The most popular technique, tunneling, entails wrapping private network packets inside TCP/IP data sent via the Internet. Hardware or software on both ends of this VPN connection use a shared encryption key to encrypt and wrap and then unwrap and decipher . . .
The most popular technique, tunneling, entails wrapping private network packets inside TCP/IP data sent via the Internet. Hardware or software on both ends of this VPN connection use a shared encryption key to encrypt and wrap and then unwrap and decipher VPN packets. VPNs leverage companies' existing Internet service to eliminate the cost and management burden of single-purpose leased lines and modem banks. A VPN is not a perfect solution because it is sensitive to all of the problems that plague the Internet, including latency (packet delivery delays), packet loss, and routing failures.

Every potential VPN malady is matched by an equally troubling private network issue, but VPNs create a unique dilemma: When you ship private information along a public network, how do you keep that information safe?

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