VPN Services

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure network that uses public network communications infrastructure to communicate data over privately. Most commonly the public network utilised is the Internet, with the private network implemented through the use of tunneling protocols and security procedures. Privacy is maintained by encrypting all data in the transmission; effectively creating a "tunnel" over which all information is sent and received.

VPNs are commonly used by businesses to communicate securely over the Internet. This allows them to provide remote access to their own internal network to their employees or clients; supplying a secure link, that is an extremely cost-effective alternative to a dedicated private line. Security is implemented in a VPN by the use of encrypting data through tunneling protocols, sender and receiver authentication, and message integrity.

There are many different types of VPN services available, catering to varying requirements and utilising different protocols. Conexim offers two of the most commonly used types: User VPN and Site-to-site VPN. These are explained below:

A User VPN is similar (albeit virtual) to dialing over a modem and connecting to the Internet from your computer, except that the "dialing" is done virtually into your server(s) and making use of your existing Internet connection. This functionality is most often supported by the operating system and makes User VPN location non-specific. The protocol utilised for User VPN is the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP).

A site-to-site VPN permanently bonds your home/office network to your server(s) managed by Conexim, seamlessly creating a virtual extended office network which includes your external server(s) as a part of your office network. This allows potentially unlimited work stations to access the server. Dedicated hardware in the form of an appropriate VPN capable router is required at your office to support the IPsec (IP security) suite of protocols. This set of protocols are utilised to secure communications over the Internet by encrypting and/or authenticating all packets in the transmission.