VPN Technologies

Depending on the type of VPN (remote-access or site-to-site), you will need to put in place certain components to build your VPN. These might include:

  • Desktop software client for each remote user
  • Dedicated hardware such as a VPN concentrator or secure PIX firewall
  • Dedicated VPN server for dial-up services
  • NAS (network access server) used by service provider for remote-user VPN access
  • VPN network and policy-management center

Because there is no widely accepted standard for implementing a VPN, many companies have developed turn-key solutions on their own. In the next few sections, we'll discuss some of the solutions offered by Cisco, one of the most prevelant networking technology companies.