Virtual Private Network is a network within a network. This
is very popular with businesses that have people working remotely. Basically,
what we have here is a utilization of the network already provided by the
internet. The internet infrastructure can be used as the network for remote
employees to access their corporate systems.
Corporate environments have a far greater need for tight
security. This is achieved by creating a VPN (virtual private network) on top
of the normal internet connection. This type of connection allows for greater
security and encryption.
Only authenticated users can access the corporate network
and the data being transferred cannot be intercepted.
So, this VPN (virtual private network) connection is being
run through the internet public network.
Two components are needed to make this scenario work. First,
there needs to be a corporate server setup which has the server VPN software
installed (and a good router with a firewall). The next would be to have the
client VPN software installed on the remote employees’ machines. Once the
client machine is on the internet, they would use the VPN client software to
communicate to the corporate server VPN where authentication occurs. Once the
server identifies the connecting client as a valid machine, access to the
network is granted. From then on, all information to/from the client to the
server is travelling along with this virtual private network and is protected by the
additional layer of encryption and security provided.
Finally, there can be cost savings if determining whether
a leased line or VPN is for you. Leased lines can increase in price based on
the geographic distance between sites. A virtual private network does not and
in fact is more scalable. (This is a general statement ONLY. It's best to
consult with your communications broker prior to making this decision. A broker
will be able to provide much more information when compared to speaking with a
specific vendor).
VPN is definitely a viable option for businesses small and
large that have remote employees need site-to-site access with remote offices
or secure dial-up connections.
This article is just a very general overview. You should use
this only as a starting point to even determine whether or not this type of technology
is for you. During your evaluation of this technology, you should consider what
type of implementation you're looking to do; remote access, site-to-site, secure
dial-up. Additional areas to research would be security, firewalls, encryption,
server type and IPsec (internet protocol security protocol).
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