A virtual private network, or VPN, is a method for safely connecting to a network via the internet. When you use a VPN, all traffic and communication are routed over a private connection. That private connection is commonly known as a VPN tunnel.
It might be confusing to distinguish between the many VPN types and determine which one is best for your needs. VPNs can be categorized into numerous sorts. Let’s examine the five most popular VPN types, their functioning, and their appropriate usage.
Remote access VPN
One of the benefits that many companies provide workers is the chance to work remotely. Remote work has been made much more popular with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has encouraged many more companies to enable remote work for their staff members. The rise of remote work has required a security solution for companies, which has made remote access VPNs highly popular.
What is a remote access VPN?
Companies use remote access VPNs to connect their network securely to the devices used by remote employees. With a remote access VPN, remote employees can work from anywhere they like just as they would when they were at the office.
In order for a remote access VPN to function, a virtual tunnel must be built between a user’s device and the corporate network. Although this tunnel passes across the open internet, the data that is transferred back and forth through it is secured and kept secret through encryption.
When is a remote access VPN necessary?
Remote access VPN boosts remote workers’ productivity while enhancing security. With a remote access VPN, data is protected from interception by being enclosed in an encrypted tunnel, increasing security. This is crucial for remote employees who frequently connect through unsafe networks like free wifi in public places like hotels, airports, and coffee shops.
Being able to connect directly to remote systems increases productivity. Employees are able to work from any device of their choosing thanks to this capability, allowing them to do so in a setting of their own choosing. Therefore, if you have a remote workforce, using a remote access VPN would be a great idea for you.
Site-to-site VPN
There are several physical locations for many businesses, each with its own corporate local area network. Despite being separated by distance, these several sites require a unified corporate WAN to provide safe inter-site communication.
A site-to-site VPN establishes an encrypted connection between VPN gateways placed at each of these locations. Traffic is encrypted at one end of a site-to-site VPN tunnel before being sent over the open Internet to the other side, where it is decrypted and forwarded to its destination.
Does your business need a site-to-site VPN?
The answer to this question depends on your company’s general needs and capacity. For example, a site-to-site VPN is probably not essential if your company is tiny, operates from a single office, and seldom shares data with third parties.
However, a site-to-site VPN would be a wise investment for the present and the future if your business is expanding and you have plans to become a larger corporation with numerous sites, or if you already do. Using a reputable provider is an important part of employing a site-to-site VPN, and checking out NordLayer can be a great idea.
Other than the capacity of your business, you should also consider whether or not you store any customer data. Sharing critical data that isn’t encrypted outside of a secure network in 2022 can cause many issues. So, if this is your situation, having a site-to-site VPN is worthwhile to protect your clients’ information and the security of your business.
P2P VPN
Peer-to-peer or P2P VPNs, which are secure networks that enable peer-to-peer network connections, are one VPN alternative that is growing in popularity. Through the usage of a P2P VPN, every member of a peer-to-peer network acts as a possible point of connection, enabling users to transmit and receive data over the network through numerous nodes rather than just one. Because of the ability to transfer data from many sources, downloads become quicker and more effective.
Are P2P VPNs safe?
Your online actions are disguised using a P2P VPN. This ensures that no one will have access to your data, including your internet service provider, programs, websites, or governmental agencies. A P2P VPN, however, can only shield data from being compromised. Users are not protected against malicious files by it. Peer-to-peer networks expose users to the possibility of receiving infected files, which might be quite problematic.
Client-to-server VPN
Using a secure connection, a client-to-server VPN links a user’s home computer to their employer’s network. The outcome is the same as if the employee were seated in the office. But in order to use this form of connection, a person must set up a VPN client on their personal computer.
The user must create a connection using a VPN service rather than using their own internet connection to achieve this. Since it is especially helpful for WLAN network providers, who are notoriously renowned for being insecure, this sort of VPN is quite popular.
Only the communication between the VPN client and the VPN server is encrypted in this sort of VPN. Consequently, client-to-server VPN does not encrypt data traveling between the VPN server and other devices connected to the particular network. Client-to-server VPN, therefore, provides increased performance and access to corporate data.
Cloud VPN
VPN as a Service, often known as a cloud VPN, is a VPN that is hosted on a cloud-based infrastructure and uses that cloud infrastructure as the point of entry to the Internet rather than the local address of the client. Without requiring any VPN installation on the part of the user, cloud VPN aims to deliver a great degree of safe and universal VPN service access. Through the provider’s app, the user establishes a connection to the cloud VPN.
If your company has a remote workforce and stores company data in the cloud, using a cloud VPN can be a great idea since it will assure your staff that they are securely accessing sensitive company data.
Final thoughts
The greatest choice we have to ensure that the information we share is done safely is to use a VPN. Whether you want to use a VPN for personal or commercial reasons, it is clear that you’ll need to make a decision as to which VPN type you’d like to use.
The decision may seem daunting at first, but research into the different types of VPNs and some insight into your needs will direct you to the right decision.
