With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce, overseas independent sites, international games, and global cloud applications, more and more companies, developers, and webmasters are turning their attention to US data centers when purchasing servers, especially the West Coast of the United States. The West Coast of the United States is geographically close to mainland China, with low network latency and rich resources, making it an important first choice for deploying overseas servers. However, faced with a wide variety of West Coast server solutions, many users often hear the comparison between "CN2 US servers" and "ordinary West Coast servers" when purchasing, but they are not clear about the specific differences.
1. Overview of CN2 US Servers
CN2 US servers refer to US servers equipped with China Telecom's CN2 network export lines, which are mainly deployed in top data centers in the West Coast of the United States, such as Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, etc. As the next-generation backbone network launched by China Telecom, CN2 lines are divided into two categories:
CN2 GT: Telecom's international transit optimization network, with better performance than traditional 163 networks.
CN2 GIA: Telecom's high-end international dedicated line, providing exclusive bandwidth, priority routing, minimum latency, and minimum packet loss rate.
The biggest advantage of CN2 US servers is that the return link is based on the CN2 backbone network, achieving lower latency and higher stability for users in mainland China.
II. Overview of ordinary US West Coast servers
Ordinary US West Coast servers refer to traditional international server products deployed in data centers on the west coast of the United States. Its network export usually goes through the 163 backbone network of China Telecom, the 4837 backbone network of China Unicom, the CMI of China Mobile (international export of China Mobile), hybrid BGP or ordinary international links. This type of server is aimed at global users, usually cheap and rich in resources, but the quality and degree of optimization of the return link are not as good as those of CN2 line servers.
III. Network link comparison
CN2 US server network link
CN2 US servers use China Telecom's CN2 backbone network for the return path from the US West Coast data center, with fewer routing nodes, direct paths and low packet loss. The CN2 GIA solution can provide exclusive international exports, does not share bandwidth, and has stable performance during the evening peak. Usually, the delay from US West Coast to Chinese mainland telecom users can be stabilized at 130ms~170ms, and China Unicom and China Mobile depend on the quality of the interconnection.
Ordinary US West server network link
Ordinary US West servers usually use 163, 4837 or CMI international lines, with many detours and large hops. Congestion, high packet loss rate and obvious jitter are prone to occur during peak hours. The delay from US West to Chinese mainland telecom users is mostly 200ms~300ms, and even higher during peak hours.
Summary: In terms of network link comparison, CN2 US servers have obvious advantages in the quality of return visits. Especially for telecom users, CN2 GIA's network performance is better than ordinary US West servers.
IV. Access stability and packet loss comparison
The packet loss rate of CN2 US servers is less than 1% (peak period), and CN2 GIA can be as low as 0%. The delay fluctuation is small during peak hours, and the connection is stable. Telecom users have the best access effect, followed by China Unicom and China Mobile (depending on the quality of the interconnection).
Ordinary US West servers may have a packet loss rate of 5%-10% or even higher during peak hours. The delay increases significantly during the evening peak, and the network fluctuates greatly. Telecom, Unicom, and Mobile users are all susceptible to international link congestion.
V. User FAQ
1. Is CN2 US server suitable for users across the country?
It mainly optimizes the user experience of Telecom. The performance of Unicom and Mobile depends on the quality of the interconnection, but it is better than ordinary lines overall.
2. Can CN2 US server be used to build a station group?
Yes, but from the perspective of cost performance, if there is no domestic access demand, ordinary US West server is more suitable.
3. Is there a big gap between CN2 GIA and CN2 GT?
CN2 GIA provides exclusive international bandwidth, and its performance is significantly higher than CN2 GT, but the price is also much more expensive.
There are significant differences between CN2 US server and ordinary US West server in network link, stability, and applicable scenarios. CN2 US server has become the first choice for projects with high requirements for domestic access quality due to its high-end backbone link of Telecom, low latency, low packet loss, and high stability. Ordinary US West server is more suitable for projects with limited budget or global business orientation due to its price advantage and sufficient resources.
