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Premium VPNs are well-known tools that you may have heard of online, particularly in online transactions and remote work in 2022.
However, to an absolute outsider, a beginner, these VPNs may be just some added “expenses” that are overhyped. But no, the immense popularity of these VPNs is a result of their increased utility and good reputation.
But what is the best VPN for you? This is a subjective question that depends on the kind of online activity you’re doing.
A VPN, technically, is a master of many. But in general terms, it is the simplest way to maintain online anonymity. When you connect to a secure VPN server offered by your VPN provider, your web traffic is routed through a private tunnel that no one, not even hackers, governments, or your ISP, can see.
If you’re a VPN user or just a streaming geek who wants to learn more about fast and secure VPNs, this post is for you. Here, we will run you through the types of VPNs
and their distinct purposes, among others. Read on:
4 Types of VPN Expounded
Most people subscribe to a VPN service because of its undeniable benefits in several aspects of this digital era. The four types are remote, site-to-site, mobile, and personal VPNs.
Remote VPNs
Remote VPN enables a user to join a private encrypted network and access all of its services and exclusive resources.
A private and secure connection is made between the private network and the user through the Internet. Therefore, both commercial and residential users can benefit from remote access VPN.
Users who are worried about their online safety also sign up for VPN service providers to increase their privacy and security online.
Router-to-router VPN
Router-to-Router VPN, also known as site-to-site VPN, is frequently used in big businesses. Businesses or organizations use this VPN with branch offices spread across different locations to connect the networks of their offices.
Router-to-router VPN connections between offices around the world constitute an intranet-based virtual private network (VPN). VPN connections made by businesses to the offices of other companies are referred to as extranet-based VPNs.
These VPNs essentially build a fictitious bridge between networks at regionally dispersed offices, connect them via the Internet, and maintain secure, encrypted communications between the networks.
Mobile VPNs
Even though remote VPNs let users connect from anywhere to a local network, they do so under the assumption that the users will remain in one place. This is because the Internet protocol tunnel closes if the user logs off or travels from one location to another.
Here’s when mobile VPNs come in handy. If the user travels a lot or has an unreliable connection within the same network for the duration of the session, this type of VPN is a better choice than the others.
A mobile VPN keeps you connected even when you change your Wi-Fi connection or mobile data network when you experience connectivity issues or turn your device off.
Personal VPN
A personal VPN links the users to a server, which then stands between your device and the desired online services.
Sometimes referred to as a “consumer” or “commercial” VPN, it encrypts your connection, conceals your online identity, and allows you to change your location.
Personal VPNs protect your online privacy by preventing your internet provider (ISP), governments, web hackers, and anyone else from watching what you do.
When these entities notice you are broadcasting live games or movies from geo-restricted regions, ISPs will occasionally throttle your bandwidth or connection. But with personal VPNs, they can’t see what you’re doing online or where you’re accessing from.
Common Types of VPN Protocols
The types of VPN also have different classifications of protocols in place. When you connect to a VPN server, you can choose what protocol you prefer to use.
In your VPN app’s settings, you’ll notice a tab where you can select a protocol. The most common types of VPN protocols are IPSec, L2TP, PPTP, and OpenVPN. Recent developments have led to the creation of new protocols like WireGuard and LightWay Protocols.
Learn how protocols vary and how to select the one that suits you best.
IPSec, or Internet Protocol Security
An IP network’s Internet communication is protected using IPSec. This protocol safeguards Internet Protocol communication by verifying the session and protecting each data packet while the connection is open.
While tunneling encrypts the entire data packet, the transport mode’s task is to encrypt each message within the data packet. IPSec could also be combined with the other VPN security protocols to strengthen the security system.
L2TP, or Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol, also known as L2TP, is a protocol that’s also commonly employed with IPSec or other VPN protocols to establish an extremely encrypted VPN connection. L2TP builds a VPN tunnel between 2 L2TP connections, and IPSec protocol maintains secure communication within the tunnel by encrypting the data.
PPTP Protocol
The data packet is constrained, and a tunnel is created by the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). The connection and server information is encrypted using the Point2Point Protocol.
Since the initial release of Windows, PPTP has been one of the most popular VPN protocols. In addition to Windows, PPTP is also utilized on Mac and Linux.
TLS and SSL
SSL and TLS create a connection with your VPN where the web browser serves as the client, and access control is restricted to only certain apps and not the entire network.
Websites for online shopping frequently employ these VPN protocols. Because web browsers already have SSL and TLS built in, changing to SSL is easy and almost entirely automatic. The URL’s initials are “HTTPS” and not “HTTP” for SSL connections.
OpenVPN:
This VPN is a common and free, open-source virtual private network that can be utilized to build point-to-point VPN and device connections. OpenVPN uses traditional security procedures based on TLS and SSL protocols.
WireGuard
Data security is provided by WireGuard using tried-and-true cryptographic techniques. Initially designed for the Linux kernel, it is now usable on popular OS. Additionally, it works with routers and practical gadgets like tablets and smartphones.
It performs faster than the two VPN protocols that are currently most popular, IPSec and OpenVPN. WireGuard is easy to connect to, audit, and find bugs in; prop to its 4000 lines of code.
Lightway
Lightway uses wolfSSL, a well-known cryptography library whose security has been thoroughly examined by third parties. To ensure transparency for our users, we posted the Lightway source code on GitHub through an open-source license.
Although TCP can be more sluggish than UDP but connects to some networks better, Lightway also supports it in addition to the UDP protocol. As a result, Lightway can be applied in a variety of situations.
Key Takeaways.
The type of VPN you avail of must be in conjunction with your demands and needs. So whether you’re streaming international materials or working from home, sign up for a VPN each time you use the internet.
Any online activity—browsing, chatting, gaming, or downloading—can be done while a VPN app is operating in the background of your device without interfering. Additionally, you can rest easy knowing that your private information is always protected by choosing the right protocol for your device.
Thank you for reading!