VPN/Benefits of VPNs/ Intranet and Extranet

Virtual private network (VPN)
2.1.10 A vitual private network (VPN) is a private network that is constructed within a public network infrastructure such as the global Internet. Using VPN, a telecommuter can remotely access the network of the company headquarters. Through the Internet, a secure tunnel can be built between the PC of the telecommuter and a VPN router at the company headquarters.


The next page will explain the benefits of VPNs.

 
Benefits of VPNs
2.1.11 This page will introduce the three main types of VPNs and explain how they work.


Cisco products support the latest in VPN technology. A VPN is a service that offers secure, reliable connectivity over a shared public network infrastructure such as the Internet. VPNs maintain the same security and management policies as a private network. The use of a VPN is the most cost-effective way to establish a point-to-point connection between remote users and an enterprise network.

The following are the three main types of VPNs:

• Access VPNs provide remote access for mobile and small office, home office (SOHO) users to an Intranet or Extranet over a shared infrastructure. Access VPNs use analog, dialup, ISDN, DSL, mobile IP, and cable technologies to securely connect mobile users, telecommuters, and branch offices.

• Intranet VPNs use dedicated connections to link regional and remote offices to an internal network over a shared infrastructure. Intranet VPNs differ from Extranet VPNs in that they allow access only to the employees of the enterprise.

• Extranet VPNs use dedicated connections to link business partners to an internal network over a shared infrastructure. Extranet VPNs differ from Intranet VPNs in that they allow access to users outside the enterprise.

The next page will introduce intranets and extranets.

This page will teach students about intranets and extranets.

Intranets and extranets
2.1.12 One common configuration of a LAN is an intranet. Intranet Web servers differ from public Web servers in that the public must have the proper permissions and passwords to access the intranet of an organization. Intranets are designed to permit users who have access privileges to the internal LAN of the organization. Within an intranet, Web servers are installed in the network. Browser technology is used as the common front end to access information on servers such as financial, graphical, or text-based data.

Extranets refer to applications and services that are Intranet based, and use extended, secure access to external users or enterprises. This access is usually accomplished through passwords, user IDs, and other application-level security. An extranet is the extension of two or more intranet strategies with a secure interaction between participant enterprises and their respective intranets.

This page concludes this lesson. The next lesson will discuss bandwidth. The first page will explain why bandwidth is important.