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Every Tenbyte CDN distribution serves over TLS. You pick how the cert is provisioned and tune protocol-level options like SNI, redirects, and HTTP/2 / HTTP/3.

SSL types

Origin
TypeDNS validationBest for
Tenbyte SSL (Free)AutomaticSystem-generated *.tenbytecdn.com host. Zero setup.
Let’s EncryptDomain validation via HTTP-01 / DNS-01Custom domains where you control DNS. Free, auto-renews.
Custom SSLYou manageBring-your-own cert (EV, wildcard, internal CA, multi-SAN).

Provision a certificate

Tenbyte SSL (free)

Auto-issued for the system-generated hostname. Nothing to configure.

Let’s Encrypt

  1. Pick Let’s Encrypt as the SSL type.
  2. Confirm the custom domain CNAMEs to your distribution:
    dig +short cdn.yoursite.com CNAME
    # cdn.yoursite.com.   CNAME   your-distribution.tenbytecdn.com.
    
  3. Click Issue certificate. Validation runs automatically.
  4. Status moves from PendingActive once issued. Auto-renewal handles future cycles.

Custom SSL

Upload an existing cert. See Custom Certificates for the full upload flow and PEM format.

Verify the cert

openssl s_client -connect cdn.yoursite.com:443 -servername cdn.yoursite.com </dev/null \
  2>/dev/null | openssl x509 -noout -subject -issuer -dates
Expected output:
subject=CN = cdn.yoursite.com
issuer=C = US, O = Let's Encrypt, CN = R3
notBefore=May  9 00:00:00 2026 GMT
notAfter=Aug  7 23:59:59 2026 GMT
For browsers, hit the URL and check the lock icon. SSL Labs (https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/) gives you a deeper grade.

Additional SSL settings

Origin
SettingWhat it doesWhen to use
SNI HostnameSent during the TLS handshake.Set if your origin’s TLS cert doesn’t match the distribution hostname.
Redirect HTTP → HTTPSSends 301 for any plain-HTTP request.Always on for production.
HTTP/2Multiplexed connections.Always on — universally supported.
HTTP/3 (QUIC)UDP-based transport, faster on lossy networks.On for end-user-facing distributions; off if you have strict-firewall users.

Verify the protocol

# HTTP/2
curl --http2 -o /dev/null -sS -w 'HTTP version: %{http_version}\n' "https://cdn.yoursite.com/"

# HTTP/3
curl --http3 -o /dev/null -sS -w 'HTTP version: %{http_version}\n' "https://cdn.yoursite.com/"

Renewal and rotation

Cert typeRenewal
Tenbyte SSLAutomatic. No action needed.
Let’s EncryptAutomatic, ~30 days before expiry. Failures emit a webhook.
Custom SSLYou are responsible. Watch notAfter and upload the new cert before it expires.
For custom certs, set a calendar reminder 30 days before notAfter and a hard alert 7 days before.

Operational tips

  • Mixed-content audits — once HTTPS redirect is on, scan your site for http:// asset URLs.
  • HSTS — add Strict-Transport-Security via response headers only after you’re sure all subdomains are HTTPS.
  • Cipher / version — Tenbyte CDN serves TLS 1.2 and 1.3 with modern cipher suites. Older clients (XP, ancient Android) won’t connect.
  • Origin TLS — the edge talks TLS to your origin too. If you use a self-signed cert, mark the origin as such; otherwise the cert must validate.

Troubleshooting

SymptomFix
Cert stuck at PendingDNS not resolving to the distribution. Confirm CNAME and wait for TTL to expire.
Browser shows cert mismatchSNI Hostname misconfigured, or DNS resolves to a different distribution.
Origin handshake failsSet the SNI Hostname to match the origin’s cert CN.
Mixed-content warningsYour HTML still references http://... assets. Update or rely on protocol-relative URLs.
HTTP/3 not negotiatedClient or network blocks UDP/443. Falls back to HTTP/2 silently.