As far I read so far, (unless you’re using Argo) in default mode when a user’s request hit a nearest Cloudflare PoP, they route the traffic from that PoP through public internet to the origin server. This is easier to understand as they want to offload the traffic asap from their network.
But I want to understand what happens with traffic is going to origin server of their bandwidth alliance partner(s) or partner they are peering with. Let’s say the origin server is hosted with Scaleway in Amsterdam and a user request hit a nearest PoP in Singapore. Things to consider is Scaleway peer in PAR and AMS compare to Cloudflare who peer with almost anyone and anywhere.
So does Cloudflare offload the traffic in Singapore and it goes through IP transit provider(s) of Scaleway to reach origin server?
OR
They keep the traffic in their network till it reach to one of the IX where they are peering with Scaleway and offload the traffic to them there?
Yeah, generally the Scaleway servers in Amsterdam will reach Cloudflare’s Singapore POP directly via the public internet, not via CF’s POP in Amsterdam/Paris (argo-based) and use Cloudflare’s backbone to Singapore.
Maybe your account needs to be whitelisted or something?
Yes, to Cloudflare’s Singapore POP, this is without bandwidth alliance. I don’t know if bandwidth alliance system is applied to ALL customers or selected customers only.
They only promise discount or nil cost for ALL customers. I don’t think they mention any improved traffic routing or performance with their bandwidth alliance. So I guess what you said is most likely the case here.