Virtual private networks (VPNs) offer secure internet connection channels to bolster your online safety. VPNs can mask your IP address and keep your browsing activity private. You can use them to explore geo-restricted content, save money on flight tickets, elude online shopping discrimination, and more. There are probably more than a dozen ways to use VPN services. However, before you leverage the benefits of a VPN, you must choose a type.
VPN services may target individuals or businesses. Services designed for individuals are known as personal VPNs, while those for businesses are known as business VPNs. Here’s an overview of the four main types of VPN services:
Mobile VPN
A mobile VPN is a remote access VPN that allows you to connect to a local network. This option is ideal when you’re using an unstable internet connection. Remote access VPNs usually assume you’ll remain in the same location for the entire session. If you disconnect from the internet, the VPN tunnel established closes. Mobile VPNs don’t require a stable connection on the same network. You can switch Wi-Fi and cellular networks or even turn off your device for a while without losing the VPN connection.
Mobile VPNs are suitable for remote workers on the move. The VPNs allow access via multiple devices and internet connections. For instance, police officers and firefighters can use mobile VPNs to maintain secure connections with automatic vehicle location, vehicle registration databases, and computer-aided dispatch applications. Remote workers in areas with poor connectivity can also use mobile VPNs to maintain secure access to company resources.
Remote Access VPN
As the name implies, remote access VPNs give you access to a private network from a remote location. This is a type of business VPN service that is also available to individual users. Remote access VPNs suit companies with remote employees or those that want to provide out-of-office access to the company’s network. The main highlights of a remote access VPN include:
- Designed for users who want to connect to a private network
- Involves installing software on the devices used to access the network or configuring the operating system
- Best suited for home workers, business travelers, and other remote workers
Remote access VPNs are also known as client-to-server or client-based VPNs. The service works by encrypting connections whenever a user connects to the private network. It first verifies if the user is allowed to connect to the network, then encrypts the connection channel and data as it travels over the internet.
Personal VPN
This is perhaps the most familiar VPN service among individual users. A personal, consumer, or commercial VPN allows you to connect to a third-party server. The third-party VPN server acts as a middleman between your device and the websites you want to access.
For instance, you can use a personal VPN to explore online casinos without exposing your identity. The service will mask your IP address, allowing you to anonymously explore slots, table games, poker, and live casino products. You can also bypass geo-restrictions to join casino sites licensed outside your state. This is a popular practice among players in countries where gambling is restricted.
Personal VPNs encrypt connections and provide access to remote servers. However, they don’t give you access to remote networks like mobile VPNs, and remote access VPNs do. Instead, they let you use the public internet through encrypted connections.
You can use personal VPNs to stream online movies, avoid ISP throttling, hide your internet connections from surveillance, evade web censorship, and enjoy casino games on offshore websites. Simply install the VPN software on your device, subscribe to a service, choose a location, and connect. You’ll be assigned a random server and IP address.
Site-to-Site
A site-to-site VPN service connects two or more networks from different locations into a single intranet network. Users don’t need to run additional software on their gadgets or configure the operating system. The VPN service is designed for organizations with two or more networks rather than individuals. Companies can also invite partners to join the network, creating an extranet. Intranet and extranet are the two primary forms of site-to-site VPNs.
An intranet is created when the combined networks belong to the same organization. It allows the company to create a single wide area network that covers multiple locations or offices, allowing workers to access resources on different sites. An extranet is created when the networks belong to two different companies. Site-to-site VPNs are usually implemented using IPsec tunnels, dynamic multipoint VPN, or layer 3 VPN. The VPN service simply joins the two networks together to allow secure connections from involved parties.
Key Takeaways
VPN services enable secure internet connections while increasing privacy and anonymity. Most VPN services are either for personal or business use. Personal VPNs are usually for a single individual and offer a single connection at a time on the device. Business VPNs are for organizations and support multiple connections across thousands of devices. Both options can be installed on various devices, including smartphones, for secure connections on the go.
