VPN
The IT consultants at Evolution Networks LLC have many years of experience designing and managing virtual private networks (VPNs) for companies all over the St Louis and surrounding areas. Contact us today if you are interested in speaking with an IT consultant regarding your VPN or WAN or any of our other IT services.
What is a VPN and what is a WAN?
A virtual private network (VPN) supplies network connectivity over a possibly long physical distance. In this respect, a VPN is a form of Wide Area Network (WAN). VPNs enable file sharing, video conferencing and similar network services. Virtual private networks generally don't provide any new functionality that isn't already offered through alternative mechanisms, but a VPN implements those services more efficiently / cheaply in most cases. A key feature of a VPN is its ability to work over both private networks as well as public networks like the Internet. Using a method called tunneling, a VPN uses the same hardware infrastructure as existing Internet or intranet links. VPN technologies include various security mechanisms to protect the virtual private connections. Specifically, a VPN supports at least three different modes of use:
- Internet remote access client connections
- LAN-to-LAN internetworking
- Controlled access within an intranet
- Internet VPNs for Remote Access
The Advantages of a VPN
In recent years, many
organizations have increased the mobility of their workers by
allowing more employees to telecommute. Employees also continue
to travel and face a growing need to stay connected to their
company networks. A VPN can be set up to support remote,
protected access to the corporate home offices over the
Internet. An Internet VPN solution uses a client/server design
and works as follows:
• A remote host (client) wanting to log into the company network
first connects to any public Internet Service Provider (ISP).
• Next, the host initiates a VPN connection to the company VPN
server. This connection is made via a VPN client installed on
the remote host.
• Once the connection has been established, the remote client
can communicate with the internal company systems over the
Internet just as if it were a local host.
Before VPNs, remote workers accessed company networks over
private leased lines or through dialup remote access servers.
While VPN clients and servers require careful installation of
hardware and software, an Internet VPN is a superior solution in
many situations.
VPNs for Internet Working
Besides using virtual private networks for remote access, a VPN can also bridge two networks together. In this mode of operation, an entire remote network (rather than just a single remote client) can join to a different company network to form an extended intranet. This solution uses a VPN server to VPN server connection. Intranet / Local Network VPNs Internal networks may also utilize VPN technology to implement controlled access to individual subnets within a private network. In this mode of operation, VPN clients connect to a VPN server that acts as the network gateway. This type of VPN use does not involve an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or public network cabling. However, it allows the security benefits of VPN to be deployed inside an organization. This approach has become especially popular as a way for businesses to protect their WiFi local networks.
VPN Service Provider
Evolution Networks is an IT consulting company that provides both VPN design and maintenance to companies around the entire St Louis and surrounding areas. If you are interested in establishing and maintaining your VPN, please contact our IT consultants today for a FREE QUOTE.
