Virtual Private Networks

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) essentially allows for the creation of a private network that acts as a dedicated tunnel within another public network (i.e the Internet). This can let network administrators host, provide, and access resources that are not open to the public network, while also maintaining public network connectivity.

A VPN can be accessed remotely via several authentication protocols. For example, the VPN used to access the labs employs certificate-based authentication. VPNs can also be configured to allow traditional credential-based authentication, as well as a combination of both.

When a user authenticates to a VPN, their host is provided with a new virtual network interface. That interface, typically called tun0 or tap0 is provided with one or more routes to the private network. The host can now communicate with machines residing on that network, pending any rules controlled by the VPN's firewall.

Relevant Note(s): Network Technologies