, Private Routes	Custom + AI Routing	< 5ms (avg)	Custom SLA

Configuration

Console

Navigate to Network > CDN > Zones
Select your zone from the dropdown
Under Performance, locate the Speed Tier selector
Choose your tier and click Apply Changes

CLI

Use the cloudnexus CLI to assign or update tiers programmatically:

terminal

# Assign Ultra tier to production zone
cloudnexus network tier set prod-cdn --tier ultra --region global

✓ Tier updated for zone 'prod-cdn'
  Propagation ETA: ~45s
  New tier: Ultra

API

Update via REST API using PUT /v4/zones/{zone_id}/config/speed-tier:

json

{
  "zone_id": "zk_8f3a2c1d",
  "tier": "accelerated",
  "apply_to": "all_edges",
  "fallback_tier": "base"
}

⚠️

Downtime or brief latency spikes may occur during tier transitions. We recommend scheduling changes during low-traffic windows.

Performance Benchmarks

Real-world TCP handshake and TLS negotiation times across varying distances. Tested at 100 Mbps symmetric bandwidth, 300ms baseline RTT.

Distance	Base	Accelerated	Ultra	Enterprise
< 500 km	42ms	28ms	11ms	6ms
500–1500 km	89ms	54ms	24ms	11ms
1500–4000 km	145ms	92ms	41ms	18ms
4000+ km	210ms	138ms	68ms	29ms

💡

Use the cloudnexus net ping --tier all diagnostic to test real routing paths from your origin.

Migrating Tiers

Switching tiers does not require DNS changes or TTL adjustments. The control plane automatically updates anycast weights and edge routing tables.

Base → Accelerated/Ultra: Immediate effect. Cache warms in 2–5 minutes.
Ultra → Base: Gradual fallback over 60s to prevent connection drops.
Enterprise: Requires dedicated routing profile. Contact support for custom transitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing tiers affect my existing caches?

No. Cache objects are shared across tiers. Only routing, TLS termination, and edge compute priorities change.

Can I mix tiers on the same zone?

Yes. Enterprise tier supports split-horizon routing, allowing specific geographies or paths to use different tiers.

How is egress pricing handled?

Egress pricing remains consistent across all tiers. Speed Tiers only affect routing performance and edge compute resources.

What happens if an edge node fails?

All tiers include automatic failover. Base tier fails over to continental nodes, while Accelerated+ uses city-level mesh routing.