What Makes a VPN?


Special thanks to Cisco Systems, Inc., for its support in creating this article.
­A well-designed VPN can greatly benefit a company. For example, it can:

  • Extend geographic connectivity
  • Improve security
  • Reduce operational costs versus traditional WAN
  • Reduce transit time and transportation costs for remote users
  • Improve productivity
  • Simplify network topology
  • Provide global networking opportunities
  • Provide telecommuter support
  • Provide broadband networking compatibility
  • Provide faster ROI (return on investment) than traditional WAN

What features are needed in a well-designed VPN? It should incorporate:

  • Security
  • Reliability
  • Scalability
  • Network management
  • Policy management

There are three types of VPN. In the next couple of sections, we'll describe them in detail.