Virtual

Introduction

Virtual. Virtual means not real or in a different state of being. In a VPN, private communication between two or more devices is achieved through a public network the Internet. Therefore, the communication is virtually but not physically there.

Private. Private means to keep something a secret from the general public. Although those two devices are communicating with each other in a public environment, there is no third party who can interrupt this communication or receive any data that is exchanged between them.

Network. A network consists of two or more devices that can freely and electronically communicate with each other via cables and wire. A VPN is a network. It can transmit information over long distances effectively and efficiently.

The term VPN has been associated in the past with such remote connectivity services as the (PSTN), Public Switched Telephone Network but VPN networks have finally started to be linked with IP-based data networking. Before IP based networking corporations had expended considerable amounts of time and resources, to set up complex private networks, now commonly called Intranets. These networks were installed using costly leased line services, Frame Relay, and ATM to incorporate remote users. For the smaller sites and mobile workers on the remote end, companies supplemented their networks with remote access servers or ISDN.

Small to medium-sized companies, who could not afford dedicated leased lines, used low-speed switched services. As the Internet became more and more accessible and bandwidth capacities grew, companies began to put their Intranets onto the web and create what are now known as Extranets to link internal and external users. However, as cost-effective and quick-to-deploy as the Internet is, there is one fundamental problem – security. Today’s VPN solutions overcome the security factor using special tunneling protocols and complex encryption procedures, data integrity and privacy is achieved, and the new connection produces what seems to be a dedicated point-to point connection. And, because these operations occur over a public network, VPNs can cost significantly less to implement than privately owned or leased services. Although early VPNs required extensive expertise to implement, technology has matured to a level where deployment can be a simple and affordable solution for businesses of all sizes.

Virtual Simply put, a VPN, Virtual Private Network, is defined as a network that uses public network paths but maintains the security and protection of private networks. For example, Delta Company has two locations, one in Los Angeles, CA (A) and Las Vegas, Nevada (B). In order for both locations to communicate efficiently, Delta Company has the choice to set up private lines between the two locations. Although private lines would restrict public access and extend the use of their bandwidth, it will cost Delta Company a great deal of money since they would have to purchase the communication lines per mile. The more viable option is to implement a VPN. Delta Company can hook their communication lines with a local ISP in both cities. The ISP would act as a middleman, connecting the two locations. This would create an affordable small area network for Delta Company.

VPNs were are broken into 4 categories-

1) Trusted VPN: A customer “trusted” the leased circuits of a service provider and used it to communicate without interruption. Although it is “trusted” it is not secured.

2) Secure VPN: With security becoming more of an issue for users, encryption and decryption was used on both ends to safeguard the information passed to and fro. This ensured the security needed to satisfy corporations, customers, and providers.

3) Hybrid VPN: A mix of a secure and trusted VPN. A customer controls the secure parts of the VPN while the provider, such as an ISP, guarantees

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