VPN
(Virtual Private Networks)
Introduction
Virtual
Private Networks (VPNs) offer the capability of interconnecting
private network resources, such as workstation and servers, over
public networks like the Internet. As with any network deployment,
careful planning must precede any VPN implementation.
Specifically, this plan must address questions related to
connectivity and security. This article covers the concept
of VPN networks.
Planning
a VPN
Some
implementations will require little or no modification to an
existing network, while others will require careful coordination
with existing routers, firewalls, network address translators, and
other networking equipment.
Network
Connectivity
The
main purposes of a VPN are to provide connectivity to a corporate
network consisting of several geographically distinct corporate
offices, and to provide access to traveling employees or
telecommuters. A corporate office generally consists of a set of
workstations that are interconnected with a LAN (local area
network) and share a common link to a public network such as the
Internet. Workstations in a corporate office often have
fixed IP addresses or use dynamic addresses in a limited,
pre-defined range. Telecommuters and traveling employees typically
use single workstations (desktop or laptop computers) with dial-up
connections to a public network. Workstations for telecommuters
and traveling employees often have dynamically assigned IP
addresses over a wide, unknown range.
Building
Virtual Private Networks
One
major aspect of planning a VPN is to determine the connectivity
requirements between corporate offices, telecommuters, and
traveling employees. A VPN that allows any network resource
in the branch office to communicate with any network resource in
the corporate headquarters can be established; or, a VPN can be
very explicit, allowing an individual network resource in the
branch office to connect to only one or two network resources at
the corporate headquarters. Determining which network
resources should be linked via a VPN depends on the applications
used on the various systems.
VPNs
are typically platform independent. This means that systems
running different operating systems can share a common router for
Internet connectivity, and workstations running multiple operating
systems can be interconnected using VPNs. Any computer
system that is configured to run on an IP network can be
incorporated into VPN with no modifications required!
Conclusion
Integrating
VPNs into a corporate network should follow a similar process to
deploying any other network device. Sysnet Solutions careful planning
before installing and configuring equipment is important to
achieve a successful deployment. Our planning includes
consideration of which networks and/or clients require connections
through a VPN, and what other security and networking functions
are operating in conjunction with VPN services.
For
more information about Networking and what Sysnet Solutions can do for
you and your business, please feel free to Contact Us.
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