What is Remote access VPN?
A remote-access VPN allows individual users to establish secure connections with a remote computer network.
Those users can access the secure resources on that network as if they were directly plugged in to the network's servers. Another name for this type of VPN is virtual private dial-up network (VPDN).
There are two components required in a remote-access VPN. The first is a network access server also called a media gateway or a remote-access server (RAS). A NAS might be a dedicated server, or it might be one of multiple software applications running on a shared server.
What is Site-to-site VPN?
A site-to-site VPN allows offices in multiple fixed locations to establish secure connections with each other over a public network such as the Internet.
Site-to-site VPN extends the company's network, making computer resources from one location available to employees at other locations.
There are two types of site-to-site VPNs:
- Intranet-based -- If a company has one or more remote locations that they wish to join in a single private network, they can create an intranet VPN to connect each separate LAN to a single WAN.
- Extranet-based -- When a company has a close relationship with another company (such as a partner, supplier or customer), it can build an extranet VPN that connects those companies' LANs. This extranet VPN allows the companies to work together in a secure, shared network environment while preventing access to their separate intranet.
