Virtual private network

A virtual private network, often known as a VPN, allows users to transmit and receive data over shared or public networks as if their computer equipment were directly linked to the private network. A VPN does this by extending a private network across a public network. The use of a virtual private network (VPN) may bring about improvements in the functionality, security, and administration of a private network. Remote employees are the most common users of this feature since it gives them access to resources that are unavailable on the public network. Encryption is widespread, despite the fact that it is not an integral feature of a virtual private network connection (VPN).

A virtual private network (VPN) is built by creating a virtual point-to-point connection across pre-existing networks either by using dedicated circuits or by utilising tunnelling techniques. A virtual private network (VPN) that is accessible from the general Internet may offer some of the advantages of a wide area network (WAN). Users of the private network have the ability to remotely access the resources that are made accessible on the network.

Connecting a PC to a neighbourhood network is similar to configuring a host to join to a network. This kind grants access to a private network inside a company, sometimes known as an intranet. This may be used for mobile employees who require access to private resources, or for remote workers who need to use vital tools without exposing them to the public Internet. It can also be used for workers who are located outside of the company's main office who need access to private resources.

A site-to-site arrangement links together two separate networks. Using this setup, a network may be expanded to include offices located in different parts of the country, or a group of offices can be connected to a data centre installation. The connecting connection could traverse a network that is distinct to the intermediary network; for example, two IPv6 networks might be linked across an IPv4 network.

When discussing site-to-site settings, the phrases "intranet" and "extranet" are used to represent two distinct kinds of applications or scenarios. When compared to an extranet site-to-site VPN, an intranet site-to-site VPN connects sites that are part of the same organisation, while an extranet site-to-site VPN links sites that are part of more than one company.

Remote access virtual private networks (VPNs) are often used by people, while site-to-site connections are typically used by enterprises in business-to-business situations, cloud computing environments, and branch office settings. Despite this, these technologies are not mutually exclusive, and they may be coupled within a very sophisticated corporate network to provide remote access to resources that are situated at any given location. One example of this would be an ordering system that is housed inside a data centre.