What are the types of VPN technology?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secured network that makes use of the internet for stability. VPNs rely on network firewalls and network encryption with other special internet features for its connection and operation within organizations.

A VPN is integrated by many organizations while trying to build a secured intranet and extranet network.

We can use VPN technology to secure connection links across the internet for the purpose of secure data transfer.

Below, we discuss the three basic types of Virtual Private Network technology:

• remote access
• extranet-based site-to-site
• intranet-based site-to-site

Remote access virtual private network

A remote access virtual private network is a kind of virtual private network which is most suitable for personal use. Its setup is easy, with no or fewer management hassles. First-time users of this network can get comfortable with the network quickly due to its easy-to-learn nature.

Remote access virtual private networks help users to remotely connect to a secure data center. They also encrypt all data that is sent and received through this remote channel. This is achieved by creating a private tunnel between an organization’s network and the remote user at whatever location the user might be, both in private and in public. The encryption makes sure that there is no witness to any data compromise.

The remote access virtual private network is used by individuals of an organization for the purpose of gaining secured access to the organization’s data resources at any location of choice. This virtual private network secures any communication made by every user with the resource center, so no other party gets to access this information from the user.

Extranet based site-to-site virtual private network

A site-to-site virtual private network has the goal of helping multiple users at various locations access each other’s data resources. A site-to-site virtual private network is capital intensive and mostly for large business organizations. The infrastructures required are mostly custom set ups for their specific purpose.

An extranet site-to-site virtual private network exists when two different companies are collaborating on a project, like when a part of the project is possibly leased to a different company elsewhere. The extranet-based site-to-site virtual private network can be used by the users involved in the project work for the purpose of sharing resources across both companies during the project work.

This network ensures all communication and resource sharing is safe and secured between the companies involved. This can be seen when a software project is undertaken by a software company that decides to lease out the back-end of that project to a neighboring software company. An extranet-based site-to-site virtual private network is set up between the two companies to enable easy and secured data communication between the two companies as the project is being carried out.

Intranet based site-to-site virtual private network

An intranet-based site-to-site virtual private network exists when two separately-located departments of a company collaborate in project work. The intranet site-to-site virtual private network helps both departments share needed resources along the project work time.

An instance of this is when a software company starts a project, and the company has another branch of its company somewhere in another state with a collaboration interest on the same project. An intranet-based site-to-site virtual private network is created to let both departments of the same organization share information during the working period of the project work.