▾When choosing the most suitable VPN solution, it's definitely worth getting familiar with the available types of these services and then selecting the one that will be the most appropriate for you. Almost all of us use the internet for personal, work, or business purposes practically every day. And how often do you think about properly securing your connection? If you start addressing the issue only when a problem, data loss, or sensitive information breach occurs, it would be too late. It's necessary to prevent issues and avert them.
Who Needs a VPN?
Since maintaining privacy and protection are important in practically every internet communication, VPN is suitable for every user, from students to business people, occasional users, and even the older generation. Besides privacy protection, VPN offers many other advantages that can be utilized. Primarily, it's about encryption and using created tunnels, avoiding ads, and potentially inappropriately increased prices during online shopping. And also watching online movies and series that otherwise cannot be accessed. So, what specific types of VPN exist?
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol or PPTP
The name might look complicated, but once you translate it (point-to-point tunneling protocol), it becomes clear what it's about. PPTP is used in the most commonly operated VPN networks and is appreciated by home users and those who use the internet for commercial purposes. It's sometimes referred to as "remote" access because it's primarily used by remote users. It's particularly suitable for the above purposes as it allows login to the VPN network through a deliberate password. PPTP VPN also does not require the purchase or installation of additional hardware, and its functions are accessed using inexpensive supplementary software. It is the most commonly used type of VPN, also because it is seamlessly compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.
Does PPTP have any disadvantages? Certainly, it should be noted that it does not provide encryption, which is often one of the reasons for acquiring a VPN, and it is also dependent on the PPP or Point-to-Point protocol for implementing security measures.
VPN Site-to-Site
This type of VPN can also be found under the designation Router-to-Router and is mainly used by companies and corporations. Because many companies have their branches at national and international levels, they use the VPN Site-to Site protocol to connect the main office with the others. The advantage is that if users (in this case, companies) connect with other companies, the connection is classified as Extranet, meaning that a virtual bridge is created, connecting individual networks at different locations. This allows maintaining secure private communication between these networks.
Although a secure network is created, VPN Site-to-Site does not have any line that would allow different locations within the company to connect to create a VPN. Encryption and decryption are performed using software or hardware routers at both ends of the connection.
L2TP VPN Type
This abbreviation stands for "Layer to Tunneling Protocol," developed by Microsoft and Cisco. This type of VPN is usually used in combination with other security VPN protocols to ensure a secure connection. A tunnel is created between two L2TP consumer sites and another VPN, with data encryption occurring in the IPsec protocol.
Because L2TP includes details regarding the lack of encryption, it is often used together with the PPTP protocol, where they together provide excellent protection.
IPsec Protocol
The designation comes from the abbreviation "Internet Protocol Security" and serves to secure internet communication over an IP network. Tunnel settings are made at a remote location and allow access to the central network. It works to secure any communication by verifying each session and encrypting packets individually. The IPsec protocol can be used in two different modes - in transport mode or tunneling mode. In transport mode, the content is encrypted, while in tunneling, the data packet is encoded.
The disadvantage of this type of VPN is the higher cost and relatively complex installation that must be carried out before its use.
TLS and SSL
The acronyms stand for "Transport Layer Security" and "Secure Sockets Layer." Both protocols work together as one and are used to create VPN connections. In this case, the web browser acts as a client and user access is limited to specific applications, not the entire network. Web browsers are already integrated with SSL and TSL.
MPLS VPN Type
The abbreviation is from the English "Multi-Protocol Label Switching" and is an ideal solution for Site-to-Site connections. This is mainly because MPLS are very adaptable and flexible. The principle is based on the use of a resource that is used to accelerate the transfer of network packets through a larger number of protocols.
However, their disadvantage is that compared to other VPNs, the network setup is quite complex, and the price is also higher.
Hybrid VPN
In this case, it is a combination of MPLS and IPsec, where both types of VPN are used separately at different locations. Their use at the same location is also not excluded if you want to use IPsec as a backup for MPLS.
It is a solution that is characterized by a high degree of security but also a higher price. Therefore, it is mainly used by larger companies.